Craft Lambrusco with Max Brondolo of Podere Sottoilnoce

Max Brondolo is th proprietor and winemaker at Podere Sottoilnoce, a wine estate and farm located in the picturesque village of Castelvetro di Modena, at the very heart of the Lambrusco Grasparossa DOC. Max has been applying biodynamic principles since 2016, with the goal of maintaining the balance between monoculture (vineyards) and surrounding nature. 

Podere Sottoilnoce is a first-generation winery. While Max started this project from zero, his family still had some experience with wine as his grandfather was also a winemaker, but in Asti, in Piedmont. That's where he built his first memories of wine as a kid - sparkling barbera. Very discreet about his previous professional life, he regrets he didn’t start with winemaking earlier in his life. Interestingly, Max invested in buying vineyards before the cellar, or an actual winery. 

Max speaks about the forgotten indigenous grapes of the region and importance of craft winemaking. He emphasizes the difference between mass-produced, tank-fermented Lambrusco and artisanal, bottle-fermented style. All of his sparkling wines are therefore refermented in bottles, unfiltered and without disgorgement.