Moro Rinaldini

The Moro Rinaldini farm was originally established in the late 1960s by patriarch, Rinaldo Rinaldini, as a popular, local family restaurant, halfway between Reggio Emilia and Parma, at the foothills of the Appennine Mountains. He purchased 15 hectares of land and a wine estate to supply his successful restaurant with the best wines and freshest produce and supervise it all. ​

Today, the restaurant is closed, but the winery lives on. It is owned and managed by Rinaldo's daughter, Paola Rinaldini, a dynamic and passionate woman with an exuberant, contagious personality, along with her husband Marco and their son Luca who cares for the vineyards. Rinaldini is a niche producer. Compared to other giants in the region, with just about 15 hectares and 100,000 bottles produced, the winery maintains the traditions and cultivates important native grapes from the area. The entire production, from grape bunch to bottle, is carried out onsite and all grapes are estate-grown.​

Lambrusco is a grape, or rather a family of grape varieties grouped under the Lambrusco category. Lambrusco is a vigorous vine, so quality-minded producers like Rinaldini work to keep yields in check. Located on the plain at the foot of the hills, the soils at Rinaldini are very fertile; a mix of stone and gravel called 'Ghiardo,' which is rich in minerals from what used to be a riverbed. Rinaldini keeps high-density vineyards (4,000 vines per hectare) and maintains low yields (9/10 tons per hectare) to ensure proper concentration and higher alcohol levels. Sustainable farming is practiced in the vineyards. The cellar has been converted from an old farmhouse (ca.1884) now equipped with the most advanced equipment and technology while staying true to the local traditions. Lambrusco's light and pleasant fizz is achieved with second fermentation via charmat method in temperature-controlled tanks. The wine remains in tank for several months before bottling. Sulfites are only added after the 2nd fermentation and kept to a minimum (under 50pmm) with no pasteurization. ​

Rinaldini Lambrusco is a far cry from the industrially made, cloyingly sweet versions that flooded U.S. shelves in the '70s and '80s. It is thanks to producers like Paola that Lambrusco is recently going through a renaissance. ​