Table of Contents:
GRAPES
WINE REGIONS.
THE D.O.C.s AND D.O.C.G.s
Emilia Romagna Cuisine Italian Beers. Italian Spirits.
Emilia Romagna wine includes 2 D.O.C.G., 19 D.O.C., and 9 I.G.P.
How did a region, once known for fizzy red Lambrusco, collect such an impressive amount of premium wines?
The answer is out of shame.
Emilia Romagna as a foodie destination. Why? Let me sum it up in five words: Bologna, Modena, Parma, and Reggio Emilia.
Great food needs great wine.
Then there is the whole “keeping up with the neighbors” thing.
When you have Tuscany to the south, Piedmont and Lombardy to the west, you better take pride in your wine. Oh yes, one other neighbor, Veneto to the east. B.A.M.!
And they do. Most years, Emilia Romagna ranks in the top three Italian wine producers.
So, where do you start with Emilia Romagna wine?
Ancient Emilia Romagna Wine
The history of Emilia Romagna wine, like most of its neighbors, dates from the Etruscans and the 8th century B.C. The remains of wine containers (Amphora) originating in Emilia Romagna show up in southern Italy, Spain, and France. Some dating to the 7th century B.C.
In the 3rd century B.C., Greeks pushing westward, write about the quality of wine from this area.
When the Roman Republic, then Empire take over, they improve and expand the production of wines in this area.
There was a time when Emila and Romagna were separate. Romans kept control of Romagna longer. Having the capital in Ravenna could be part of the reason.
Barbarians from the north took control of Emilia. Having different foods and tastes, they tweak the wines to their liking.
Culinary speaking, the Romans grew olive trees at the lower altitudes to the east, and their diet used olive oil.
Emilia was in the dairy country, and butter was king. Wines pair differently with buttery dishes than they do with lighter tasting olive oil.
Not So Ancient Emilia Romagna Wine
With the fall of the Roman Empire circa 476 A.D., the church sweeps in and snatches up the vineyards. They put the monasteries in charge of wine production.
Whoever controls the wine controls the power. With the unsanitary water sources, wine is the leading beverage safe to drink. The Italian Monasteries will hold onto much of this valuable real estate for centuries.
By 568 AD, the Germanic Lombards sweep in from the north and control all of the Italian Peninsula. They will remain “in control” for the next two hundred years. But, like many, they conquer and move on, not challenging the church and its holdings.
Then in 774, when a Frankish King captures and places Italy into his real estate holdings. The church starts to detect its foundation may be cracking. This Frank then declares himself the king of the Lombards. His name is Charlemagne.
In 800 AD, he has the Pope declare him the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Also, he sets up many kingdoms, including the Kingdom of Italy, comprising northern and western Italy.
Soon the Pope and Emperor are fighting each other so much; they have no time to rule over Italy. The Frank nobles waste no time taking more control over the lands on a local level. With the Pope’s army off fighting, there is no one to stop them.
They do well. The nobles are leasing their property to sharecroppers for only half of the yearly crop. Many Emilia Romagna landowners use their half of the grape harvest to make wine. By the 1200s, there are guilds to protect the wines in this area.
A Woman’s Eye
In the late 1000’s Matilda of Tuscany acquires a substantial area, including present-day Lombardy, Emilia, Romagna, and Tuscany. She will improve the vineyards, in turn enhancing Emilia Romagna wine and profiting nicely.
Upon her death in 1115, there is no one to watch over the area with any real authority. The vineyards pass into the hands of the local nobles. This land grab will last until the mid-1400s when a Tuscan family begins acquiring real estate and wealth. Their name is Medici.
Emilia Romagna Turmoil.
The Medici are not the only ones collecting real estate. The Republic of Venice, Florence, the Papal States, and Naples are all grabbing at Northern Italy. When Florence sides with the Medici, there is an unstable peace.
To secure their power, the Medici pay for several family members to become Pope. So, in one way or another, a Medici has their hand on just about everything in Northern Italy.
They adore wine and throw vast amounts of money to improve and enlarge production.
The Medici’s die out in the 1700s, Napoleon marches through circa 1802, and some other stuff happens. Then, in 1861, the kingdom of Italy is born. What we take from this is, the vineyards survive and thrive.
The Last 100+ Years
Italian wine goes through its worst years from 1870 to 1950. First, the European Phylloxera epidemic destroys many of the vineyards, especially those in the north.
WWI weakens the economy, allowing the National Fascist Party, under Benito Mussolini, to take control. They rule from 1922 to 1943. During this time, the quality grapes and the rotten grapes all go into one mediocre wine.
WWII sees the destruction of many vineyards. What wineries can afford to replant, plant cheap, easy to grow grapes for the worldwide market. Soon Italy is a significant source of cheap table wine.
In the 1960s, The Italian government creates a two-level “quality” wine grading law. Why? So they can “protect quality.” Translating this into English it means to tax the wine producers. There is still table wine, which has few restrictions. The rest now fall under these two.
- DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) will be for better quality wines than table wine.
- DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) will be for the highest quality wines.
With each new level, there are more restrictions and higher fees. It is corrupt almost from day one. It creates a surplus of frustration, but very little good Italian wine.
Emilia Romagna Wine Today
Emilia Romagna wines take a little longer to break free from the not-so-good wines of the 1970s. With a lot of work, they are now the perfect pairing wines for Emilia Romagna cuisine.
And they do still produce a lot of table wine. But even those are better than most.
Unlike its neighbor Tuscany, whose soil is inferior, Emilia Romagna has numerous terroirs, allowing for a variety of grapes. Rolling hills in the west give way to low-lying plains to the east.
On the far east is sea level. The river Po brings water to most of the region.
The Grapes
Without making this a graduate study, let’s look at the most popular grapes in Emilia Romagna wine. Unlike many regions in Italy, Emilia Romagna’s wine production is almost 50/50 whites and reds. Thank you for your diverse terroirs.
Reds
Lambrusco – is a grape originating in Emilia Romagna and dating back to the Etruscans. The Etruscans would ship their wine all over the then-known world in clay amphoras. Each amphora holds the equivalent of approximately 60 bottles of wine.
Today, the most popular Lambrusco wines are frizzante (slightly sparkling.)
Barbera – is an ancient red grape variety that produces large yields and deep color. It is a full-body wine with low tannins and high levels of acid.
Sangiovese – (The Blood of Jupiter) is a popular red wine grape throughout northern Italy. When young, it has fresh fruity flavors, including strawberry.
As it ages, it takes on the characteristics of oak with sour red cherry flavors. It has medium tannins and high acidity.
Croatina is a red grape variety that is part of the Bonarda family. But it has nothing in common with the others. By itself, it produces fruity wines with deep color and mild tannins that require aging. It is also a grape they use in blending.
Whites
Trebbiano – is the most-planted of white wine grapes in Emilia Romagna. It makes a fresh fruity wine that is best when young.
Albana is a white wine grape found primarily in the Emilia Romagna region. The history may be from the Romans or possibly the Greeks. It produces a deeply colored wine.
Ortrugo is a white grape from the Piacenza area. It produces moderate acidity and has high alcohol potential. They use it for blending for white, slightly sparkling, and fully sparkling wines.
Pignoletto is Grechetto or the other way around. Ask a local to explain it. This grape goes into several premium wines. It has multiple characteristics.
Malvasia is an old (2000+ years) grape, originally from the Monemvasia area of Greece. Under the umbrella is a diverse collection of varieties. They produce white wines that are dry, sweet, and sparkling.
When young, it can have a floral aroma, with bits of ripe fruit and crisp acidity. This acidity is perfect for sparkling wines. As the grape ripens, it takes on more complex sugars, perfect for dessert wine.
Currently, there are several other red and white grape varieties in the area but look for these.
Emilia Romagna Wine Regions
Emilia Romagna does not have clear sub-regions like many Italian wine regions.
Geographically, it has two distinct regions, Emilia to the west of Bologna, the capital. The name comes from the Via Aemilia. This Roman road was connecting Bologna to the cities of Modena, Reggio Emilia, and Parma.
The area east of Bologna is Romagna, a historical region once under the rule of the Romans. The town of Ravenna was, for a brief period, the capital of the Western Roman Empire. The landlocked state of San Marino is within the Romagna region.
How many sub-wine regions are there in Emilia Romagna? That is one of the many (million) subjects where the answer is, depends on who you ask. Most Italian wine experts will agree there are at least nine. Others say 14 and some 19. As we are not wine scientists, let’s start with nine.
Starting in the west and heading east are:
Piacenza
The region, near the town of the same name, produces 18 different wines under D.O.C. Colli Piacentini. The hilly terrain makes both red and white. There are also sparkling versions of some of them.
Parma
Famous for cheese and several types of meat, including ham, it has three D.O.C. regions. This hilly region produces everything from dry to fruity, still to sparkling.
Reggio Emilia
The region has two types of balsamic vinegar, seven types of meat, and six varieties of cheeses with D.O.C. status. That’s before getting to the wine. This region is the motherland of Lambrusco with five D.O.C. regions using the grape predominantly.
Modena
Has three D.O.C. wines using the Lambrusco grape. They are all sparkling wines. For white wine fans, there are still and sparkling wines made with the Pignoletto / Grechetto di Todi grape.
Bologna
Does boloney come from Bologna? Well, sorta. Bologna, the town has a sausage they call Mortadella. This thick sausage has particles of fat, seasonings like peppercorns, and sometimes other things. American baloney is a paste with some of the same ingredients, similar to turkey roll. Bolonaise sauce also comes from here. The wines of note are more white, including Pignoletto, but there are red D.O.C. wines as well.
Ferrara
Although not as large a producer as other regions, in part due to the lower altitude, Ferrara can surprise. It has vinegar, ham, cheese, famous historical sites, exceptional cuisine, and wine, including Lambrusco, Pignoletto, and Sangiovese. That means there is something for both red and white drinkers.
Ravenna
The region has two strikes against growing P.D.O. Wines. The lowlands to the north, and the Po river that floods. But that doesn’t stop the entire Ravenna province from gaining P.G. I status.
Sangiovese, Centesimino, and Albana are the significant grapes they grow, but there may be as many as 30 others in use for smaller production. Many grape varieties near extinction are finding new life in eastern Emilia Romagna.
Forli-Cesena
This region, just south of Ravenna, also has P.G.I. Status for the whole area. This status allows the winemakers to use almost 30 grape varieties, either alone or in blends. They produce red and white wines, including still, fizzy and sparkling.
Rimini
It is further south from Forli and on the Adriatic. We already know D.O.C. grapes do not grow by the sea. Fortunately, no one told the winemakers in the Rimini area. Circa 1996, Colli di Rimini receives D.O.C. status without producing fizzy or sparkling wines. They make still-wines using Trebbiano, Sangiovese, and Pignoletto grapes.
There are additional micro-regions, but this is probably enough for your introduction to Emilia Romagna wines.
Emilia Romagna Wine D.O.C.s and D.O.C.G.s
What are all these letters?
Italian wine labels, just like the ones in France and Spain, must show a set of the necessary information. These include producer name, appellation, vintage, alcohol content, etc. The Italian system mimics the French appellation system in many ways. The DOC and D.O.C.G. categories first appear in 1982.
- DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) covers almost every traditional Italian wine style. There are over 300 individual DOC titles in Italy. Each one has a set of laws governing its viticultural zone, the grape varieties, and wine style they can produce.
- D.O.C.G. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) is the highest classification for Italian wines. First, they need to follow all the rules of the DOC. They also receive a whole new set of strict regulations governing the production of D.O.C.G. wines. These include grape varieties, the yield limits, how ripe the grapes need to be, and on and on. Then every D.O.C.G. wine goes through official tasting tests.
There are also IGT and Vino da Tavola status for Italian wines.
Below, you will find the D.O.C.G.s, D.O.C.s, and I.G.P.s listed.
Piacenza
Colli Piacentini DOC
Gutturnio DOC.
Ortrugo dei Colli Piacentini DOC
I.G.P. Terre di Veleja.
I.G.P. Val Tidone
Parma
Colli di Parma DOC
I.G.P. Fortana del Taro.
Reggio Emilia
Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa DOC
Reggiano DOC
Romagna Albana D.O.C.G.
Modena
Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC
Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC.
Modena DOC
Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce DOC.
IGP Castelfranco Emilia
Bologna
Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto DOCG.
Colli Bolognesi DOC
Pignoletto DOC.
Reno DOC
IGP Emilia / dell’Emilia.
IGP Sillaro / Bianco del Sillaro
Ferrara
Bosco Eliceo DOC
Ravenna
I.G.P. Ravenna.
IGP Rubicone – This IGP status also covers Forli-Cesena and Rimini.
Forli-Cesena
Colli d’Imola DOC.
Colli di Faenza DOC
The Colli Romagna Centrale DOC.
IGP Forlì
Rimini
Colli di Rimini DOC.
Then to confuse things, there is Romagna DOC, which pretty much covers everything east of Bologna. Some believe the whole area should come under one authority. If you like heated debate, ask someone from that area what they think about that.
Emilia Romagna Summary.
It would take you several days to scratch the surface of all these wines. Then add in that so many wineries make numerous wines. And you need to sample local cuisine with the wine.
Emilia Romagna cuisine and wine are going to take you longer than you were planning. It is not hard to fill a day up quickly. With so much to taste, try and see, you better get a start.