La Piana (Castelvetro di Modena, EMILIA-ROMAGNA)
Mouth-watering Lambrusco and Pignoletto from the hills of Castelvetro.
The Medieval village of Castelvetro di Modena has long been my go-to source for the best pizza wine on the planet: the sparkling red (but dry) Lambrusco di Castelvetro. Of the dozens we tasted during our last visit, the mind-bendingly delicious bottlings from Mirco Gianaroli stand out.
On the smallest and hilliest Lambrusco DOC, Castelvetro di Modena produces the meatiest and driest sparkling red Lambrusco of Emilia-Romagna.
Mirco Gianaroli, whose Società Agricola La Piana makes a dark purple, bone-dry, gently tannic, and richly fruited sparkling from his local Grasparossa variety of Lambrusco. Farming since he was 14, Mirco has vines from his grandfather planted in 1950 and follows strict organic polyculture. With a southwest-facing terroir of heavy clay with streaks of limestone and iron, his property is surrounded by cherry trees—a unique combination that gives his delicious Lambrusco Secco a distinctive bitter cherry note.
NV Lambrusco di Grasparossa Secco (tech sheet)
The white grape of these hills is Pignoletto. It’s also known as Grechetto Gentile, and it’s one of those distinctly regional Italian wines that rarely seems to travel far from home. In Emilia it’s the everyday bottle, poured with aperitivo, salumi, Parmigiano, anything fried, seafood, and oysters, or simply opened cold among friends.
Mirco’s is 100% Pignoletto, certified organic, dry and gently frizzante, at just 11.5% alcohol. It’s bright, savory and ridiculously easy to drink: citrus and white peach, a little floral lift, and the grape’s characteristic bitter-almond finish. The bubbles are light rather than aggressive, so think of it as a wine for the table, not a substitute for Prosecco. Where his Lambrusco is dark and meaty, this is all freshness. It’s the other side of La Piana.
NV Emilia-Romagna Pignoletto Frizzante Bianco Secco (tech sheet)
