When Alberto Paltrinieri was asked by his father what he wanted to do with his life, he was quick to tell him he liked to continue making the same kind of sparkling wine the family has always made. His parents had been running the winery for 40 years after the grandfather had started it in 1926. In 1998, with his wife Barbara, he took over the winery and immediately made some mono-varietal Lambruscos, which was frowned upon back then. By now, they own 17 hectares and make various versions of the sparkling Lambrusco.
This Lambrusco is made with just one grape variety from grapes grown directly between two rivers, which Alberto says, is perfect for them to flourish. Lambrusco di Sorbara is considered to be the best grape for complex wines. The name Radice actually means roots, because this wine is made in a very traditional way. First, the directly pressed juice is fermented for two to three months. Then it is refermented with native yeast in the bottle for another three months. The result is a beautiful sparkler with perfect acidity to make it work with many foods and some flavors of rhubarb and grapefruit. Try it with a simple pasta al ragu or just to get the evening started.