There’s a simple yet powerful image that encapsulates the spirit of a project born to restore meaning and depth to a wine often described in superficial terms: a bunch of Lambrusco grapes held in the hands, as one would hold something precious and fragile. When that photograph appeared on the table of a small group of producers from Modena and Reggio Emilia in the summer of 2024, it offered more than a name: it gave shape to a vision. Thus was born I Custodi del Lambrusco, an association founded by those who produce, live, and defend Lambrusco, convinced that this wine deserves a different, more contemporary narrative, one more true to its essence.

Fabio Altariva, a producer and farmer, with six years of experience as a board member of the Lambrusco Protection Consortium, is now the President and voice of this community. He interprets this role with poise: “I don’t speak on my own behalf, but on behalf of everyone. We are guardians in the fullest sense: protecting each other, but also challenging each other to do better. My job is to serve this vision, not lead it”. This responsibility stems from a crucial transition – the withdrawal of over thirty wineries from the Lambrusco Protection Consortium in 2024 – and the need to preserve the local unity that is essential for preserving the history and shared local identity, built over years of hard work.

The Association as a stronghold of identity

According to the President, the Association’s value lies in its authenticity, and the Custodi’s ambition is clear: to redevelop Lambrusco and forge a solid and recognizable identity, especially beyond national borders, through an educational rather than commercial approach that begins with the supply chain, extends to communication, and reaches all the way to the final consumer. “Ours is a grassroots movement, born from those who work the land and make wine with passion every day”, Altariva explains. “We are producers, winemakers, agronomists, and oenologists, all in love with our land.” The aspiration of this collective project is to transform the way Lambrusco is perceived, shifting the international perception of “a sparkling red with enormous potential, yet still trapped in clichés”. “Lambruco must free itself from old interpretations: it is a generous, direct, enjoyable, and versatile wine. It is simple, but not banal, and its identity is twofold: it is deeply rooted in tradition and, at the same time, possesses a natural vocation for contemporaneity. It’s the wine of conviviality par excellence, but also of experimentation”.

The association’s name was born from an intuition. “When member Silvia Zucchi showed us a photo of a bunch of grapes held in her hands, we realized that we were all the custodians. Among the various options, therefore, this name seemed the most fitting right from the start”.

An inclusive and territorial perspective

The launch phase was rapid and measured, and within a few months the group expanded. “We started with a handful of producers, as we outline in our Manifesto, but we’re growing. We currently have 27 companies, and our total annual production is approximately 3 million bottles. We’re building a network where the size of the company matters less than its commitment to the supply chain and a shared vision: for this reason, we prefer to carefully select our members”. Not an indiscriminate collection of members, therefore, but a selection based on precise principles: first and foremost, the quality of the grapes and processes, but also environmental responsibility and consistency between declarations and production practices. Member companies must be agricultural, with a controlled supply chain, and committed to continuous improvement. “You have to demonstrate a willingness to engage, capable of questioning yourself. Then we evaluate the process, the commitment, and the correspondence between words and actions”. The association doesn’t just protect certain types or denominations: its perspective is inclusive and territorial. “First and foremost, we safeguard the area where our wineries were developed, including the vineyards and all the expressions and variations of Lambrusco in our area, each with its unique organoleptic characteristics. They must be valued and supported regardless of regulations, without hierarchies, distinctions, or rigid classifications. A key concept to work on is that not all Lambruscos are the same and that each variety tells a story of this area”. A vision that places the educational and identity-building value of wine at its core.

Tools, actions and communication

In its first months of activity, the Association worked primarily on defining its identity. “The Manifesto, the communications plan, and our way of presenting ourselves to the public: these are tools we’re using to create a new way of presenting Lambrusco”, says Altariva. The Manifesto, specifically, the fruit of a collective effort, discussed and approved by the board of directors in February 2025, encapsulates the values ​​and objectives of the Guardians in eight points. It’s a kind of identity card, an internal framework that governs choices, actions, and perspectives, and its first public presentation on March 31, 2025, marked the group’s official entry onto the national scene. At the same time, the Guardians have become involved in events, tastings, and trade meetings, and the intention is to continue along this path. “The next step will be to intensify our presence on the market, both domestically and internationally, with group exhibitions, guided tastings, and collaborations with sommeliers and restaurateurs. We want to reach places where Lambrusco is currently undervalued and introduce it in a new way”. Opening the area to visitors will be crucial, allowing them to personally tell the company’s story, show what really happens in the cellars and vineyards, and restore authenticity to the experience.

The Lambrusco of the future

In addition to expanding and strengthening its membership, the Association’s future now hinges primarily on strengthening Lambrusco’s reputation. Altariva summarizes these goals as follows: “We aim to grow our membership, continue to speak authoritatively about our wine, and build international recognition”. This not only improves external perception, but also internal thinking: moving beyond the idea that Lambrusco must remain a two-euro wine to be sustainable and becoming a credible benchmark for those seeking quality. The greatest challenge, according to the President, therefore, remains cultural. “We must continue to educate, tell stories, showcase, and offer tastings“. His dream is ambitious and simple: “That one day, alongside the great names in Italian wine, Lambrusco will be spoken of with respect and conviction. To transform it from an underrated product to a must-have”. An aspiration that looks to the future of young producers, to the possibility that they will consider Lambrusco a wine worthy of the world’s most important tables. And his greatest satisfaction? “What’s to come”, Altariva pronounces with a confident note. Meanwhile, small signs are enough to confirm the direction, like a bottle of Lambrusco opened with friends and finished too quickly, or the amazement of someone discovering for the first time a wine they thought they knew.