Lambrusco? Really?? #ItalianFWT

This was my first thought when Jennifer of Vino Travels announced that we would be sampling Lambrusco this month.  Lambrusco wasn't even on my radar.  It seemed to me like the same thing as asking us to sample White Zinfandel.

My mother drank Lambrusco and White Zinfandel.  I used to laugh and say why not just have a glass of kool-aid and put a shot in it?

But not being one to turn down a challenge.  Or a glass of wine for that matter.  I jumped onto the bandwagon and ordered up a bottle of Sparkling Wine from Cleto Chiarli.

Step on in and I will tell you what I learned about this wine region, winery and what I thought of the wine........




I went onto the Wine.com website and popped Emilia-Romagna into the search engine.  This is the area in which Lambrusco is made.  I was surprised at the options available to me.  I was also surprised that most of the options were dry, fizzy wines.  I decided to go with the wines from Chiarli after reading that they were the first wine producing company in the region having opened up the first winery over 150 years ago.

If you look closely at the bottle you will see the words Vecchia Modena, which means Old Modena.  You know what else Modena is famous for?  Balsamic Vinegar.

This helped me in determining what I wanted to pair with this sparkling wine from the same region.  

First, though, I want to share what I thought about the wine itself.  It poured a beautiful salmon pink color and had lots of fizz that tickled the nose.  It was dry but very fruity.  And yes....it did remind me of kool-aid, but an unsweetened version without the chemical taste but soft strawberry undertones.

I almost didn't get a chance to try this wine.  It took us a long while to figure out how to open it LOL.  It opens differently than any wine we've ever had before.  Frank finally figured out that you just had to slide the cross bar out from under the rim of the base.  

Before I share the food pairing with you let's take a look at what the others have to say about the bottles they opened.

• Camilla from the Culinary Adventures with Camilla will be featuring "Every Wine Deserves a Second Look: Warmed Brie with Mulberry Chutney + Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Sorbara Vecchia Modena 2018" 
• Jill at L'Occasion shares "La Collina Biodynamic Bubbles -- Lambrusco!
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm highlights "Lambrusco? Really??" 
• Deanna from Asian Test Kitchen will showcase "Top 5 Fast Food Pairings with Lambrusco"
• Jeff at Food Wine Click will share "Lambrusco Shines with Red Fizz and Fun" 
• Cindy of Grape Experiences will feature "Italian Old-School Classics: Easy Drinking Lambrusco with Spicy Vegetarian Pensa Romana" 
• Marcia of the Joy of Wine will be highlighting "Lambrusco - The Star of Emilia-Romagna" 
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass will be sharing "Sipping Lambrusco in Strawberry Season"
• Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings is focused on "Picnicking with Scarpetta Frico Lambrusco" 
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish will be sharing "Revisiting Lambrusco with Francesco Vezzelli Rive dei Ciliegi" 
• Nicole with Somm's Table shares "Cooking to the Wine: Pezzuoli Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro with Antipasto Pizza" 
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator will be showcasing "Bugno Martino's Organic Lambrusco Defy Expectations" 
• Susannah of Avvinare will be featuring "Lambrusco from Vitivinicola Rota" 
• Jennifer of Vino Travels is sharing "Over 150 years of Dedication to Lambrusco with Cleto Chiarli"

We will all be discussing our thoughts and pairings of Lambrusco wine Saturday, June 1,  on Twitter chat.  Please join us at 11 AM ET following #ItalianFWT.

These delicious stuffed Portabello mushrooms are marinated in Modena Balsamic Vinegar before being grilled to tender perfection.  They are then filled with a wonderful tomato and cheese mixture and placed back onto the grill to allow the tomatoes to warm slightly and the cheese to melt. They make a wonderful first course or light lunch.

#appetizers, #firstcourses, #salad, #Pizza, #mushrooms,

Appetizers, First Course, Salad, Vegetables

American

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Wendy Klik

Tomato Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

These delicious stuffed Portabella mushrooms are marinated in Modena Balsamic Vinegar before being grilled to tender perfection. They are then filled with a wonderful tomato and cheese mixture and placed back onto the grill to allow the tomatoes to warm slightly and the cheese to melt. They make a wonderful first course or light lunch.

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 10 Mtotal time: 20 M

ingredients:

• 4 large Portabello Mushroom caps, stems and gills removed
• 2 T. Balsamic Vinegar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 t. Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 T. olive oil, divided
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 pint, assorted cherry and grape tomatoes
• 5-6 lg. Basil leaves, chopped
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

instructions:

How to cook Tomato Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

1. Place the vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, half of the olive oil, salt and pepper in a large plastic bag that seals.  Shake to combine.  Place the Portabello Caps in the bag, seal and marinade, turning once or twice while the grill heats.
2. Remove the Mushroom Caps from the marinade and grill over high heat for about 5 minutes per side, starting with the bottom side down first.
3. While mushrooms are cooking, quarter the tomatoes and place them in a bowl with the basil and cheese.  Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and toss to coat evenly.
4. When the mushrooms have been turn onto the tops and are nearly completely tender, fill each cap with 1/4 of the tomato/cheese mixture.  Close the lid to the grill and let finish cooking for a minute or two until the cheese is melted.

NOTES:

Adapted from a recipe by Rachel Ray

Calories
257.90

Fat (grams)
18.22

Sat. Fat (grams)
4.40

Carbs (grams)
18.54

Fiber (grams)
2.73

Net carbs
15.81

Sugar (grams)
12.82

Protein (grams)
7.64

Sodium (milligrams)
256.32

Cholesterol (grams)
13.97

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