Every Wine Deserves a Second Look: Warmed Brie with Mulberry Chutney + Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Sorbara Vecchia Modena 2018 #ItalianFWT

This month, Jennifer of Vino Travels is hosting the Italian Food Wine Travel bloggers as we explore Lambrusco. If you are reading this early enough, feel free to jump in on the live Twitter chat - Saturday, June 1st, at 8am Pacific time. Just use the hashtag #ItalianFWT so we can see your comment. Here's the list of the other Lambrusco posts...

• Camilla from the Culinary Adventures with Camilla says 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 asks Lambrusco? Really??
• Deanna from Asian Test Kitchen showcases the Top 5 Fast Food Pairings with Lambrusco.
• Jeff at FoodWineClick! declares Lambrusco Shines with Red Fizz and Fun.
• Cindy of Grape Experiences  features Italian Old-School Classics: Easy Drinking Lambrusco with Spicy Vegetarian Pensa Romana.
• Marcia of the Joy of Wine highlights Lambrusco - The Star of Emilia-Romagna. 
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass shares Drinking Lambrusco in Strawberry Season.
• Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings goes Picnicking with Scarpetta Frico Lambrusco.
  
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish is 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 Sparkling Lambrusco from Vitivinicola Rota.
• Jennifer of Vino Travels will be hosting and sharing Over 150 years of Dedication to Lambrusco with Cleto Chiarli.

Every Wine Deserves a Second Look

My initial post - for this month's event - was going to be the pairing of Torta Barozzi + Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Amabile, but that wasn't as successful as I had hoped. The pairing was fine; the wine wasn't my favorite. So, I decided to try again and give Lambrusco a second look. 

I wanted to find out if there was something more serious and appealing to a wine that I previously found cheerfully fizzy yet cloyingly sweet. I read more about the different types of Lambrusco and I tracked down Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Castelvetro Vigneto Cialdini 2017 and Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Sorbara Vecchia Modena 2018. I'm glad I did!

You can read about our Third, but Not Final Lambrusco Exploration with the Lambrusco di Castelvetro Vigneto Cialdini 2017. I can honestly say that I am now a Lambrusco convert. And, given that all three of these were from the same vintner, I also see the range of the varietal. It's not the sweet frothy pour I remembered from my 20s. Well, it's not just the sweet frothy pour I remember from my 20s. This is a wine to be explored and taken seriously. Thanks to Jennifer of Vino Travels for making sure I did just that. Grazie mille, Jen.

Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Sorbara 

Vecchia Modena 2018

Made by the same vintner as my previous Lambrusco, this one was exactly what I had hoped - complex, aromatic, and dry. I brought this over to a dinner party as an apéritif and poured it with a warmed brie topped with mulberry chutney.

This Lambrusco was a silky delight with modest bubbles and a racy acidity. On the nose, I got florals and berries. But on the tongue, the notes were a combination of sweet, citrus, and spice. It was beautifully balanced and I am glad that I gave Lambrusco another chance.

Warmed Brie with Mulberry Chutney

I love serving warmed brie with a spiced fruit chutney. And I happened to have two pounds of organic mulberries from Frog Hollow Farm, so that's what I used. These are Pakistan mulberries and most were over two inches long. They resemble raspberries in flavor with a slightly more complex sweetness. We love them when we can get our hands on them.

Ingredients makes 1 pint jar plus a little extra

Chutney

• 2 pounds fresh organic mulberries (substitute for 1 pound raspberries + 1 pound blackberries, if needed)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
• 1" knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 t ground curry powder
• 1/2 t ground all spice
• 1/2 t ground smoked paprika
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 C organic dark brown sugar
• 1/3 C vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
• 1/2 C red wine
• juice from 1 organic lemon
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper

Brie

• 1 brie round
• also needed: parchment paper, baking sheet, baguette slices for serving

Procedure

Chutney

Place all of the ingredients - except lemon juice, salt and pepper - in a large pan. Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Stir frequently. Cook at a gentle simmer until the mixture turns dark, jammy and shiny. Stir in the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you are going to use it immediately, set aside. If you are using it later, place in a sterilized jar and refrigerate until ready to use. Use within a week.

Brie
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place brie round on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Heat for 10 minutes. The brie should be warmed. If you prefer it oozy, leave it in there for another 2 to 4 minutes.

Heap chutney on top and serve with slices of baguette.

Remember: next month I will be hosting the #ItalianFWT crew as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Prosecco Superiore DOCG. Stay tuned for more about that. Cin cin.