Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro

Status

Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro became a DOC by presidential decree of 1 May 1970.¹ The text used here was last modified by ministerial decree of 8 October 2018.¹ Regional pages on later amendments could not be opened during research, so newer changes may exist.

Zone

The zone lies in the province of Modena and covers 13 municipalities plus part of the municipality of Modena itself.¹

Grapes

Lambrusco Grasparossa must make up at least 85%. Other Lambrusco varieties and Malbo Gentile may together make up to 15%.¹

Types

The disciplinare lists four types:¹

Rosso spumante;
Rosato spumante;
Rosso frizzante;
Rosato frizzante.

Unlike Lambrusco di Sorbara, there is no white type in this text. See sparkling red and rosé sparkling wine.

Method and sweetness

Refermentation may be done in the bottle (traditional method) or in autoclave. The disciplinare sets no minimum duration for either.¹ See traditional method and tank method.

Type	Sweetness range
Spumante	Brut nature to dolce
Frizzante	Secco to dolce

Source: disciplinare.¹ See sugar scale.

Yield

The maximum grape yield is 18 t/ha.¹

The three Lambrusco DOCs compared

DOC	Main variety	Yield	Types
Lambrusco di Sorbara	Lambrusco di Sorbara min 60%²	18 t/ha²	Red, rosé, white spumante; red, rosé frizzante
Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro	Lambrusco Grasparossa min 85%¹	18 t/ha¹	Red, rosé spumante and frizzante
Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce	Lambrusco Salamino min 85%³	19 t/ha³	Red, rosé spumante and frizzante

None of the three texts consulted sets a minimum time on lees.^2,1,3

Reading the label

The Italian terms on a Lambrusco label describe colour, pressure class and sweetness:

Rosso is red, Rosato is rosé, Bianco is white.
Spumante is fully sparkling wine; frizzante is semi-sparkling wine with lower pressure (see pressure and EU categories).
Secco is dry, amabile is medium-sweet and dolce is sweet; spumante uses the brut scale instead (see sugar scale).