Cantina Sorbara Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce NV

The label honors Dr. Alfredo Molinari, who answered a crisis facing wine growers in the early 1900s by proposing a mutual society of growers in Carpi; founded in 1903, the Cantina Sociale di Carpi became a pioneering example of cooperation built on solidarity among its members. That cellar merged with the Cantina di Sorbara in 2012 to form today's Cantina di Carpi e Sorbara, a Modena cooperative of more than 1,200 growers. This frizzante is 100 percent Lambrusco Salamino from clay soils around Carpi, with fermentation and clarification carried out at very low temperatures to keep it fresh. It pours deep red under a persistent froth, with an intense, fruit-driven nose and a dry, savory, full-bodied palate at a light 11 percent alcohol. Set it next to salumi and a wedge of Parmigiano and the aperitivo takes care of itself.