Emilia Romagna, the wine scene – two halves of a whole
With its lush countryside and sandy beaches, medieval castles, hilltop villages and cities of art, Emilia Romagna has such an incredible variety of sights that it’s a wonder the region isn’t higher on more to-see lists. With the rise in experiential tourism over recent years more visitors are drawn by the fast cars and motorcycles of Motor Valley and even more so for the famous flavours of Food Valley and those who come, don’t fail to be won over by the region’s wines. Surrounded by such star wine areas as Veneto and Tuscany, the wines of Emilia Romagna have flown under the radar for decades, centuries even, so local producers work hard for results that impress whilst keeping prices low.
Emilia Romagna, from west to east
While it is most definitely a single region, Emilia Romagna has two distinct characters, also when it comes to the wines. To the west, the hard-working Emilia, where Ducati motorcycles and supercars like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani and Maserati are made, along with world famous foods, such as Parmigiano Reggiano. Here the wines tend to be light and frizzante (slightly sparkling) pairing perfectly with the typically rich fresh-egg pasta dishes and speciality charcuterie. To the east is Romagna where the traditional recipes include more lamb, and the wines are traditionally still and more structured. Slicing through the region from west to east, is the Via Emilia, completed over 2,000 years ago in 187BC and still fundamental to mobility nowadays. The road divides the land neatly between the plains to the north and the hills to the south, with the Apennine mountains beyond, and runs through the heart of most of the major cities, linking them like a string of pearls from Piacenza to Rimini.
Piacenza – hills and castles
In the far north west of the region, the peaceful hilly countryside south of Piacenza is a joy to explore, with many castles and wineries along the four main river valleys, Trebbia, Nure, Tidone and d’Arda. The area is home to native white grape varieties Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, an aromatic grape which makes intense, expressive wines, and Ortrugo, typically found as a fresh frizzante, with a minty, herby character that’s ideal at aperitivo time and with the excellent local cured meats. Piacenza is the only European province with three PDO certified salumi, coppa, pancetta and salami. The local red Gutturnio, is a smooth and rich, often well-structured and complex blend (generally around 60/40%) of Barbera and Croatina, known locally as Bonarda.
From Parma to Modena – heart of Lambrusco
Parma and Piacenza were part of the same duchy for 300 years and castles abound in the Parma countryside too, including the fairytale Castello di Torrechiara, the most striking, while the city’s historic centre is charming. Parma’s tradition of cured meats includes the celebrated cured ham while Parmigiano Reggiano dominates cheese selections and makes a good partner for the local Lambrusco. There are around a dozen varieties of Lambrusco grape, grown through the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena and often blended together. The principal variety of the Parma area is Lambrusco Maestri, which makes creamy and fresh bright ruby wines, with a light bubble that refreshes the palate between one slice of salami and the next. Malvasia di Candia Aromatica grows here too – try a spumante version with a platter of the famous prosciutto. Despite contributing the ‘Reggiano’ to Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (dairy visits are a must in the area) and being home to a balsamic vinegar tradition on a par with Modena’s, Reggio Emilia tends to be overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbours. Lambrusco wines are largely blends in this area and the hills here too are dotted with castles, many linked to 11th century leader, Matilde di Canossa, the most celebrated of the feudal Canossa family. Legends tell that Matilde even won a battle thanks to Lambrusco, tempting the enemy troops with so much of the wine that they simply didn’t wake up for battle at dawn. In recent years, the apple fresh native white grape, Spergola is becoming increasingly popular for delicious sparkling and still wines made near Reggio Emilia too. Next stop, heading east along the Via Emilia is Modena, home to a stunning Romanesque cathedral and historic covered food market, Mercato Albinelli, not far from the three-Michelin starred Osteria Francescana run by chef Massimo Bottura.
The Modena area has several Lambrusco denominations including one dedicated to the purple-tinged, fruit-filled Lambrusco Salamino, so named due to the shape of grape bunches that resemble salami. The charming hills around the attractive village of Castelvetro, near Modena, are home to the Lambrusco Grasparossa denomination area and each autumn the vineyards turn a striking bright red colour – Grasparossa literally means red stalks and the leaves turn scarlet too. Sorbara, north of Modena, gives its name to the Lambrusco Sorbara grape. Much paler in colour than the rest of the Lambrusco family, Sorbara wines with soaring acidity are the stars of the Lambrusco scene these days. Try the Traditional Method sparklers that for a memorable Sorbara experience.
Bologna – heart of the region
Emilia Romagna’s main city, home to the western world’s oldest university (founded in 1088) and pretty much central to Emilia Romagna, Bologna has a lively vibe and a compact historic centre. The city is known as Italy’s foodie capital for its delicious tortellini, tagliatelle and other specialities. Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto, made in the hills south west of the city with Grechetto Gentile grapes is one of the region’s two DOCG certified wines. Around the city, it’s mostly found in the frizzante style which pairs so well with the local mortadella and other cold cuts, some of the still versions however are superb and well worth seeking out. Bologna hosts the international Slow Wine fair each February and Mercato FIVI (marketplace of the Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers) in November. There are numerous smaller scale wine-themed events through the year in various parts of the region.
Romagna – great grapes and native vines
While there is no real border between Emilia and Romagna, the traditional line where the atmosphere, as well as typical foods and wines start to change is the River Sillaro, about 25km east of Bologna. A jokey saying that highlights the deep-rooted hospitable nature of Romagna, says that to find out if you are in Emilia or Romagna just ask for a drink and if you’re given water, you know you’re in Emilia; if you’re given wine however, at whatever time of day, you’re in Romagna. Romagna wines centre around two main varieties, Sangiovese for the reds and white Albana, DOCG certified since 1987 (Italy’s first white DOCG). Albana is often referred to as a red wine dressed in white, for its structure and tannins and it is exceptionally versatile, thanks to high acidity and sugar, making crisp sparkling wines, a varied range of dry versions, and luscious passito. It’s made in two main areas: Imola-Dozza, where the deep yellow sandy soils characterise the bold, textural wines, and Bertinoro, which has more chalky terrain and produces elegant, minerally wines. Dozza is a must-see destination for its charming art-filled streets (artists are invited every two years to paint murals) dominated by a majestic castle. The atmospheric castle cellars host the Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna, an association of producers from the whole region; this is the place to buy and try a wide range of Emilia Romagna wines (see interview). Bertinoro on the other hand, is known as the balcony of Romagna, for its sweeping views; the terrace of the Ca’ de Be’ restaurant is an ideal spot for enjoying them together with good traditional food and local wines. Italy’s most widely planted grape vine, Sangiovese, dominates the red wine production of Romagna. Each of the 16 subzones gives distinct characteristics and versions of Romagna Sangiovese DOC with a label mention are at the peak of the quality pyramid. Some of the boldest, most intense being made around the heart of Romagna.
The hills of Faenza, an international capital for artistic ceramics, are home to one of the most interesting local native red varieties to have come to the fore in recent years: Centesimino. Named with the nickname of the person who first rediscovered it (who was notorious for counting the pennies, or centisimini), the grapes produce a characterful, often spicy wine and grow largely in the stunning natural area of Oriolo dei Fichi, just outside Faenza. Nearby, at the historic town of Bagnacavallo, another native variety named after its pioneer, Antonio Longanesi, is grown. Here Longanesi grapes are used to make robust, structured red Bursôn, the wine, which takes signor Longanesi’s nickname. While blue label Bursôn is fresh and more youthful, black label Bursôn wines, made with the appassimento technique (grapes partially dried on racks before fermentation) are rich and satisfying. The wineries in this area also make some excellent Famoso, the native, semi-aromatic white variety which was officially registered as recently as 2009 as a wine grape. Famoso is another of the region’s most rapidly growing productions, thanks in part to the naturally resistant nature of the vines and to the persuasive, contemporary character of the wines that have an intense kaleidoscope of floral, fruity and herby aromas.
Sandy beaches and sandy soils
Continuing east along the Via Emilia brings us to Rimini and the sandy beaches of the Riviera Romagnola on the Adriatic sea. Just inland from the coast, Grechetto Gentile vines grow in the Colli di Rimini hills for wines that are largely still and have a character that’s distinctly different from the Pignoletto of Colli Bolognesi made with the same variety of grape, thanks to the proximity of the coast and inherent minerality.
Ferrara marks the north-eastern edge of the region and like Emilia Romagna’s other cities, has a striking historic centre. Near Ferrara, ‘vini della sabbia’ wines are made from vines that grow ungrafted, thanks to sandy soils which prevent attacks of phylloxera. Between the two cities is Ravenna, home to stunning Byzantine mosaics that are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
