Words Richard Hope
Standing in the aisle at my local wine shop, I felt that familiar wine-shopping paralysis. I was visiting friends and looking for something special. They are the type who know their wines, and I wanted something unique. That’s when I spotted it: Brachetto d’Acqui, a sparkling wine hidden at the back of the wine fridge — and what’s more, it was red.
That bottle launched me into the fascinating world of sparkling reds, a category that’s finally shaking off decades of cheap wine stigma to become one of the most exciting developments in the wine world.
For years, sparkling red meant one thing: sweet Lambrusco in a screw-top bottle — the kind of wine you’d find at university parties, alongside bottles of Coke and chips. But this year’s Decanter Wine Awards told a different story, celebrating eleven sparkling reds from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region — the birthplace of sparkling red wine.
All the rage in the 1980s, and much like the hairstyles of that decade, for a long time, this wine was one people would rather forget. However, it remained very much in vogue in Italy and continues to be a firm favourite for cutting through the heaviness of the local cuisine. Emilia-Romagna is famous for its pastas (tortellini, lasagne, spaghetti Bolognese), meats (mortadella from Bologna, pancetta from Piacenza), and cheeses (Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano). As a result, sparkling reds are typically enjoyed as a digestivo, which Italians sip before taking a passeggiata to walk off their heavy dinner.
For the sparkling reds available here in B.C., there are three styles, each one interesting in its own right.
Lambrusco remains for many a gateway wine, the first wine you might drink at a birthday party. Its origins stretch back even before the Romans conquered Italy to the Etruscan civilization, which cultivated the grape in the region just north of Rome. Today, Lambrusco wines are slightly frizzante (lightly sparkling) and designed to be drunk within a year or two of harvest. It’s generally a sweet wine, but there are several different grapes within the Lambrusco family.
One traditional style is Lambrusco di Sorbara. This is a genuinely intriguing wine and is considered the highest quality available. It’s a dry sparkling red that’s perfect for B.C. taste buds. Characterized by a light, ruby froth when poured, it pairs beautifully with heavy pasta dishes, salads dressed with balsamic vinegar, or even hearty Indian curries.
The next intriguing style is Brachetto d’Acqui. Coming from Piemonte in northwestern Italy, a region renowned for its robust reds such as Barolo and Barbaresco, Brachetto is more closely related to Moscato in style. It’s a low-alcohol wine (5%) and makes a perfect accompaniment to desserts — think berries and cream or a chocolate torte.
The final style is sparkling Shiraz. Originating in Australia, this style was invented in 1895 and is a unique creation in its own right. Much like Italian sparkling reds, the Australian market has undergone a reinvention with new, more experimental versions available, including Champagne-method styles like Stellar’s Jay Sparkling Shiraz. It’s excellent with barbecue and Peking duck when eating Chinese, but also pairs well with a cheese board.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Lambrusco – Medici Ermete – Concerto Lambrusco Reggiano
This isn’t the cheap wine you might have had in your teens. This is dry, but with deep flavors of plum and black cherry, and lightly frizzante, making it perfect for date night.
Lambrusco di Sorbara – Cleto Chiarli – Premium Lambrusco di Sorbara
A premium sparkling red (you can tell with the cork on the top, secured with a metal brace) with deep aromas of strawberry and raspberry. It’s a slightly sweet wine with a powerful finish. Great with spaghetti bolognese.
Brachetto d’Acqui – Braida
A personal favourite, this is a light and lively sweet red wine that pairs perfectly with your favourite desserts—widely considered the only wine in the world that is a perfect match for chocolate.
FRV – FRV 100 Rosé (2023)
On a cold wintery night at Vessel Liquor, I tasted this gateway rosé to the wonderful world of sparkling reds. This is a French sparkling rosé, from the Beaujolais region famous for its “nouveau” style of fruity wines. This is a light wine (6%) and is a perfect aperitif before dinner. Highly recommended.
