Rinaldini "Vecchio Moro"

Lambrusco dell’Emilia, Italy |  NV

This month’s red selection brings the heat and the chill. The Rinaldini "Vecchio Moro" Lambrusco is not your average syrupy red fizz from the ‘80s. This is old-school Emilia-Romagna, deep purple in the glass, bone-dry, and pulsing with energy. Produced by the fiercely independent Paola Rinaldini and her family, this Lambrusco Grasparossa is estate-grown, estate-bottled, and proof that when made with care, Lambrusco belongs on the table right next to some of the world’s best sparkling wines.

The name Vecchio Moro, or “Old Moor”, is a tribute to Paola’s father Rinaldo Rinaldini who founded the estate in the late ‘60s (can you even get more Italian than that name?!). Locals used to call him “il Moro” for his dark hair and even darker mustache, and the name stuck. He was a chef, a restaurateur, and the kind of guy who insisted on doing things right, which in his case meant buying 15 hectares of land so he could grow the produce and make the wine for his own kitchen. These days the restaurant is gone, but the spirit lives on through his daughter Paola, her husband Marco, and their son Luca who farms the land with the same no-shortcuts mentality.

The wine itself is Lambrusco leveled up. It’s dry, spicy, and grounded in place. You get violets and smoked plum on the nose, then a burst of blackberry, rosemary, and a little balsamic tang that tightens the whole experience. There’s texture and richness from the dense plantings and low yields, but the finish is pure minerality with all crushed stone and salt air. Fermented in tank using the charmat method, it’s bubbly, yes, but in that elegant, fine-mousse way that makes it both refreshing and food-friendly.

We love this wine with anything salty or fatty: mortadella, fried chicken, pizza, or a slab of grilled eggplant with parmesan. This is a red wine that should be slightly chilled and will 100% be the hit of the party for any outdoor picnic or grill out.