WTN: Fiorini "Becco Rosso" Lambrusco

[Robin Garr]

Actually Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, which won't all fit in the header, this is the kind of Lambrusco that banishes all memories of Cella and Riunite. Food-friendly, good wine and good value.

Fiorini 2022 "Becco Rosso" Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro ($16.99)

Made with organically grown Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro grapes, Fiorini "Becco Rosso" opens with a resounding sparkling-wine pop. Very dark purple color, it pours with a fizzy lavender mousse that piles up like soft-serve ice cream, then falls back to a persistent foam that rings the glass. Aromas open up after a few minutes for its chill to fade, revealing juicy cherries and a whiff of cranberry. Fizzy and tart on the palate, its firm acidity more than balances slight residual sugar, presenting as fully dry. Its fresh and tart black-cherry flavor and stony minerality work well with light tannins and moderate 11.5% alcohol. U.S. importer: DeGrazia Imports LLC, Chicago. (March 7, 2024)

FOOD MATCH: The producer suggests (translated from Italian), "Becco Rosso is a wine suitable for any type of meal. Remarkable even if tasted together with a good pizza." I love pizza, but spaghetti with tomato sauce and Beyond Meatballs worked just fine.

WHEN TO DRINK: Lambrusco is not a wine meant for aging. Enjoy the 2022 and, if you like it, watch for later vintages next year.

VALUE:
My local price is consistent with Wine-Searcher.com's $17 average U.S. retail. In contrast with the cheap, fizzy Lambrusco of the old days, this wine offers good value in the upper teens.

WEB LINK:
Here's a fact sheet from importer DeGrazia. For more information, check this page from importer Skurnik Wines. Producer Fiorini offers more information (in Italian).

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Fiorini "Becco Rosso" Lambrusco on Wine-Searcher.com.

Read more about Lambrusco at this Wine-Searcher link, but then turn to this Wine-Searcher link to discover why Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro deserves a niche all its own.

[Jenise]

About ten years ago in Los Angeles for a wine tasting, I needed to pick up a 'starter' wine to take for the help-yourself table. Can't recall now what the theme was, but it certainly wasn't Lambrusco. However that's what a guy in a wine store talked me into, and the result was the wine that everyone loved and drained immediately. I'd never run into one so dry and showing off that "stony minerality" you talk about here. Would love to run into another like that one; this sounds like it could get into the zone.

Good Lambrusco is so fun. Though for me the best match is cured meats, olives, etc- preferably at a picnic.