Wine glass for Lambrusco?

[MMRuth]

What shape of wine glass would you recommend for serving Lambrusco? My choices are the following Riedel glasses: Pinot Noir, Cab, Chardonnay or Champagne flutes. Also, should it be served chilled? Any particular ones that you recommend? TIA.

[LAwinelover]

Glass: Riedel actually recommends their Zinfandel / Chianti wine glass which according to them was designed to flatter medium-bodied wines with elegant structure: "The rim directs the flow of wine to the mid-palate so you can experience the complex balance of fruit flavor acidity and tannins." (Good for: Bardolino, Beaujolais Nouveau, Carignan, Chianti, Cotes du Roussillon, Cotes du Ventoux, Dolcetto, Lambrusco, Montepulciano, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Zinfandel...you get the drift.)

Serving temperature: Best to serve Lambrusco very cold if you bought a DOC Lambrusco (min. alc. 10.5%). Most of these are supposed to have a nice, crisp acidity which you bring out best when you serve it well chilled.

[Robert Lauriston]

I totally disagree. Serving Lambrusco very cold kills most of the flavor, and that's unheard of in their home territory. They taste best cool, not cold.

[LAwinelover]

You are correct when you talk about a sweetish, almost no acidity version. Like TJ's $5.00 lambrusco.

[chiavaio]

From my experience in Italy, Robert is right.

[Robert Lauriston]

Any old glass. It's best at cellar temperature, shouldn't be refrigerator-cold.

Unless you're talking about Riunite, which should be cold like the soft drinks that inspired it.

[warrenr]

it's usually served in an old jelly jar or a modest tumbler, and you should chill it a little. crystal is way too fancy to drink lambrusco in the proper spirit (guzzled with salami and cheese). who knows?, maybe they'll be producing a barrique-aged super-cuvee for the u.s. market soon. there are lots of brands being imported now that i haven't tried yet, but i've had great wines from cleto chiarli, medici-ermete, and villa di corlo.

[MMRuth]

Thanks - actually the little Italian restaurant where I first saw it poured uses tumblers for all of their wines.