In the hilltop village of Castelvetro di Modena, they were dancing in the streets. It was mid-September, and the revelers were there for the town’s annual Sagra dell’Uva, or Grape Festival. All over the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, winemakers were picking, pressing, and fermenting the latest vintage of Lambrusco, a predominantly red sparkling wine that has been produced there for centuries. 

In Castelvetro that night, the lines for the bars snaked through the throng of dancers in the main square. A DJ blasted tunes from the steps of the village hall as the light from a giant disco ball strafed the crowd. I had come to Italy to meet a group of winemakers who are changing Lambrusco’s international reputation.