For restaurateurs, sommeliers and wine buyers, Cleto Chiarli's Lambrusco offers labels designed for the contemporary wine list: from dry, gastronomic Sorbara to structured Grasparossa, up to the traditional method. A guide to profiles, serving temperatures and pairings to place Lambrusco on the list with confidence.
Lambrusco is not a monolithic wine: it changes profoundly depending on the grape, style and method. This makes it surprisingly versatile on a list, from aperitif to structured dishes, from the trattoria to fine dining.
The Cleto Chiarli range covers the whole spectrum: Sorbara for its gastronomic freshness, Grasparossa for structure and character, the traditional method for the most demanding tasting experiences.
Lambrusco di Sorbara, with its pale colour, floral aromas and taut acidity, is one of the most food-friendly sparkling reds of all. Vecchia Modena was the first Sorbara to reach fine dining wine lists, in a dry style, from free-run must and mass selection: a wine awarded 94 points by Wine Enthusiast and World Champion Sparkling Red at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.
It is served chilled, around 10-12 °C, and is ideal with raw seafood, fried food, delicate cured meats and fish cuisine. Alongside Vecchia Modena, Metodo del Fondatore (Vinous 92 points, Wine Enthusiast 90 Best Buy) widens the offering of dry Sorbara for the list.
For the richer dishes of Emilian cuisine — cured meats, gnocco fritto, filled pasta, lasagna — Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro offers structure, deep colour and tannin. The Vigneto Cialdini cru, awarded World Champion Red Sparkling Wine and Gambero Rosso's Tre Bicchieri, is the reference expression.
For a softer, more immediate option, Centenario (an off-dry Grasparossa featured by Wine Enthusiast) and Pruno Nero complete the selection, covering different sweetness levels to match the menu.
For more structured wine lists and tasting menus, the Quintopasso project interprets Sorbara in the traditional method, with bottle refermentation and long lees ageing (up to 36 and 60 months). Quintopasso Rosé was awarded gold at WOW! The Italian Wine Competition 2025.
These are vertical, taut, gastronomic wines, conceived as a characterful Italian alternative for by-the-glass service and tasting flights.
As a service guideline: fresher Sorbara is at its best around 10-12 °C; more structured Grasparossa can be served slightly less cold, so as not to compress the aromas. A wide glass that leaves room for the aromatic profile is recommended.
As wines made for the table, they should be offered young and fresh, when freshness and liveliness are at their peak.
Cleto Chiarli, founded in Modena in 1860, is the oldest winery in Emilia-Romagna, with 100% estate-grown grapes in the historic areas of Sorbara and Castelvetro. The wines are regularly recognised by leading international guides and magazines (Gambero Rosso, Wine Enthusiast, Falstaff, Vinous), a mark of reassurance for the wine list.
For fine dining, dry, long-aged Sorbara or traditional-method wines such as Vecchia Modena or Quintopasso are ideal: they offer acidity, fine perlage and a gastronomic profile suited to tasting menus.
Fresher Sorbara is served around 10-12 °C; more structured Grasparossa slightly less cold, to enhance the aromas. Always in a wide glass.
For raw fish, fried dishes and seafood a dry Sorbara like Vecchia Modena is ideal; for rich, structured dishes a dry Grasparossa also works well.
Sorbara, fresh and taut, covers aperitif, fish and delicate dishes; Grasparossa, structured and tannic, pairs with cured meats, rich first courses and meat.