Emilia Romagna, Italy, is the home of many famous things, such as balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, and Prosciutto de Parma ham. The beautiful Ferrari, Ducati, Lamborghini, De Tomaso, Maserati, and Pagani cars and motorcycles are made in this region.
But the wine is good too!
Emilia Romagna is a northern region of Italy one hundred fifty miles wide that stretches from coast to coast, with Bologna as its largest city. Equal amounts of red and white wine are produced in diverse terrains, and placenames are used instead of grape type on wine labels. The signature grapes of this region are the red Lambrusco and white Albana.
Recommended Signature Wine.
For a starting point with whites, try a wine from the Albana di Romagna DOCG made from the Albana grape. This wine is light-bodied, dry, and crisp, with nice acidity and a creamy nut-like flavor, and has a pleasant slight bitterness as it finishes.
If you are trying a sweet wine, the Albana di Romagna Passito is some of the world’s best. This wine shows flavors of honey, dried apricots, white flowers, and spice.
Need a sparkling wine, something new and exciting? Try a sparkling Lambrusco from the Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC of Emilia Romagna. These are fragrant wines. The most highly rated frizzante (slightly sparkling) is best enjoyed young. These ruby to purple-colored wines have berry flavors, nice acidity, and soft bubbles.
Note: when serving Lambrusco, Cava, Champagne, or sparkling wine, chill it to the ideal temperature. This Laser Wine Thermometer reads the internal temperature of the wine in the bottle before you pop the cork!!
Appellations of Note.
Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC: notable appellation for Lambrusco wine. These are delicious handcrafted wines, not the cheap, low-quality Lambruscos that your uncle Vinnie used to bring to family picnics!
Albana di Romagna DOCG: produces white wine from the Albana grape. Passito and Riserva Passito styles are made with partially dried grapes.
Colli Bolognesi Classico Pignoletto DOCG: white wine from the Grechetto di Todi, aka Pignoletto grape variety.
Classification.
Lambrusco: Emilia-Romagna’s famous Lambrusco wine is not made from the same grape species as most wine but derived from the Vitis Labrusca species. FYI, Vitis Vinifera is the species of wine grapes we know and love.
Passito: wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice.
