Venturini Baldini Marchese Lambrusco

Venturini Baldini Marchese Lambrusco is a dry, estate-grown sparkling red from Emilia-Romagna that assembles four indigenous Lambrusco clones — Marani, Maestri, Salamino, and Grasparossa — into a single medium-bodied expression. Where most Lambrusco leans sweet and simple, the Marchese bottling targets structure and restraint, fermenting each variety separately before blending and refermentation in pressurized tank to preserve the wine's natural frizzante lift. The result is a serious sparkling red built for the table, not the dessert course. The Venturini Baldini family has farmed the same biodynamic-certified holdings in Reggio Emilia since 1976, working thirty hectares of sandy-clay soils planted predominantly to Lambrusco varieties and a small parcel of Malvasia. The estate follows strict organic protocols and ferments all fruit with native yeast in temperature-controlled stainless steel. The Marchese cuvée, named for the estate's founding patriarch, represents the winery's highest-tier bottling — longer lees contact and lower dosage than the entry Lambrusco, with each variety picked at full phenolic ripeness to deliver depth without sweetness. The wine undergoes a single refermentation in autoclave using the Charmat method, a technique common to the Emilia-Romagna region that preserves fresh fruit character while building fine, persistent bubbles. The wine pours a deep ruby with a violet foam, releasing aromas of tart cherry, blackberry, and cracked black pepper. On the palate, the dry finish and bright acidity cut through rich food — think mortadella, culatello, Parmigiano-Reggiano aged thirty months, or anything fried and salty. The tannin structure is gentle but present, anchoring the fruit without astringency. Pour it slightly chilled alongside charcuterie, grilled sausages, or pasta in red sauce; the bubbles and acidity reset the palate between bites, making the wine as functional as it is delicious. Venturini Baldini Marchese Lambrusco is available for same-day pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.