Lambrusco is the best known Italian wine in the world. It became famous in the 1970s when Gavioli, one of the oldest Italian wineries, realised that this sparkling wine might be well received in the U.S., where people were used to soft and fizzy drinks (like Coca-Cola). Since then, hundreds of companies have started making it, with some intruders making industrial, cheap and poor quality drinks far away from the northwest Italian region where this wine is made.
In the face of this avalanche of dubious quality substitutes, there are several Denominazione di origine controllata (D.O.C) to guarantee their origin: one of them is the D.O.C. Lambrusco Mantovano, in Lombardy and the rest of them are the D.O.C. Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, D.O.C.Lambrusco di Modena, D.O.C.Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce and the D.O.C.Lambrusco di Sorbara, in the Emilia-Romagna region.
The latter is home to the Paltrinieri winery, who produce the sparkling Paltrinieri Lambrusco di Sorbara Sant'Agata, exclusively with the Lambrusco di Sorbara variety. This winery, which was founded in 1920, owns 17 hectares between the Secchia and Panaro rivers in the province of Modena. Of these, 15 hectares belong to the ‘Cristo’ vineyard, which is where the grapes used to make this wine, which was named after St. Agatha, the patron saint of Sorbara, come from. The vines grow on fresh, sandy loam soil (rich in organic substances) and are influenced by a continental climate (cold winters, very hot summers and rainy springs).
In the winery, the Paltrinieri Lambrusco di Sorbara Sant' Agata grapes are gently pressed and directly vatted for alcoholic fermentation. Following this process, the wine undergoes a second fermentation following the Martinotti method (also known in France as the Charmant method), where the wine is fermented in large tanks, called autoclaves. The wine is then bottled directly at low pressure, guaranteeing the persistence of the fruity and varietal aromas of the Lambrusco di Sorbara.
Last but not least, you can’t overlook the value for money, giving you the chance to try an authentic Lambrusco without breaking the bank. So it’s not even worth looking at the labels of the industrial Lambruscos sold in supermarkets. Paltrinieri Lambrusco di Sorbara Sant' Agata is a great way to experience the purity and essence of authentic Lambruscos.