Lambrusco Spritz

By Rebekah Peppler

Published May 12, 2021

Lambrusco Spritz
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne
Rating
4(868)
Comments
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Think of this as a grown-up, but not too grown-up, spritz. Here, grapefruit brightens and plays up the wine’s light bitterness, while buttery green olives add a touch of earthy brine and serve as a welcome snack. Reach for a lighter, sweeter, more citrus-leaning amaro, to avoid masking the bubble’s nuance. For Lambrusco, seek dry or off-dry bottles, and commit to tasting a few until you find what you like. Two to start with: Lambrusco di Sorbara, which is the lightest in color and flavor, with high acidity and plenty of aromatics, and Lambrusco Grasparossa, which is dark in color and bold in flavor with dry tannins and rich berry notes.

Featured in: Day Drinking, Italian Style

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Ingredients

Yield:1 drink
  • Ice
  • 1½ounces amaro, such as Averna, Montenegro, or Nonino
  • ½ounce fresh grapefruit juice
  • 3ounces dry or off dry Lambrusco
  • 1ounce sparkling water, to top
  • 1grapefruit wedge
  • 1 to 3Castelvetrano olives, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Add the amaro and grapefruit juice to an ice-filled wine glass or lowball glass. Pour the Lambrusco and sparkling water over top. Stir gently, then add the grapefruit wedge. Add in the olives to taste. Serve immediately.

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4 out of 5
868 user ratings
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Comments

H.B.

I live in Italy, in the North, birthplace of the Spritz and the aperitivo all'italiana. The amaro for a Spritz amaro is Campari; others (Montenegro/Averna) are digestives for after dinner. The only other Spritz amaro here uses Select Spritz, a lot like Campari but a bit sweeter, that until recently you could only find in Veneto. Aperol for a Spritz Aperol. Three ingredients: Campari/Aperol, a sparkling white, and sparkling water. With either an orange slice or an olive. That's it. Fabulous!

Equilibrist

Apparently you haven’t read this author’s takedown of the aperol spritz as a “bad drink.”

Davide

I'm coming back home to bologna from a shattered Rome left empty by tourists.. I'm glad to read the piece on Lambrusco on the NYT paper edition inspiring new ways I've never heard of drinking the wine my family used to produce in Sorbara. I'll try it.. Despite a suggestion coming from so far away.. The peasant used it also in a stranger way.. They poured Lambrusco in the tortellini broth during the summer to cool down the temperature and to speed eating. Maybe too distant from the Spritz.

Katie Kenney, Boston

Made this with Lambrusco di Sorbara- which is lighter- but added a splash of simple syrup and springs of rosemary- delish. Super refreshing and tangy. We skipped the olives. Thank you NYT!

Hilary

This is so good! I used Sipwell Wine “Go Getter” fizzy red wine for the Lambrusco. It comes in a can so it’s great to use for spritzes without opening a whole bottle.

ithaca boxer

olives are essential! the salinity brings out the other favors

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