The soils in Emilia-Romagna are Quaternary alluvial and glacio-fluvial deposits. From the rolling hills and Apennine peaks in the west to the lower-lying plains near Bologna, and beyond that the coastal plains of the Ferrara province, the soils are clay and sand based. The river Po flows west to east across all these features, marking the region's northern border and linking the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea.

Denny Bini founded Podere Cipolla in 2003 on his family’s farm with the intention of making lambruschi in the traditional way – no industrial Charmat method here! – that are faithful, transparent representations of the Emilia Romagna territory. This 2 hectares vineyard is south facing on sedimentary clay. Secondary fermentation occurs in bottle: the classic method of making Lambrusco that has all but disappeared.