4 minute read
5 Questions for Silvia Zucchi
Photo courtesy of Azienda Agricola Zucchi
5 Questions for Silvia Zucchi, Azienda Agricola Zucchi
Interview by Sylvia Jansen, DipWSET, CSW, Sommelier
Italy’s famous fruit-forward dry, red sparkling Lambrusco wines are seeing a global renaissance thanks to the visionary leadership and fresh energy of young, quality-minded producers. Notable among these is Silvia Zucchi, the young and active head of her family’s wine estate. Azienda Agricola Zucchi has been in family hands for three generations, making expressive, quality sparkling wines from their home in the hills near Modena. Silvia is the first woman winemaker to take on leadership, overseeing both grape growing and production of Lambrusco wines.
Silvia has brought numerous updates to the winery and has begun a longrange project for clonal selection in the vineyard, all with amazing energy and a continued focus on quality. As if all this were not enough, she also recently welcomed baby Francesco into the family. Sylvia Jansen caught up with her to talk about bubbles, happiness, and harmony.
1As the first woman winemaker in your family, what have been some challenges in pursuing your career?
For me, it is a great honour to be the first woman winemaker in my family. I became a mother a few months ago, and now I have two full-time jobs! My organization and priorities have changed a lot—and I must say for the better, because becoming a mother has allowed me to give more value to things and allowed me to optimize everything in my work. I have always been a person who never gave up an evening with my wines, but for the first time, I started to say no because some things I can resume when Francesco (we call him the “Little Commander”) can come with me.
2Lambrusco’s popularity has skyrocketed in the last few years in Canada. How can we help our customers and wine lovers understand the different quality levels and styles of these wines?
When I go to the wine fair, I often bring small Polaroids with images of the grapes of Lambrusco di Sorbara and Lambrusco di Salamino because the family of Lambrusco grapes is really wide. Each province has its Lambrusco. For example, in Modena, we have three main types: in the plain between the Secchia River and the Panaro River, we have the Sorbara and the Salamino, while in the hills, we find the Grasparossa. And if we move to the provinces of Mantova and Parma, we find others. We must first start from the territory and traditions and then arrive at a Lambrusco that is cultivated.
3You studied enology at the respected winemaking school in Conegliano, the heart of Prosecco production. Can you explain how two regions so close to one another have developed such different styles of wine?
Emilia-Romagna and Veneto have their native varieties and have completely different territories, but perhaps this is one of the great fortunes of Italy—to have micro-areas and microzones with vines that can express the best only in those certain areas. In Lambrusco, we have high acidity and important sapidities [flavour profiles], whereas Prosecco has lower acidity and different bubbles.
In Prosecco and Lambrusco, the production methods are the same—the Charmat method for the former and the traditional method for the latter—refermented in the bottle. This method allows us to understand the longevity of this great variety because the second fermentation in bottle can be disgorged (as in the traditional method) or not disgorged. If it is disgorged (as in the traditional method), we get great elegance; if it is unfiltered and not disgorged, we get more rustic wines. 4 What are your favourite Lambrusco food pairings?
Especially in Modena, the cuisine is built on very rich and fatty condiments and dishes. For this reason, the acidity has a palate-cleansing function. Surely, we pair Lambrusco with tortellini and lasagne, but also with salami, tigelle (a traditional Modena flatbread), and gnocco (a fried bread). On the other hand, in Emilia, we also use pork in many dishes. For this, we need a wine to degrease. But I must tell you: the Lambrusco of Sorbara finds a perfect match with eel.
5Why did sparkling wines become so popular in Emilia-Romagna?
Because it has characteristics that are common to two of the most important sparkling wines in the world, Champagne and Prosecco: low alcohol content, freshness, and acidity. And because our area has a great terroir, there is still a lot to discover. We Emiliani are often called chatty and funny because we produce and drink bubbles. Bubbles are conviviality, happiness, and harmony.
Silvia’s wines, Lambrusco di Sorbara dell’Emelia ($18.99) and Lambrusco di Salamino Marascone ($19.99), are available at Jones & Company Wine Merchants.
TASTY THIRSTY THURSDAYS
Beaujena’s French Table is pleased to introduce TASTY THIRSTY THURSDAYS, an extraordinary once-a-month event in aid of charity, featuring a sensational seven-course dinner expertly paired with seven exceptional wines. Very limited numbers of tickets are available. See our website or Facebook (@beaujenas) for details.
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