Lambrusco to make comeback decades after 1970s heyday

Offer the Lambrusco around and no one fizzes with excitement these days.

The Italian sparkling wine associated with 1970s dinner parties has long been relegated to the back of the drinks cabinet.

But that could be about to change.

Marks & Spencer is taking on the challenge of making Lambrusco fashionable again.

It has come up with its own version of the wine which it claims will banish fuzzy memories of a sickly sweet fizz.

Wine experts at the store claim that many people have a misconception of the drink as a cheap, fizzy and flavourless.

They claim that real Lambrusco, which is derived from grapes grown in the Emilio Romagna region of northern Italy, is much fuller in taste and goes very well with meaty dishes such as lasagne.

The M&S version of the drink has been sourced from the Medici family, who had produced the wine for more than 100 years on an estate in Reggio Emilia, a province of Emilio Romagna.

The store believes its customers will quickly acquire a taste for the drink and it will soon be one of the most popular tipples on the market.

Lambrusco, along with Babycham and Pink Lady, were also hugely popular in the 1970s - but have since faded out of fashion with many people believing it is too sweet.

However, the traditional version of the wine, which is enjoyed by the Italians and will now be available in the UK, has a much drier flavour and is more refreshing.

The best wines are said to be are the frothy, slightly sparkling, red wines that are designed to be drunk young.

Although it is best known as a pale red drink it also comes in white and rose varieties.

Jo Ahearne, wine expert from M&S said: ‘There are many misconceptions that Lambrusco is a sweet, fizzy drink with not much flavour because until now real Lambrusco has been very hard to find in the UK.

‘But now customers will be pleasantly surprised that authentic Italian Lambrusco is actually red, goes brilliantly with food, is a zingy, refreshing drink and it’s time they tried the real McCoy.’

She added: ‘In Emilio Romagna locals enjoy Lambrusco with food. It goes especially well with meaty dishes such as lasagne and spaghetti bolognese as it cuts through the richness of the sauce.’

Hamish Anderson, head sommelier and wine buyer for the Tate galleries’ restaurants, who sampled the wine said: ‘Lambrusco has almost the worst reputation in the world, but I love this one.

‘It’s a brilliant wine for a barbecue, and it would also suit slow-cooked meats in sauces.’

If Lambrusco proves to be popular it will not be the first time a retro drink has made a comeback.

Last year sales of sales of advocaat - a liqueur popular in the 1970s - soared after celebrity cook Nigella Lawson was filmed making Snowball cocktails on her TV show .

Sales rose by 40 per cent in Waitrose over Christmas and 25 per cent in a week in other supermarkets.