|
Ca' De' Medici
Lambrusco, often jokingly referred to as the Coca-Cola of Italy, is as much joked about as it is drunk but there is a very sober side to Lambrusco and some very dedicated houses involved in its production. One such house is Ca?de?Medici, a family run cantina which takes its production of Lambrusco very seriously. Lambrusco comes from the ancient Roman vine ?Vitis Labrusca? (wild vine). It was only in the 19th Century that any particular genetic strains of the vine emerged and became prevalent thanks to natural selection and viticultural practices. Sub-varieties include Lambrusco Marani, Lambusco Salamino, Lambrusco Monericco and Lambrusco Maestri, Lambrusco di Sorbara and Lambrusco Grasparossa. The 5 DOCs are normally a blend of these various sub-varieties. Ca' De' Medici specializes in 4 of the 5, Reggiano, Vulcano, Sorbara, Gasparosso. There are very strict DOC regulations governing all aspects of Lambrusco from its alcohol content, the color of its froth to whether or not it has a cork top (a Lambrusco with a screw cap does not qualify for its DOC even though identical to that with the traditional cork and wire cage finish). Lambrusco is primarily produced in the Val Padana which lies between Piacenza and Bologna. Ca?De? Medici has chosen to produce their grapes in the beds of alluvial sad and gravel around Reggio. Here the terrain produces Lambruscos noted for having more color, aroma and structure. Ca? De? Medici uses traditional methods combined with modern technology to produce wines of guaranteed quality. After the grapes are pressed, they are transferred to fermentation tanks where the must is racked off in Ca? De? Medici is small in the Lambrusco scheme of things, producing little over 3 million liters compared to a cooperative such as Riunite which produces over 132 million liters. They may be small but they are certainly big on quality, the kind of quality that only the natural fermentation of wines can guarantee. |