Innovation.
Constant research.
Solid Roots.
For Chiarli, innovating has always been about listening to the times and finding solutions ahead of the curve. It began with Cleto Chiarli, a visionary entrepreneur whose ideas and projects gradually transformed a small enterprise into a successful business reality.
It all began in the mid-1800s when Cleto Chiarli, with his wife, opened a tavern in the centre of Modena and started producing Lambrusco for its patrons. With no experience as either innkeeper or winemaker, he was driven by remarkable initiative and an extraordinary vision: in wine, quality matters — but it must remain consistent over time. To gain value, wine must be sold in a glass bottle bearing a label that identifies its producer. These were the principles that guided Cleto's work and laid the foundations of his success.
A History of Research
In 1900, we were the first in Emilia to use the "English bottle" to preserve the wine's effervescence and integrity, producing 100,000 award-winning bottles distributed internationally. This innovation was a cornerstone of Cleto Chiarli's success.
Over the decades, the company has consistently embraced the innovations that technological progress has offered, both in vinification and bottle packaging. On display in the Chiarli Gallery is a striking and extremely rare piece of equipment from around 1930 used for mushroom corking — a revolutionary introduction at the time, chosen by the Chiarli family to elevate the presentation and value of their wines.
In 1950, the Chiarli family launched a pioneering research project within their extensive estates to identify the finest Lambrusco clones and plant them in the soils best suited to each variety. As pioneers of the Martinotti method for Lambrusco, the Chiarli family has continuously evolved this technique, recently perfecting it into a unique single-fermentation process.
An Unchanging Identity
Chiarli has recently recovered and organised in its "Historical Archive" the labels created for its wines over more than a century — testimony to the historic and international presence of Lambrusco in world markets.
Faithful to the authentic character of Lambrusco — above all its dry soul — in 1980 Chiarli went against the trend that had standardised a sweet, low-alcohol Lambrusco, and produced "Vecchia Modena": an uncompromising dry wine. A novelty that returned Lambrusco to its true identity and opened a new era, soon seeing it awarded and respected as a Quality Italian Wine. Respect for traditional values has always inspired every Chiarli choice: in the vineyard, in the cellar, in communication and in every innovation process.
