Ep. 2429 Giovanni Giacobazzi from Giacobazzi Vini Winery in Emilia - Romagna | Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon (5StarWines - the Book 2025 Series)

Modena's Quiet Alchemy: How Lambrusco Became a Modern Classic

Along the flat sweep of the Po Valley, where balsamic vinegar ages in dark cellars and engines have been tuned to perfection, a different sort of craft unfolds among small plots of vines. Here, Lambrusco lives as both a local staple and a surprise to visitors: a foaming red that can be rustic or refined, food-friendly or contemplative. At Giacobazzi, a family estate rooted in Nonantola since the mid-20th century, that dual identity has been deliberately nurtured across generations.

The family narrative that shaped a wine

The Giacobazzi story begins with a postwar confidence: a grandfather, father and uncle established a proper winery in 1958, evolving from mixed farming into focused production. The family reputation grew alongside other regional exports; they were among the first to ship Lambrusco to the United States in the 1960s, a move born of stubborn conviction rather than official encouragement. That early leap into foreign markets helped reposition Lambrusco from a local table wine to an internationally recognized style.

Place and plot: the terroir of Grasparossa

Grasparossa di Castelvetro, the variety behind Giacobazzi's award-winning bottle, is not a monolith but a reflection of slope and soil. The estate's celebrated frizzante comes from a roughly four-hectare parcel planted a decade ago on the hills between Castelvetro and Nonantola. Those vines are tended with close attention — hand-harvested, chilled immediately, and gently pressed — to preserve the primary fruit that defines the modern direction of Grasparossa.

Technique and temperament: modern methods applied to tradition

The technical choices at Giacobazzi show a balance between heritage and contemporary precision. Two primary routes into effervescence are employed: the Martinotti (or Charmat) method and the Metodo Classico (bottle fermentation). Each produces a different personality from Lambrusco.

• Martinotti/Charmat preserves freshness and vibrant red-fruit aromas, producing a crisp, friendly frizzante ideal for immediate drinking.
• Metodo Classico — the same principle used for traditional sparkling wines — allows for longer bottle aging, subtle autolytic complexity, and a structure that rewards time.

Giacobazzi positions Lambrusco di Sorbara and Grasparossa as complementary tools rather than rivals. Sorbara, with its thin skin and lively acidity, is a natural for extended bottle aging and the finesse of Metodo Classico; Grasparossa, darker and more robust, shines when the winemaking emphasizes ripe berry character and soft tannins.

Giocobazzi 2: a study in restrained power

The estate's award-winning Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro frizzante secco "numero 2" sets out to highlight scent and lift over brute force. By cooling the fruit, using soft pressing and directing the wine through a controlled Martinotti second fermentation, the team extracts strawberry, sour cherry and blueberry notes while keeping tannin in check. The result is a deep ruby wine with a fine, persistent perlage and a long, balanced finish — a modern Grasparossa that judges described as "decidedly serious".

Food, culture and unexpected pairings

Modena’s food culture is famously bold — lasagne, tagliatelle al ragù and a parade of salumi — yet Lambrusco thrives precisely because it is designed to play against rich flavors. Its crisp acidity cleanses the palate between fatty bites, making it an ideal partner for Parmigiano-Reggiano, cured meats and slow-cooked ragù.

Surprising matches emerge when wine tradition meets global palates. Sorbara's bright acidity and delicate perfume make it an effortless match for fish and even Japanese cuisine, where sommeliers and chefs have embraced its lightness with sushi and delicate broths. Grasparossa, with more body and a hidden acidity that reveals itself at the finish, can stand up to spicy or sweet-and-sour dishes and ethnic foods that require structure and depth.

The winery as museum and living culture

Visiting the Giacobazzi estate is meant to be a full-sensory experience. The historical winery in Nonantola doubles as a small museum, displaying tools and artifacts that trace local practices back nearly a century. This archival impulse sits comfortably alongside a more modern hospitality program: tastings, pairings with aged balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano samples, and even a nod to Modena’s automotive fame with a collection of motorsport memorabilia tied to long-standing Ferrari partnerships.

Refining reputation without losing character

The narrative that emerges at Giacobazzi is about refinement, not reinvention. By choosing to emphasize fruit and elegance, the family challenges the received image of Lambrusco as merely rustic fizz. Their approach suggests a broader shift: producers in Emilia are learning to keep the soul of traditional wine alive while experimenting with techniques that bring clarity, balance and age-worthiness to once-humble bottlings.

There is a quiet optimism in that evolution. The work of small plots, patient hands and a willingness to combine ancestral methods with modern refrigeration and controlled fermentations has produced bottles that invite both casual conviviality and serious tasting. The most interesting wines are those that hold memory and possibility at once: a wine that remembers its farmers and its family, and that points toward the next generation’s palate.

In the end, the story of Lambrusco from Modena is not just about bubbles or grape names. It is about place, persistence and the small recalibrations that turn a regional drink into a globally respected expression of craft.