What is Lambrusco?
Lambrusco is a fizzy red wine from Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, made from a family of Lambrusco grapes, and it tastes like juicy berries and cherries, ranging from bone dry to sweet.
Lambrusco is sparkling red wine, which surprises a lot of people. It's both a family of grapes and the name of the wine. In the US it's best known as sweet and cheap, but in Italy the dry versions are an everyday staple.
- Tastes like
- Blackberry, cherry, raspberry, violets
- Sweetness
- Dry ('Secco') to sweet ('Dolce' or 'Amabile')
- Where it's from
- Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy
- Price range
- About $7–20
- Serve at
- Chilled, 45–50°F
- Bodylight → big
- Sweetnessdry → sweet
- Zingsoft → zippy
- Gripsmooth → grippy
What Lambrusco tastes like
Bright, juicy red and dark berries with frothy bubbles, served cold. Sweet versions taste like grape soda for grown-ups. Dry ones are tart, earthy and a little bitter, in a refreshing way.
It's lower in alcohol than most reds, often around 8–11%, so it's an easy daytime red.
Where it comes from
Lambrusco comes from around Modena and Parma, the same corner of Italy that gives us Parmigiano and prosciutto. Different Lambrusco grapes make different styles: Sorbara is pale and zippy, Grasparossa is darker and grippier.
How to tell sweet from dry
'Secco' means dry. 'Amabile' is lightly sweet, and 'Dolce' is sweet. Riunite and most bottles near the bottom shelf are sweet. Bottles with a grape name like 'Grasparossa' or 'Sorbara' are usually dry.
If you like sweet reds, start with the Riunite. If you like dry reds and Prosecco, try a dry one. It might become your new favorite pizza wine.
What to eat with it
Dry Lambrusco is perfect with pizza, salami, cured ham, burgers and lasagna. The bubbles and acid cut through fat. Sweet Lambrusco goes with BBQ, spicy wings and chocolate-covered strawberries.
Lambrusco to try
Riunite Lambrusco
about $7LambruscoIt's fine
Sweet, fizzy and nostalgic. Serve it ice cold.
Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro
about $15Lambrusco Grasparossa
Dry, dark and berry-packed. The bottle that shows what Lambrusco really is.
Stella Rosa Black
about $13Red blendGood buy
Not technically Lambrusco, but if you like the sweet, fizzy red idea, it's in the same lane.
Keep reading
- What's a good sweet red wine?
- What is sparkling wine?
- What wine goes with pizza?
- What wine goes with BBQ?
- What is the best sweet wine?
Last checked 2026-10-11.