96 DECEMBER 2020
TRAVELING IN
LAMBRUSCO COUNTRYIn Emilia-Romagna, Lambrusco producers are scattered throughout
the areas around Modena and Reggio Emilia. The best are family-
owned, most of them small (but not all—the Modena-based Chiarli
family, for instance, makes very good artisanal Lambrusco under its
Cleto Chiarli brand but also vast amounts of inexpensive bottles for
European supermarkets). Emilia-Romagna is also where some of Italy’s
best food can be found, from world-famous destinations like chef
Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana to casual trattorias serving
absurdly good tortellini in brodo or tagliatelle alla bolognese.
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese was born here; so was Pellegrino Artusi,
known as the father of Italian gastronomy (casartusi.it). And don’t
forget tradizionale balsamic vinegar, the worth-its-weight-in-gold,
hyper-concentrated elixir that many wineries here also produce.this 35-seat destination. Chef
Tommaso Maio concentrates
on hyper-local ingredients for
dishes like tiny, curly gramigna
al torchio pasta with a moun-
tain of sausage ragù and fresh
herbs. trattoriadiviaserra.itWINERIES TO VISITAs always with European winer-
ies, it’s best to make arrange-
ments for a visit in advance.LINI 910
Located near the small town
of Correggio, Lini’s winery is
open for visits, but get in touch
ahead of time for an appoint-
ment. “We’re always happy to
open any or all of our wines and
to serve visitors our vinegars,”
Alicia Lini says. lini910.itVENTURINI BALDINI
This grand estate was built in
the 1500s in the hills southwest
of Reggio Emilia. Tours are avail-
able Monday through Saturday,
and tastings typically include
the Baldini wines as well as the
estate’s vinegars and local food
products. venturinibaldini.itCLETO CHIARLI
Lambruscos at this top pro-
ducer near Modena are always
accompanied by a plate of
local salumi and grissini. The
winery’s Vecchia Modena is one
of the best Lambruscos avail-
able in the U.S., but also see if
you can taste some of the less
widely available cuvées, like the
deep pink, fresh berry–tart
Lambrusco del Fondatore.
chiarli.itPALTRINIERI
This tiny winery in the town of
Sorbara was founded by Achille
Paltrinieri in 1926. Today it’s
run by his grandson Alberto,
who makes thrillingly precise,
complex Lambruscos. His pale
red, spicy Sant’Agata bottling is
a quality benchmark.
cantinapaltrinieri.itWHERE TO STAYCASA MARIA LUIGIA
Chef Massimo Bottura’s beauti-
fully converted 18th-century
country house near Modena
offers 12 distinctive guest rooms,
each furnished with vintage and
contemporary art. The nightly
tasting menu offers guests a
chance to try the dishes that
made his Osteria Francescana
one of the world’s greatest
restaurants—a nice thing, as
a reservation there is nigh-on
impossible to score. (Rooms
from $533, casamaria
luigia.com)ALBERGO DEI MEDAGLIONI
Located in an old palace in
the center of Correggio, this
rambling hotel makes for a
comfortable, old-fashioned base
for visiting wineries in the area.
(Rooms from $117, albergo
deimedaglioni.com)WHERE TO EATFRANCESCANA AT MARIA
LUIGIA
Travelers who don’t feel like stay-
ing the night at Casa Maria Luigia
can still book reservations for
dinner here and sample many
of chef Massimo Bottura’s most
famously conceptual (and deli-
cious) dishes, like Five Ages of
Parmigiano-Reggiano and Oops!
I Dropped the Lemon Tart. casa
marialuigia.comOSTERIA DEL FILOSSO
This restaurant in Correggio is
the perfect place to stop after (or
before) a visit to the Lini winery.
Nothing fancy here, just perfectly
prepared classics like cappelletti
in capon broth and lasagna with
a traditional Emilian ragù in a
small, charming dining room. The
substantial wine list only adds to
the pleasure. osteriadelfilosso.itTRATTORIA DI VIA SERRA
Head farther afield to Bologna
for the daily-changing menu atThe town of Correggio,
home of Osteria del Filosso
BELOW: Cheeses and
culatello hams—for which
the Emilia-Romagna
region is justly famous—
aging to perfection