This Sparkling Wine is Making a Surprising Return

They were dancing on the streets of Castelvetro di Modena. In mid-September, the Sagra dell’Uva festival, or grape festival, was held in the town. In the north of Italy, there are many grape festivals. Emilia-RomagnaThe latest vintage of Lambrusco was being picked, pressed and fermented by the winemakers. Lambrusco is a red sparkling grape wine produced for centuries. 

On that evening, in Castelvetro, the queues for bars snaked their way through the dancers on main square. As a giant disco light sprayed the crowd, a DJ played tunes on the steps of the village’s hall. 

I came to Italy to meet with a group winemakers who were changing the international reputation of Lambrusco. It may surprise some people outside of Italy that this wine is worth celebrating. Riunite wine cooperative began exporting the dark-red, sweetened version in the late 60s. Lambrusco became synonymous with that sickly tipple—which bore no resemblance to the refreshingly dry and crisp Lambrusco guzzled by Italians. 

The world is finally waking up. Lambrusco is now on the menus of restaurants and wine bars from London to Los Angeles. It has some famous evangelists. Cameron Diaz’s Avaline wine brand includes a Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna. 

My trip was organised by Travel + Leisure A-List member Matteo Della Grazia of Fuoritinerario–Discover Your Italy. It started at Opera02A wine and vinegar producer located a few miles away from Castelvetro. Spread across 42 acres of rolling hills dotted with farmhouses, the estate has an eight-room B&B at its center, housed in a converted barn. The minute I entered I was hit by the powerful aroma of fermenting grapes—not from wine, but from hundreds of barrels of DOP-certified balsamic vinegar, which were maturing in a glass-walled loft next to the lobby. 

Mattia Montanari, the owner of the vineyard, was sitting on his terrace, overlooking the fields. He specializes on a grape variety called Grasparossa. It is one of the 13 cultivated Lambrusco types. Its name literally means “red stem,” and beneath us, waves of crimson were washing the vines into their autumn colors. 

Montanari grew up in Castelvetro and does not come from an affluent family of winemakers. His parents worked in the real estate industry. His love for Lambrusco, and frustration with the criticism it receives abroad, drove him to the wine business. He said, “I felt bad.” “I knew what the real Lambrusco was, and I wanted it to be shown off.” 

He started his vineyard in 2002 with 10 acres, all organically cultivated, and over the years added to it bit by bit. The hotel was opened about a ten-year-old to showcase his wine and attract more tourists. He now produces 70,000 bottles a year—about 75 percent of which are sold to the U.S. 

He said that the versatility of Lambrusco is a big part of its appeal. Most often used for sparkling dark reds, it also comes in white and rosé, and can be bone-dry or fruit-forward and aromatic. He said, “You could have a meal using just Lambrusco.” While we were chatting, he opened a wine bottle and served us two glasses. The color was deep and dark—the kind of shade I associate with heavy reds. This was fresh, effervescent and had soft bubbles and silky tannins with subtle notes of blueberry and cherry. It was light enough to work as an aperitif, but its cleansing acidity would work equally well with meat. It was easy to drink, in other words. 

After driving 40 minutes north to the flatlands in the Po Valley I met Cecilia Paltrinieri. She is a fourth-generation Italian winemaker, and she’s in her early 20s. Her family’s vineyard, Cantina PaltrinieriHer great-grandfather started the winery as a hobby. He also constructed the elegant red brick buildings that surround the warehouse, where wine is produced today. After a tour of the vineyard—including the towering steel vats where the recent harvest was beginning to ferment—we sat down in the tasting room. 

Paltrinieri explained the increasing popularity of Lambrusco. She said, “We’re seeing a trend towards easy wines and away from complex, rich wines.” “That’s why so many people have been drinking pale rosé.” She brought out a bottle of Radice, one of her rosé Lambruscos. The wine is tart and acidic, with hints orange and rhubarb. It has a funky earthiness that is loved by natural wine lovers because it’s bottle-fermented using natural yeast. The steel cap, slightly cloudy color and steel cap would make it a perfect fit in any Brooklyn wine bar.

In recent years, as the popularity of Lambrusco has increased worldwide, many winemakers in Emilia-Romagna are turning their vineyards into trendy destinations. One afternoon I stopped at Cantina VentiventiVittorio and his three sons Riccardo Andrea Tommaso launched the in 2018. The Razzabonis are luring visitors with cool, contemporary architecture: the vineyard’s main building is a Modernist glass box surrounded by geometric, Japanese-inspired pools and a waterfall, where you can enjoy a crisp glass of Lambrusco in one of the bubble chairs that dot the patio. A giant red teddy is perched on top of the event space, which also serves as a restaurant. 

I was on the way Relais Roncolo 1888, A vineyard hotel on the other end of the spectrum. It’s part of the 320-acre Tenuta di Roncolo estate, in the foothills of the Apennine Mountains, which dates back to the 15th century. Julia Prestia – a Viennese former financier – and her Sicilian spouse, Giuseppe – bought it in 2015. The couple began renovating the 19th century villa and outbuildings of the estate, transforming them into a luxurious hotel with original touches such as frescoed walls and mid-century Italian furnishings. The room I stayed in was decorated in shades of mushroom. It opened on to a hallway that featured the original wallpaper. It depicted a sea battle with boats and sailors in a raging ocean, as well as ancient ruins in the distance. 

Vittorio Bagi, Vittoria’s vineyard experience manager, was waiting to greet me at the winery the afternoon I arrived. We passed through a covered courtyard, where members of Prestia’s team were juicing freshly-picked grapes. The previous owners of the estate began making wine in the 1970s. By 1980, Rubino delcerro was the top-selling bottle. This wine is still being made today. It’s also available in a wide variety of other varieties. 

Prestia is taking a business-like approach to find a new market for her wine. At one point she opened a bottle of the sparkling Lambrusco that she says is her way of “piggybacking on the rosé trend.” She hopes it will be a way to introduce people who have never had Lambrusco before. “That is what makes it so enjoyable,” she said. “It is not just one thing. “It’s a huge spectrum.” 

Baghi continued to bring out bottles until about 12 bottles were on the table. Each bottle was a subtle expression. Prestia offered me a ride back to the hotel after we had finished the tasting. But I was just as hazy as that bottle-fermented Lambrusco. I needed the walk. 

This story was first published in June 2025 issue Travel + Leisure Under the title “Italian Revival.”