Italian Old-School Classics: Easy Drinking Lambrusco with Spicy Vegetarian Pensa Romana

When you read or hear the word “Lambrusco” what do you think? Are recollections of college game day tailgate parties (plaid pants included), late night soirees in someone’s basement or tippling this classic vino in an Italian village with your copy of “Europe on $10 a Day” hidden in your backpack at the forefront of your mind? Count me in for all of the aforementioned memories!

 

 

This month, the Italian Food/Wine/Travel group of which I’m a member chose to focus on Lambrusco as a pairing with food (or anything else) with the end result being a collection of articles to share and a lively twitter chat on Saturday, June 1 at 11am Eastern/8am Pacific. We’d love to hear your experiences with Lambrusco, too! Simply log on to Twitter at the time that corresponds with your time zone, use the hashtag #ItalianFWT and join the conversation. Let us know if you’re wearing those plaid pants!

Lambrusco isn’t my usual wine of choice, although I should always have it in the wine fridge ready to open; it makes a delicious aperitif when guests walk in the door, a luscious pairing with spicy barbecue dishes or a lovely choice with dessert. With full disclosure, I never tell guests what they’re drinking until they remark how much they like it, so just imagine their expression when they realize that Lambrusco is in their glass!

Why the shock? This iconic variety has been dismissed as a viable choice thanks to years of sub-standard production. Fortunately, many producers today are correcting past transgressions and offering flavorful Lambrusco wines for us to appreciate. We can find Lambruscos boasting a variety of styles, ranging from dry to semi-sweet and most are semi-sparkling. The wine makes a delicious pairing with a variety of foods… from those with spice and heat to lightly sweet desserts.

Unique varieties of Italian wine grapes are termed “Lambrusca or Lambrusco-Something” according to Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding and Jose Vouillamoz in the 2012 edition of Wine Grapes and they’re right. The name Lambrusco is defined as “wild grape”; the theory that all Lambruscos are from domesticated, native wild grapes has been proven correct thanks to recent genetic evidence. The first mention of Lambrusco is thought to have been by Cato in De Agri Cultura, the oldest printed farming manual to date; it was written in 160 BC. There are ten different varieties of Lambrusco, four of which are the most prevalent: Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Maestri, Lambrusco Grasparossa and Lambrusco Salamino.

The wine I purchased, Ca’ de’ Medici Lambrusco Rosso (around $10) is a blend of Lambrusco Maetri, Marani, Montericco and Salamino from Emilio-Romagna. Produced with the traditional Charmat Method, grapes were transferred to fermentation tanks after pressing where the “mosto” was racked off in about 70 hours. The wine fermented rapidly then passed to a slower phase at which time more racking took place. Second fermentation occurred in controlled temperatures in the autoclave. On the nose I found intense aromas of cranberries, pomegranates and good old-fashioned grape juice. Refreshing and balanced with bright acidity, notes of black cherries, strawberries, raspberries, earth and touch of sweet were a pleasure to sip. This “rustic grape soda” as I’ve heard it called, was a surprisingly delicious, easy drinking pairing with a few slices of Veggie Pensa Romana.

Enjoyed at a neighborhood restaurant, I was immediately intrigued by the Pensa Romana on the menu. “Pinsa”, a term from the Latin word “pinsere” meaning “to press, crush, stretch”, evolved from a traditional recipe dating back to the Roman Empire. Virgil described the dough in his legendary tome, Aeneid, as a “low and oval cake” cooked over hot coals. Reintroduced in 2001 by culinary expert Corrado Di Marco, the airy dough is made with a mixture of wheat, soy, rice and sourdough and is 80% water. For a fascinating Pensa Romana recipe, click here.

The result of this method is a mouthwatering, fragrant crust that was crunchy on the outside and satin-like on the inside. Bonus points are given for the Pensa Romana that’s easy to digest (thanks to its long rising time, upwards to 120 hours in some cases!) and has fewer calories, fat and gluten than your standard pizza dough.

Of course, you could add your own choice of toppings to the Pensa Romana, but mine was laden with fresh tomatoes, red onions, sweet peppers, mushrooms, black olives, plenty of garlic and generous shakes of red pepper. The Lambrusco, with its touch of dolce, pink fizz and snappy flavors was a lively, fun pairing. Italy had a party on my palate!

When you’re thinking about creating an easy, “throwback” Italian dinner, find a refreshing, affordable Lambrusco and create your favorite spicy pizza (perhaps one with a Pensa Romana crust?)!

Cin Cin! ~ Cindy

For more articles about Lambrusco, enjoy the following reads from my colleagues!

• Camilla from the Culinary Adventures with Camilla  – “Every Wine Deserves a Second Look: Warmed Brie with Mulberry Chutney + Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Sorbara Vecchia Modena 2018“
• Jill at L’Occasion – “La Collina Biodynamic Bubbles — Lambrusco!“
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm – “Lambrusco? Really??”
• Deanna from Asian Test Kitchen – “Top 5 Fast Food Pairings with Lambrusco“
• Jeff at Food Wine Click – “Lambrusco Shines with Red Fizz and Fun“
• Marcia of the Joy of Wine – “Lambrusco – The Star of Emilia-Romagna” 
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass – “Drinking Lambrusco in Strawberry Season“
• Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings  – “Picnicking with Scarpetta Frico Lambrusco”
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish – “Revisiting Lambrusco with Francesco Vezzelli Rive dei Ciliegi“
• Nicole with Somm’s Table – “Cooking to the Wine: Pezzuoli Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro with Antipasto Pizza“
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator – “Bugno Martino’s Organic Lambrusco Defy Expectations“
• Susannah of Avvinare – “Sparkling Lambrusco from Vitivinicola Rota“
• Jennifer of Vino Travels – “Over 150 Years of Dedication to Lambrusco with Cleto Chiarli”