I would like to say that sometimes dreams do come true. That’s an odd way to start a wine review, unless I’m tasting a super rare or expensive wine. In either case, it’s not really a wine review because there would be no wine to sell or it would be extremely expensive that most people could not afford it. I would just be showing off.

My dream is to walk downstairs in the morning, get a glass, turn on the faucet and wine comes out. Sometimes that dream has beer and sometimes it has Bourbon. Needless to say, it is still essentially the same dream. Just think, replacing your tap water with your favorite beverage. Classic! My daughter, who works for Missouri American Water, is not amused by this idea.

I ran across this news story back in March. Basically, a winery in Italy somehow messed up their plumbing and wine was pumped from the storage tanks into neighbors’ houses. The winery was Settecani in Grasparossa, Italy. The exact wine was not mentioned, but I thought it was relevant because I want to introduce you to Settecani Lambrusco Grasparossa Amabile. The first thing I will mention is that the plumbing mix up did not accidentally fill all these bottles with water while all the wine went to the spigots.

The Settecani winery is a cooperative. It began in 1923 with 48 farmers who combined their grapes to start a winery. Today, there are more than 200 members in the cooperative. The winery is situated in Grasparossa, which is the best area for Lambrusco. The winery is just south of the city of Modena. The Grasparossa area is the smallest of the Lambrusco regions and it has some of the strictest regulations in the area. The wineries in Grasparossa want to distance themselves from the low-class, cheap swill that most people are familiar with. (Not mentioning any names, Mr. Riunite!)

There are six Lambrusco grape varieties which can be used, and they are all indigenous to the Emilia Romagna area: Lambrusco Grasparossa, Lambrusco Maestri, Lambrusco Marani, Lambrusco Montericco, Lambrusco Salamino, and Lambrusco Sorbara. The Grasparossa region requires at least 85% of the grapes in the region to be Lambrusco Grasparossa, however, the Settecani Amabile is made with 100% Grasparossa grapes.

The wine is very dark purple. Being a Lambrusco, it is finished with a champagne cork. Do not be frightened by it. Although the wine is slightly effervescent, the mousse dissipates very quickly. The wine was not what I expected: a glass of primary grape flavors, like sticking my nose in a jar of Smuckers jelly. What I got was a glass of much deeper, fuller, subtle flavors. No flavor component was too overpowering; everything was harmonious. The wine has a wonderful, rich, and full mouthfeel. It is soft and velvety. It has a touch of residual sugar, far less than most of the California red blends that are so popular. It is on the lower alcohol side, being only 8%, but I think that adds to the charm.

I tasted the wine early and then started to write this, but I enjoyed it so much, I actually got another glass to drink while I wrote. That never happens. I may even bring the remaining bottle home to drink tonight. That really never happens; I try to send things home with the staff so they are also educated about our products. This was my first tasting of the product. For Randall’s Direct products, the staff usually tastes the products and then we make a group decision. I was in Kentucky selecting Bourbons, so I was not involved with the tasting and discussions. I have to say, they made a good choice. It is a very solid and versatile wine.