Drink of the Week: Cleto Chiarli “Vecchia Modena Premium” Lambrusco

Honestly, “it’s Tuesday” was reason enough to pop open a bottle of Lambrusco from the range I had recently received from historic Emilia-Romagna producer Cleto Chiarli. But the fact that it was a balmy, early summer evening, warm enough to have dinner the backyard, made it extra fitting. We threw together an impromptu charcuterie board and popped a bottle of the Vecchia Modena Premium.

The wine is something of a historic reissue for the winery, which has been producing Lambrusco in Modena since the mid-1800s. It was the first Lambrusco to win international acclaim at the Exposition Universelle world’s fair in Paris in 1900. The Vecchia Modena Premium was reintroduced in 2002, when the winery opened its new facility in the Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC in Modena province, where the family had long owned vineyards.

Forget any preconceptions you may have about overly sweet, grape soda-esque Lambrusco. Made with 100 percent Lambrusco di Sorbara grapes (the lightest of the variety), the wine pours the dark pink color of Clairet. Vibrant with the flavors of tart red fruit, the dry, delicately fizzy wine made the perfect accompaniment to our snack board, with enough acidity to cut through the salty meats and creamy cheeses, while accenting the sweetness of the fresh berries. At less than 20 bucks a bottle, it’s a steal any night of the week. $16.99, unionsquarewines.com