Lambrusco: the DOC one from Sorbara will now also be white. And the first subzone arrives

The world of wine changes, between tastes of consumers looking for more freshness and lightness, climate change pushing towards new paths from the vineyard to wine glass, and not only.  And, so, in the land of Lambrusco, where red sparkling wines for excellence in the world arise, now the focus is on white sparkling wines with denomination. Particularly, with Lambrusco of Sorbara Doc which could also be white (with always Lambrusco grapes, but vinified in white, ed), “an addition representing the natural conclusion of a path started by wine producers, who, for several years, have realized this type f product with excellent answers by consumers and sector operators”, explains the Consorzio Tutela Lambrusco. An important innovation for the denomination of Lambrusco of Sorbara Doc, one of the 6 denominations of Lambrusco, which, in 2023 saw a production of around 3.4 million bottles, on a total of over 40 million bottles of Lambrusco Doc (together with Lambrusco Grasparossa of Castelvetro, Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa, Lambrusco Salamino by Santa Croce, Modena Doc, and Reggiano Doc), protected and managed by Consorzio Tutela Lambrusco, headed by Claudio Biondi, to which 100 million of Emilia Igt Lambrusco bottles (under the protection of Consorzio Tutela Vini Emilia) are added, with a production taking 60% the road to export. An amendment, that gives the green light to Spumante del Lambrusco of Sorbara Doc in the white version, published in the Official Gazette, which is not the only one: “among the main innovations – underlines the Consortium – the subzone Monte Barello for Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Doc”. Actually, it is the first “tout court” subzone in the procedural guidelines of the various Lambrusco. And, “other grapes which are typical of the territory are valorized contextually with the integration of type “Fogarina”, and of geographical unit Gualtieri in the procedural guideline of Reggiano Doc”.
“We are glad to close 2024 with the update of our procedural guidelines – explains Claudio Biondi, president of Consorzio Tutela Lambrusco – it is a path that started several years ago aiming to meet the needs of the territory to ensure that the procedural guidelines valorized even more the quality, and the peculiarity of our productions of excellence”. Among the other innovations, the Consortium further explains, as previously said, there is the introduction of subzone Monte Barello inside the denomination Lambrusco Grasparossa of Castelvetro Doc for the production of sparkling wines. “The subzone includes an area positioned in the mainly hilly zone embracing the town of Castelvetro, and will have to meet specific requirements including lower yield per hectare, the hand-picking harvest of grapes, and the implementation of Lambrusco Grasparossa in pure form”.
To complement the innovations above mentioned, for all Docs of Lambrusco, the dedicated sections to labeling and packaging have been reviewed aiming to align the procedural guidelines and update aspects such as the capacity of the bottles, and the types of admitted latches, the Consortium further explains.