On June 21, the Eiffel Tower heralded the Lambrusco revolution. In a three-year timeframe, the Lambrusco Consortium wants to celebrate the red pearls of Emilia Romagna on a grand scale in the most important capitals of the world; in 2026, the celebration will take place in New York.
UNPRECEDENTED TASTING AT THE EIFFEL TOWER
Who would have thought that Lambrusco could bring together over 40 top-class wine and gourmet journalists from all over the world in Paris? When Italy’s only Master of Wine, Gabriele Gorelli, made the invite on behalf of the Lambrusco Consortium to the very exclusive Masterclass on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, one may have suspected it to be a late April Fool’s joke – but exactly the opposite was the case. Together with the trademark Parmigiano Reggiano and the seal of the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, the Lambrusco Consortium organised an unprecedented tasting in the Gustave Eiffel Room on the summer solstice.
WORLD POWER LAMBRUSCO: 130 MILLION BOTTLES, 90 COUNTRIES
“The thing that has made Lambrusco famous and makes it available in over 90 countries worldwide is its versatility,” reported Claudio Biondi, President of the Consortium, speaking at the Eiffel Tower. “While Germany and the USA are the markets with the highest sales volumes, Lambrusco is also present in many other countries, from Japan to Mexico. In view of this internationality, we came up with an event that would allow us to unite tasters and journalists from all over the world in an exceptional place on the globe in a three-year cycle and to introduce them to the special characteristics of our sparkling wines.” Mission accomplished!
AUSTRIA TAKES OVER THE EIFFEL TOWER
After the Lambrusco Masterclass, sovereignly led by Gabriele Gorelli MW, and the impressive opening of a specially imported 24-month matured Parmigiano Reggiano mould, it was up one floor to the Eiffel Tower’s own Michelin-starred restaurant Jules Verne. And then it was time for another premiere: for the first time, an 8-hands dinner took place at Jules Verne. Never before had guest chefs been allowed at the cooker in the Eiffel Tower. The restaurant’s patron, Frédéric Anton, who has three Michelin stars, made room in the kitchen for the Japanese-Argentine duo Chiho Kanzaki and Marcelo di Giacomo, together with his equally starred executive chef Kévin Garcia. Philip Rachinger from the Mühltalhof was also in the party, contributing the grand finale of the menu with his very creatively daring dish.
Elderflower caviar, barley koji risotto, fermented asparagus, calf’s head, sweetbreads and veal shank braised in Lambrusco was meant to be a creative bridge between Italy and Austria. “What can I say?” enthused Rachinger. “To be able to cook and serve my course in such a setting is very special! So high above Paris, you can have a bit more of everything. The somewhat overloaded plate also stood out well from the crowd with its deliberate anti-fine-dine attitude. A childhood dream come true. Vive la cuisine, Paris mon Amour!”
High above the rooftops of Paris, we feasted, toasted and celebrated Lambrusco until late in the evening. Whether a new Lambrusco era is really dawning remains to be seen. In any case, the starting signal was gigantic.
