Wander the streets of the northern Italian city of Parma, and you may be struck, as I have been, by the innumerable small food shops, cafes and wine bars that display local charcuterie and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses in their flamboyantly dressy windows. So much so, that you might get the idea that citizens of, and visitors to, this bustling burg subsist on little else. It’s not true, of course.
Parma and its sister cities in the ancient province of Emilia-Romagna host one of Italy’s most diverse and lively food scenes. The cuisine of the region is surely not for the gastronomically faint of heart, however, being notably robust, flavorful, and caloric. And what, you might well ask, are all these intrepid trencherfolk throwing back as they make their way through a few courses of regional specialities? The answer, in most cases, will be some version of the lowly, lightly fizzy, local hero: Lambrusco.
Lowly only because this indigenous varietal and its numerous sub-variants fill the ranks of the wine world’s solid-citizens: unglamorous, sure, but also steady and reliable, always ready to do what needs to be done with a laugh and a willing heart.
Laugh, you say? I’ve become convinced that Lambrusco, in its own winey way, possesses a sense of humor rarely found in a bottle. How this is possible isn’t easy to articulate, but I’ll start by noting that, despite the tendency of kitschy commercial imposters — a category we call Lame-brusco — to take on a disagreeably cloying sweetness, the true, the traditional, article is, like the best sort of wit, bracingly dry. Typically full-flavored, it nonetheless presents surprisingly low alcohol levels. Cross you up a bit there, did we?
Then there is its sly, ironic habit of presenting first an obliging fruitiness, followed by a deft punchline of palate cleansing astringency (Trevor Noah wannabes, take note).
Finally, a filip of pure irony: Lambrusco, quintessentially Italian as it is, proves to be the ideal accompaniment for good old U.S. of A. barbeque, rubbed or sauced, pork, beef or chicken — it matters not a morsel.
But BBQ is only the start. Like the Parmensi themselves, we keep finding new ways to enjoy its versatility and vitality.