Tasting Lini 910 Lambrusca Lambrusco with Alicia Lini

Alicia Lini at Coppa Osteria

While everyone in the world seems to know about our oppressive hot and humid summers in Houston, Texas, not everyone knows about our beautiful springlike weather that we enjoy throughout the fall and often through much of winter. Alicia Lini was in town in November showcasing the easy pairing nature of her family's Lambrusco wines with a group of local wine and food writers on the patio at Coppa Osteria. The day was sunny and bright with a gentle breeze, making it not only an ideal day to enjoy al fresco dining in Houston but a perfect afternoon for some chilled Lambrusco.

If you were a child of the 70s or are a little older, then you grew up with the knowledge gained from a TV commercial that Lambrusco wines are nice. The Lini family does not make that particular brand of the wine but theirs are definitely nice.

Founded in 1910 by Oreste Lini, the brandname takes the 910 from that date, the winery is now being run by the fourth generation. The family makes their sparkling wines using both the Charmat and the classic Champagne method to create their line of Lambrusco wines in their signature style that is dry, fruity, and balanced with fresh minerality. For this tasting lunch, we were trying the Lini 910 Lambrusca Lambrusco line which is made in the Charmat or tank method preserving the fruity nature of the grapes.

Jeremy Parzen aka DoBianchi was at the table to share his love of Lambrusco.

Italian Lambrusco wines come from Emilia-Romagna which lies south of Venice and east of Tuscany. The wines can be made from a large family of grapes which were named Lambrusca by the ancient Romans. Some of the grape varieties are much more widely planted than others, some contribute more color, some more flavor, and others more structure. Lambrusco wines are often blends of these grapes.

Lambrusco wines are the quintessential pairing for Emilian cuisine which includes top Italian ingredients from the region like Prosciutto di Parma, Modena Balsamic Vinegar, and Parmesan Reggiano but the wines are also versatile enough to pair with other types of food including Barbecue, Tex-Mex and Asian cuisines. For this lunch, Lini chose a more classic menu of charcuterie and cheese to start, followed by Margherita pizza and concluding with both Carbonara and Bolognese pasta.

Wine Blogger Jeff Kralik aka The Drunken Cyclist listens to Lini talk about her family's history.

The Wines:

Lini 910 Lambrusca Lambrusco Bianco - This unusual for the region white Lambrusco wine is made from 100% Salamino grapes which are lighter in color than other Lambrusca grapes. Lightly sparkling with fresh minerality and notes of apple and cherry.

Lini 910 Lambrusca Lambrusco Rosé - This pale pink wine is made from a 50/50 blend of Sorbara and Salamino grapes. Sorbara grapes are highly regarded for their higher acidity and more concentrated fruit and floral aromas. Lightly sparkling with fresh minerality and floral notes and fruity flavors of raspberry and nectarine.

Lini 910 Lambrusca Lambrusco Rosso - This more classic red style is composed from a blend of 85% Salamino and 15% Ancellotta. As mentioned above, the Salamino is lighter in color but the Ancellotta balances the blend with rich color, structure, and bright red and blue fruit notes, several people commented on the intense blueberry note in this wine. Lightly sparkling and fresh with notes of mixed berries and cherry with a slightly savory mineral finish.

All the wines were very drinkable and are highly recommended for casual get togethers, pizza night, or day drinking with friends.

Lust Zinfandel 2007

My husband loves this wine so he purchased quite a few bottles at a recent Michael~David dinner that we had attended. Last night, I decided to open a bottle to serve with dinner. I was making a roasted southwestern pork tenderloin, sweet potato fries (w/ chipolte ketchup) and a salad consisting of baby lettuce (fresh from my garden) with strawberries, red bell peppers, red onions and walnuts tossed with a white balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette. This turned out to be a great pairing. It is a bold wine that really stood up to the strong chipolte seasoning while complementing the fruit flavors. I opened the bottle a 1/2 hour before I served it as I have found this wine to be more enjoyable when I do so. The Lust Zinfandel by Michael~David 2007 was a dark purple color with a ruby rim. It has intense aromas of very ripe mixed berries and baking spices-both allspice and ginger with hints of cedar. It has flavors of creme de cassis, milk chocolate and also more of the baking

Nocera - A Native Grape from Sicily

Nocera is a native grape from Sicily. It comes from the Messina province which is located in the northeast. Nocera is a quality red wine grape that is most known as a blender in the red wines of the Faro DOC. I had the opportunity to taste some pure versions (which according to Wine Searcher are rare) this week at a trade tasting held at Roma Restaurant in Houston. Wine production in the region dates back to the 14th Century BC, however, phylloxera decimated the vineyard area in 1881 leaving it at a fraction of its original size. The area boasts a Mediterranean climate with sunny days and coastal breezes, moderate rainfall, and mild winters, all ideal for grape growing. The Nocera grape is a bluish/black color and has a thick skin which allows for the production of structured wines with prominent tannins which are balanced by good acidity. High alcohol is common. Red wines produced from the grapes are an intense ruby color with purple highlights and aromas and flavors of dark fruits a

The Salta Tour 2012

Vine Connections and Pioneer Wine Company hosted a seminar and tasting event for Houston's wine trade and media at Backstreet Cafe yesterday. All but two of the wines were from the Salta Province of Argentina. Salta is the most northern wine region in Argentina lying close to the Bolivian border. The climate is very extreme due to the high altitude. Plantings start at 5,000 feet above sea level and climb to 9,000 feet, making these vineyards the highest in the world. The intense sunlight the area receives helps to create grapes with more anthocyanins, these are the color pigments which result in softer tannins, lower astringency and more intense flavor. The wines produced are extremely pure, concentrated and terroir specific. Torrontes Riojano which is considered the best of the three Torrontes clones is the most widely planted grape with plantings of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat increasing. The seminar started with a tasting of four Torrontes wines, three from diff

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