📍 Emilia-Romagna

Emilia-Romagna is a region in northern Italy stretching from the Po river to the Apennines and the Adriatic Sea. It is called the gastronomic heart of the country: Parmigiano, Parma ham and traditional balsamic vinegar come from here. Wine is served with this cooking, so many local wines are light, fresh and often sparkling.

The region is split in two parts: Emilia in the west and Romagna in the east. Emilia's pride is Lambrusco, a sparkling red of several kinds: Sorbara, Grasparossa, Salamino, Maestri and Marani. Romagna grows Sangiovese (Sangiovese di Romagna) and the white Albana, the first Italian white wine to receive DOCG status (1987).

Other local grapes include Trebbiano Romagnolo, Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Pignoletto, Fortana, Negretto and Spergola. Zones such as Bianco del Sillaro and Bosco Eliceo are small areas with names of their own.

Emilia-Romagna is part of Italian winemaking and lies between Lombardy, Veneto and Tuscany. Light, chilled Lambrusco works especially well with rich local dishes: ham, sausages and tortellini. The name Emilia-Romagna on a label shows that the grapes grew in this very area, which makes it easy to look for similar wines.