Some people can’t stand bitter tastes. But for those who love black coffee or a hoppy India Pale Ale, a subtle bitter note may inspire a compliment.
And how about wine? Is a bitter taste ever desirable in wine?
Just as in the case of hoppy beer, or a shot of strong espresso, that’s a matter of opinion, as it is for Asian bitter melon, bitter leafy arugula, or a palate-wakening shot of an Italian amaro.
It’s human nature to be cautious about bitter flavors. “In nature, bitterness has often signaled that something is wrong with what we’re consuming, and is commonly found in poisonous or nondigestible plants,” Lia Picard wrote in “What Does ‘Bitter’ Mean in Wine? in the June 29, 2021 Wine Enthusiast.
“As a result,” she wrote, “we’re often less likely to enjoy intense bitter flavors. … We don’t all process bitterness the same way. It depends on our taste receptors and psychological associations with a particular food or drink.”
If you’re feeling like something bitter, an Italian caffè corretto will open your eyes: Add a shot of bitter amaro digestif to a cup of dark espresso. Bottoms up!
Of course, excessive bitterness is difficult to like. Most people love chocolate, but very few of us crave a bite of unsweetened baking chocolate or a spoonful of cocoa powder. Add a little sugar, though, and the bitter-and-sweet combination becomes a lot more attractive. Quinine is known for its extreme bitterness, but balanced with sugar in tonic water, it becomes drinkable. Turned into a cool gin and tonic, it can be a summer delight.
Wine isn’t widely known as a bitter drink, but bitterness in wine can come about in several ways: The astringent tannins that are common in red wines meant for aging often show up as a bitter character. Fruit that’s picked less than fully ripe often imparts bitterness. And some grape varieties bring a touch of bitterness to the mix in their nature. Many white grapes, including Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Grüer Veltliner, and Muscat/Moscato, aren’t at all bitter when they’re made sweet or off-dry, but develop a bitter finish when they’re fermented to dryness.
I don’t care for extreme bitterness, but I’m happy with black coffee, amaro, a shot of bitters in a cocktail, and the occasional hoppy beer. As for wine, a gentle whiff of bitterness lingering in the finish – particularly when it’s subtle and balanced by other flavors – can be an important player in the complexity that makes a memorable wine.
Today’s featured wine, Denny Bini Lambrusco dell’Emilia, offers a delicious example. An artisanal Lambrusco, it’s made from the traditional varieties Lambrusco Marani (30%), Lambrusco Salamino (30%),
Lambrusco Maestri (20%), Lambrusco Grasparossa (10%), and Ancellotta (10%), using organic grapes and fermented with native yeasts. It spends several days fermenting with the grape skins, a process that extracts flavor. It’s naturally petillant (fizzy) and comes closed with a crown cap that yields to a beer-bottle opener, not a corkscrew. And yes, there’s a touch of gentle bitterness in the finish that leaves a pleasant, refreshing impression.
Today’s Tasting Report
Denny Bini Lambrusco dell’Emilia ($17.99)
Denny Bini Lambrusco dell’Emilia is deep reddish-purple in color with a garnet edge; it pours up with a foamy pink mousse that falls back quickly. A pleasant scent of black plums shows first, joined by dark berries, then earthy notes of leather and damp clay. Tart-sweet black fruit fills the palate in a dry, tart flavor, with soft tannins building structure and a soft but distinct bitter note showing up in the long finish. 11% alcohol. U.S. importer: PortoVino, Buffalo, N.Y. (May 13, 2025)
FOOD MATCH: Good to quaff on its own or enjoy with simple fare without worrying about making a fancy pairing. The standard pasta-and-pizza match or a salumi-and-cheese plate would be natural with a good, artisanal Lambrusco. We enjoyed it with a simple dish of spaghetti with garlicky fresh-tomato sauce.
WHEN TO DRINK: Best enjoyed young and fresh. There’s no vintage on this Lambrusco, but look for fresh stock from a trustworthy merchant or store with high turnover.
VALUE:
Wine-Searcher.com’s listed $31 average U.S. retail price appears to be the result of a statistical error, an average skewed by overpriced offerings. Many merchants, including my local source, offer it as a good value in the middle to upper teens.
WEB LINK:
Here’s a fact sheet on this wine from importer PortoVino. The importer also offers this page featuring Denny Bini and his wines.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Denny Bini Lambrusco dell’Emilia on Wine-Searcher.com.
Read about Emilia IGT in Central Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region and browse wines of the region at this Wine-Searcher link.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link to read about Lambrusco wine and check vendor and price databases.
Find the wines you want
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Wine-Searcher.com is the place to go online if you want to find where to buy a particular wine that interests you. What’s more, Wine-Searcher.com offers so much more. It’s well worth a visit just to discover its many features, including its popular list of the world’s Top 10 Best Value Wines.
Good wines we’ve tried under $10.99!
Want tips to still more good, inexpensive wines? Here are Wine-Searcher links to vendors and prices for a bunch more wines for $10.99 or less that I’ve told you about in recent years. In some cases, the prices may have risen over the $10.99 mark since I reviewed them, but they should still be excellent bargains. Please tell us about your favorites!
- Casal Garcia “Alegria” Vinho Tinto ($9.99)
- Boutinot Cuvée Jean-Paul Rouge ($7.99)
- Santa Cristina Toscana ($7.99)
- Santa Marina Toscana Rosso ($7.99)
- Famille Perrin Ventoux La Vielle Ferme ($8.99)
- Boutinot “Uva Non Grata” Vin de France Gamay ($9.99)
- Laroque Cité de Carcassonne ($10.99)
- Famille Perrin 2019 “La Vielle Ferme” Rouge ($7.99)
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