They say that a name is a destiny.In the case of Lambrusco, this is very true … although there are many theories about its origin, some more scientific and some rather more creative. The origin suggested by writer Luigi Bertelli, known as Vamba, for instance, immediately conjures up the philosophy of the sparkling life that this wine brings with it. Vamba wrote a “humorous verse” on Lambrusco, set at the time of the war between Bologna and Modena for possession of the “Secchia Rapita”, the stolen bucket. Venus, Mars and Bacchus had arrived in Emilia to rescue the people of Modena and stopping in a tavern, Bacchus ordered some wine, where the innkeeper asked him: “Dolce l’ami ovver ch’abbia il bruschetto?” – “Do you want it sweet or roughish?" Bacchus replied: “Io l’amo brusco” – “I like it roughish.”

Whatever the origins of Lambrusco, they are very ancient, although it was not until the 1300s that Bolognese Pier de’ Crescenzi began to suggest in his treatise on agriculture that wine could be made from that wild vine. From that moment on, no one could do without Lambrusco and it became the quintessential Italian wine, best known and much consumed around the world.

It had already been understood that this was something quite unique. Throughout the 1800s to the turn of the 20th century, Lambrusco was considered a product so precious that while most wine was sold in bulk, Lambrusco was marketed and served by the bottle.

In 1867, thanks to Francesco Agazzotti, also a precious historian of balsamic vinegar, a first classification of the three prevalent types of cultivated grape varieties was made: Lambrusco della Viola or Sorbara, Lambrusco Salamino and Lambrusco dai Graspi Rossi, today called Grasparossa.

The word Lambrusco, especially in Modena, immediately conjures up Sorbara. And Sorbara, like Cavicchioli, means bunches of grapes that turn into wine, quality harvests that become Lambrusco di Sorbara, Salamino and Grasparossa, depending on the terroir and the vine. Each with its own aficionados who talk about differences in colour and taste. And it also means celebration, the aroma of musts woven into autumn mists, cheering the spirit and inspiration for famous gourmet-poets.

Sparkling, joyous, aromatic, Lambrusco is a modern wine. For its open, exuberant character, and its lightness it is the ideal wine on many occasions, a perfect partner for international cuisine but also and especially with Modena recipes, famous for being opulent and genuine. A wine so lively and so cheeky that being only red is not enough, and depending on the variety, it comes in different shades, from the rosiest to the darkest, from powder pink to ruby. Flexible, agile and receptive to endless evolutions, truly pleasing and versatile enough to satisfy all palates.