Northern Italy

Emilia Romagna Lambrusco fizz, Sangiovese sunsets

Italy's pasta plains pour fizzy Lambrusco from Modena and Reggio, ageworthy Sangiovese di Romagna, Albana DOCG whites, and Bologna's gentle Pignoletto.

Emilia-Romagna stretches across the broad Po plain from Piacenza in the west to the Adriatic coast at Rimini, splitting cleanly into two wine cultures. Emilia, the western half, is Lambrusco country: four DOCs around Modena and Reggio Emilia produce purple, fizzy reds built for mortadella, prosciutto and tortellini.

Romagna, on the eastern side, leans on Sangiovese di Romagna and the Albana grape, the first Italian white to win DOCG status in 1987. Between the two, the Apennine foothills around Bologna ripen Pignoletto for Colli Bolognesi DOCG, and Piacenza's Colli Piacentini blend Barbera with Croatina to make Gutturnio.

With around 52,000 hectares under vine and roughly seven million hectolitres a year, Emilia-Romagna is one of Italy's largest wine regions by volume, but the wines are still designed first to drink with food.

31
Wines in stock
35
Denominations
6
Heritage grapes
£8 +
Starting price
01 · Wine Areas6

Where Emilia Romagna wine takes shape

The named places that explain the region's grapes, styles, and labels, plotted across the map.

01

Emilia (Modena and Reggio)

Lambrusco country on the Po plain, where Modena and Reggio Emilia ferment four DOC styles of fizzy purple red.

The flat, fertile plain that runs north from the Apennines into the Po river is Italy's most prolific Lambrusco zone. Modena and Reggio Emilia together account for the lion's share of regional production, with Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Modena DOC and Reggiano DOC all working different clones of the Lambrusco family.

Sorbara is the palest, sharpest and most fragrant style, made famous around Bomporto and the river bend villages. Grasparossa, from the Castelvetro hills south of Modena, is darker, more tannic and pairs naturally with gnocco fritto and salumi. Salamino, planted on the plain east of Modena, sits between the two for body. Reggiano covers a broader area and includes the white-grape Spergola.

Lambrusco di SorbaraDOC Lambrusco Grasparossa di CastelvetroDOC Lambrusco Salamino di Santa CroceDOC Red grapeLambrusco Red grapeTrebbiano Red grapeMalvasia
02

Colli Piacentini

Hill country south of Piacenza where Barbera and Croatina blend into Gutturnio and Malvasia di Candia Aromatica turns sappy.

The four river valleys south of Piacenza (Tidone, Trebbia, Nure and Arda) climb from the Po plain into the Apennine foothills. Soils swing from clay-loam in the lower valleys to limestone-marl higher up, where reds gain structure and whites keep acid.

Gutturnio is the signature blend of Barbera and Croatina (locally Bonarda) and is bottled still, frizzante and superiore. Ortrugo is a lean, salty white made for aperitivo, and Malvasia di Candia Aromatica gives one of Italy's most distinctive aromatic whites. Bonarda Frizzante is a regional sweet spot for everyday drinking.

Colli PiacentiniDOC GutturnioDOC OrtrugoDOC Red grapeBarbera Red grapeCroatina Red grapeBonarda
03

Colli Bolognesi

The first hills above Bologna, home of Pignoletto DOCG and a quietly serious zone for Cabernet and Sauvignon.

Colli Bolognesi rolls along the Apennine ridge from Sasso Marconi to Castel San Pietro, looking down on the Via Emilia and the city of Bologna. The 2010 promotion of Pignoletto Classico to DOCG (later restructured as Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto DOCG) confirmed the variety as one of the region's finest dry whites.

Pignoletto is grown on alternating clay, sandstone and gypsum bands, often producing a citrussy, gently bitter white that finishes savoury. The same hills also produce Sauvignon, Pinot Bianco and small but ageworthy bottlings of Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Colli d'Imola sub-zone reaches towards Romagna with its own Pignoletto and Albana plantings.

Colli Bolognesi PignolettoDOCG Colli BolognesiDOC Colli d'ImolaDOC White grapePignoletto Red grapeCabernet Sauvignon Red grapeBarbera
04

Romagna

From Imola to Rimini, Sangiovese di Romagna and Albana DOCG carry the region's eastern half across clay hills and seaside vineyards.

Romagna is the eastern half of the region, running south from the Lamone river to the Conca and east to the Adriatic. Sangiovese is the dominant red grape and has its own Romagna Sangiovese DOC with sub-zones at Predappio, Bertinoro, Modigliana, Brisighella, Castrocaro and others, each pushing the variety in a different direction.

Albana di Romagna was the first Italian white promoted to DOCG (1987) and is bottled secco, amabile, dolce and as a passito. Pagadebit, Trebbiano di Romagna and the local Cagnina (Refosco) round out the still-wine repertoire. The hills of Bertinoro and Brisighella now sit at the centre of a quiet quality push for terroir-driven Sangiovese.

Romagna AlbanaDOCG RomagnaDOC Sangiovese di RomagnaDOC Red grapeSangiovese Red grapeAlbana Red grapeTrebbiano
05

Colli di Parma

Slopes between Parma and the Apennines bottling Malvasia, Sauvignon and the local frizzante Lambrusco di Parma.

The first hills south of Parma sit between the Lambrusco plain and the Tuscan Emilian Apennines. Colli di Parma DOC makes light, food-friendly reds from Barbera and Bonarda, lean whites from Malvasia and a small but distinctive Sauvignon. Most production is frizzante and sold within the province.

Fortana del Taro IGT covers the western edge towards the Taro river. The wines were built to wash down the prosciutto, culatello and Parmigiano of the Parma food economy, and the style remains pointedly low in tannin and quick to drink.

Colli di ParmaDOC Fortana del TaroIGT Red grapeBarbera Red grapeMalvasia Red grapeBonarda
06

Bosco Eliceo

A coastal sand strip between the Po delta and the Ravenna pinewoods, the only Italian DOC built on Fortana grown on its own roots.

Bosco Eliceo runs along the Adriatic dunes from the Po delta down to Ravenna. The sandy soil resists phylloxera, so vines are still grown ungrafted, an oddity in Italian viticulture. Fortana, locally called Uva d'Oro, makes a tart, salty, frizzante red that local cooks pour with eel from Comacchio and stewed shellfish from the lagoon.

Merlot, Sauvignon and Trebbiano round out the DOC, but Fortana is the reason the area exists on a wine map. Production is small and local, with a strong agriturismo and food culture pulling visitors off the coast road.

Bosco EliceoDOC Red grapeFortana Red grapeMerlot Red grapeTrebbiano
02 · Regional Guide6

Understanding Emilia Romagna

Layered notes on terroir, history, label rules, taste, drinking window and where to start.

Layer 01

Terroir

Terroir: Po plain to Adriatic dunes

Three landscapes shape the wines: the Po plain, the Apennine foothills along the Via Emilia, and the Adriatic coastal strip.

Emilia-Romagna stretches more than 250 km from the Lombard border in the west to the Adriatic in the east, and the wines mirror that distance. The Po plain that runs through Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena is alluvial, fertile and mostly flat, supporting the high-volume Lambrusco DOCs and a long inland tradition of frizzante reds. South of the Via Emilia, the plain rises into the Apennine foothills, where Colli Piacentini, Colli di Parma, Colli Bolognesi and the Romagna sub-zones around Bertinoro and Predappio exchange clay for limestone, sandstone and the marine spungone unique to Bertinoro.

The Adriatic edge adds a third terroir: sandy soils around Bosco Eliceo and the Po delta where ungrafted Fortana vines still grow in pre-phylloxera style, and the gentle hills behind Rimini that share more with Marche than with the Po plain. Climate is continental in the west, with cold winters and humid summers, and softens towards the coast where sea breezes cool the eastern Sangiovese hills.

Layer 02

History

Wine history along the Via Emilia

Etruscan and Roman roots, monastic vineyards in the middle ages, and a 20th-century Lambrusco boom that made the region Italy's volume leader.

Vines reach Emilia-Romagna with the Etruscans, who farmed the plain north of Bologna, and Romans formalised the wine economy along the Via Emilia, the consular road that gave the western half of the region its name. Pliny the Elder, born in Como but writing in Rome, already records the local Vitis labrusca-style vines that may underlie today's Lambrusco family.

Monasteries kept viticulture alive in the middle ages, particularly in the Apennine foothills around Bobbio, Modena and Bertinoro. Albana was praised by Galla Placidia, the fifth-century empress who is said to have asked for it to be served in gold; the legend gives Romagna's Bertinoro its name ("berti in oro"). Modern Lambrusco took off after the Second World War, when Modena and Reggio cooperatives industrialised frizzante production and exported widely. From the 1990s onwards Romagna pushed Sangiovese towards quality, and Pignoletto's 2010 DOCG promotion confirmed Bologna's hills as a serious white-wine zone.

Layer 03

Label rules

Reading the label

Two DOCGs, twenty-five DOCs and eight IGTs, plus sub-zone names that locate Sangiovese and Lambrusco within tighter terroirs.

The two DOCGs are Romagna Albana (the first Italian white promoted to DOCG, in 1987) and Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto. The 25 DOCs include the four named Lambrusco styles (Sorbara, Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Salamino di Santa Croce and the broader Modena and Reggiano), the Romagna umbrella DOC with its Sangiovese sub-zones, and the Apennine hill DOCs (Colli Piacentini, Colli di Parma, Colli Bolognesi, Colli d'Imola, Colli di Faenza, Colli di Rimini, Colli Romagna Centrale).

Useful sub-zone words to look for: Predappio, Bertinoro, Modigliana, Brisighella, Castrocaro, Marzeno, San Vicinio and Serra on Romagna Sangiovese; Castelvetro on Lambrusco Grasparossa; Santa Croce on Lambrusco Salamino; Sorbara and Bomporto on Lambrusco di Sorbara. Riserva on Sangiovese means at least two years ageing including a portion in oak; Riserva on Albana implies extra time in bottle. Frizzante and spumante are the regional default for Lambrusco, with metodo ancestrale and metodo Charmat both common.

Layer 04

Taste profile

Taste profile: fizz, Sangiovese, sea-salt whites

Sparkling reds dominate volume, Sangiovese dominates serious red drinking, Albana and Pignoletto carry the white side.

The signature texture of Emilia-Romagna is fizz on red: Lambrusco di Sorbara is pale, salmon-pink, almond-scented and bracing; Grasparossa is deeper, rounder, more tannic and built for fatty cooking; Salamino sits between the two. Reggiano and Modena DOCs blend across the family for everyday volume.

Sangiovese di Romagna is the still-red workhorse and the wine to track for terroir studies. The Predappio and Bertinoro hills give structured, savoury reds with cherry, blood orange and tobacco; Modigliana sits higher and cooler with more acid; Brisighella often shows red plum and herbal lift. On the white side, Albana ranges from dry citrus-and-chamomile styles to passito wines of dried apricot and saffron, while Pignoletto is dry, citrussy and gently bitter, closer to a Friulano in feel. Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Ortrugo and Bosco Eliceo's Fortana add idiosyncratic local options.

Layer 05

Drinking window

Vintage and drinking window

Most Lambrusco is for now, Albana secco within two years, Sangiovese di Romagna gains over five to ten years.

Lambrusco is largely a current-vintage wine: drink within 18 to 24 months of release for the freshest perlage and aromatics. Sorbara holds best, Grasparossa develops a touch of evolution but loses fizz character with age. Albana DOCG secco is also a fresh-drinking wine, ideally within two years; Albana passito, by contrast, can age a decade or more.

Sangiovese di Romagna divides by sub-zone. Bertinoro and Predappio Riserva bottlings comfortably hold five to ten years and benefit from at least three years in bottle. Modigliana and Brisighella's higher altitudes give more acid-driven wines that need patience. Recent vintages of note: 2019 (balanced), 2020 (richer), 2021 (cool, classic) and 2022 (warm). Pignoletto Frizzante and Gutturnio Frizzante are summer wines: drink the youngest bottle on the shelf.

Layer 06

Explore

Visiting and tasting plan

Two food-and-wine triangles: Lambrusco from Modena and Reggio in the west, Sangiovese and Albana in Romagna's hills in the east.

The simplest first trip pairs the Lambrusco plain with one Apennine hill zone. Base in Modena or Reggio Emilia, taste at a Sorbara cellar near Bomporto and a Grasparossa producer in Castelvetro, then drive south into the Modena Apennines for balsamic vinegar visits. Add a day in Parma for prosciutto, Parmigiano and Colli di Parma whites.

For Romagna, base in Forli, Faenza or Ravenna and follow the Sangiovese trail through Predappio, Bertinoro, Modigliana and Brisighella; the Strada dei Vini di Romagna links most cellars and trattorie. Bologna anchors a third option: take the Pignoletto trail south of the Via Emilia, with stops in Sasso Marconi, Monteveglio and Castel San Pietro. Train connections from Bologna make all three loops practical without a car for the urban legs, but a rental is needed for the cellars themselves.

03 · Wines To Know6

What to drink from Emilia Romagna

A short shortlist that maps the region: benchmark reds, signature whites and the labels worth a step-up.

Pale, fragrant, almost rose-pink fizz from the Modena river bend

Lambrusco di Sorbara

The lightest and most aromatic Lambrusco, traditionally blended with at least 40% Salamino because Sorbara struggles to set its own fruit. Salmon to ruby-pink, dry to off-dry, with raspberry, almond and field flowers. The reference wine for tortellini in brodo and aperitivo platters of mortadella and gnocco fritto.

Lambrusco di SorbaraDOC Red grapeLambrusco
Inky, structured, foam-on-purple Lambrusco from the Modena hills

Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro

Made on the slopes south of Modena around Castelvetro, Levizzano and Castelnuovo Rangone, where the Grasparossa clone gives more colour, tannin and body than its plain-grown siblings. Deep purple, dry to amabile, with blackberry, violet and a savoury, slightly bitter finish that holds up to braised pork, zampone and Parmigiano stagionato.

Lambrusco Grasparossa di CastelvetroDOC Red grapeLambrusco
Sangiovese with sub-zone names that map terroir from Predappio to Brisighella

Romagna Sangiovese

The most serious red of the region, with sub-zones (UGA) like Predappio, Bertinoro, Modigliana, Brisighella, Castrocaro, Marzeno and Serra each pushing the variety in their own direction. Cherry, blood orange, dried herbs and tobacco; Riserva bottlings from spungone-heavy Bertinoro carry oak well and reward five to ten years in bottle. The wine to compare directly with Tuscan Sangiovese.

Sangiovese di RomagnaDOC Red grapeSangiovese
The first Italian white granted DOCG, in 1987, in secco, amabile, dolce and passito

Romagna Albana DOCG

Albana takes four faces: a dry secco of citrus, chamomile and almond skin; a softer amabile; a fully sweet dolce; and a long-lived passito of dried apricot, honey and saffron. The dry style has shed its old reputation for harshness and now drinks well with poached fish and piadina with squacquerone; the passito belongs at the end of a meal with hard cheese or biscotti.

Romagna AlbanaDOCG Red grapeAlbana
Bologna's hill-grown Pignoletto, dry and gently bitter

Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto DOCG

Promoted to DOCG in 2010, Pignoletto Classico is grown on the alternating clay, sandstone and gypsum bands above Bologna. Dry, citrussy, with a saline, gently bitter finish and notes of green apple, pear and white flowers. Frizzante and Spumante versions are popular as Bologna's house aperitivo, while the still wine drinks well with tagliatelle in summer ragu.

Colli Bolognesi PignolettoDOCG White grapePignoletto
Barbera and Croatina blend, bottled still, frizzante or superiore

Gutturnio (Colli Piacentini)

The trademark red of Piacenza's hills is a blend of Barbera and Croatina (locally called Bonarda), bottled in three guises: a still Classico for the table, a frizzante for everyday drinking, and a Superiore Riserva that rewards a few years in bottle. Cherry, plum, violet and grippy tannin, designed for the salumi and pisarei e fasò of Piacentino cooking.

GutturnioDOC Red grapeBarbera
04 · Heritage Grapes7

The grapes behind the bottle

7 curated guides with editorial content. Pronunciations, traits and the regional footprint of each variety.

Lambrusco

Lambrusco (Lahm-BROO-sko) is a family of grapes that produces fun sparkling wines, both sweet and dry, that are among the most popular in the world.

Region Emilia Romagna
Tannin
Body

Explore Lambrusco

Barbera

One of the most approachable red wines in Italy, Barbera (“bar-BAY-rah”) is a fresh and fruity wine that is always present on the tables of the inhabitants of Piedmont.

Region Emilia Romagna
Tannin
Body

Explore Barbera

Bombino Bianco

Bombino Bianco is a white grape of Puglia's Adriatic side, especially around Castel del Monte, though it also appears in Emilia-Romagna as Pagadebit and in Lazio as Ottonese.

Region Emilia Romagna
Acidity
Body

Explore Bombino Bianco

Malvasia di Candia

Malvasia di Candia is a white grape with two faces: a workhorse biotype that anchors the Lazio whites of Frascati DOCG and the Castelli Romani, and the genetically distinct Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, the perfumed Emilian clone that defines Colli Piacentini DOC and Colli di Parma DOC.

Region Emilia Romagna
Acidity
Body

Explore Malvasia di Candia

Merlot

Merlot is a red grape with a serious Italian footprint: Bolgheri DOC, Bolgheri Rosso, Cortona DOC, Suvereto DOCG, Rubicone IGT and Montello Rosso DOCG form its Italian map.

Region Emilia Romagna
Tannin
Body

Explore Merlot

Pignoletto

Pignoletto (“pee-yoh-LAY-toh”) is a dry and aromatic Italian white wine produced from the homonymous grape variety, also known as Grechetto Gentile, in the central region of Emilia-Romagna.

Region Emilia Romagna
Acidity
Body

Explore Pignoletto

Sangiovese

Sangiovese (san-jo-vay-zeh) is the undisputed king of red wines in central Italy, virtually present in every area of the country Thanks to its many clones and surprising versatility, Sangiovese can create a wide range of wines: from young and fresh Chiantis to complex and full-bodied Brunellos.

Region Emilia Romagna
Tannin
Body

Explore Sangiovese

Browse all grape guides

05 · Editor's Picks31

Wines from Emilia Romagna

A starter selection from the catalogue. Pour them as a regional flight.

View all 31 wines

06 · La Tavola5

The table of Emilia Romagna

Mountain, pasture and coast on one plate. Pour the regional wine alongside.

Emilia-Romagna's table is built around pork and egg pasta. Bologna's tagliatelle al ragu asks for a young Sangiovese di Romagna; Modena's tortellini in brodo wants a low-tannin Lambrusco di Sorbara to cut the richness.

Parma's prosciutto and Parmigiano slabs match Malvasia di Candia Aromatica from Colli Piacentini, while gnocco fritto and salumi platters drink best with chilled Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro.

For piadina romagnola filled with squacquerone and rocket, pour a citrussy Pignoletto from Colli Bolognesi. Cassatella di Modena and Albana di Romagna passita close the meal, an unusual sweet-white pairing to the region's most famous pasta plain.

Cotoletta alla bolognese on stoneware bowl with Bread Crumbs, Butter, Egg

Cotoletta alla bolognese

Cotoletta alla Bolognese is Emilia-Romagna's veal cutlet, breaded and butter-fried then topped with prosciutto crudo and shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano while still hot. The cheese half-melts; the prosciutto keeps its cure. Lambrusco di Sorbara or Grasparossa di Castelvetro, both sparkling, are the non-negotiable pairing: the fizz is designed for exactly this amount of fat.

Check Meats pairings
Gnocco fritto on stoneware bowl with Flour, Lard, parmesan

Gnocco fritto

Gnocco fritto is Emilia Romagna's lard-fried dough, served hot under a pile of salumi and soft cheese. The frying is the dish: lardo or rendered pork fat, crisped until the dough puffs and crackles. Emilian tables default to Lambrusco di Sorbara or Grasparossa, the sparkling fizz cutting the fat completely; a still Pignoletto from the Colli Bolognesi DOC is the summer alternative.

Check Antipasti pairings
Lasagna, plated

Lasagna

Italian Lasagna is a rich and hearty dish layered with pasta, cheese, a robust tomato sauce, and often includes ground meat or vegetables. The multiple layers of flavours – the acidity from the tomatoes, the creamy cheese, and the savoury meat – demand a wine that can stand up to the complexity without being overshadowed. A wine with a full body and pronounced tannins can cut through the richness of the cheese and meat, while acidity is important to balance the tomato-based sauce. Lasagna pairs wonderfully with wines that offer a counterpoint to its savory profile, with enough structure to cleanse the palate.For an Italian Lasagna, a traditional choice would be a Chianti Classico or a Barbera, both offering acidity and tannins that harmonise with the tomato sauce and the cheese. Other options like a Merlot or a Zinfandel can also pair well, providing the necessary full-bodied and fruity characteristics to complement the dish.

Check Pasta pairings
Torta Barozzi on stoneware bowl with Almond, Butter, Chocolate

Torta Barozzi

Torta Barozzi is the Emilian dark-chocolate and coffee cake, invented in 1886 by Pasticceria Gollini in Vignola. The recipe is guarded; the texture is almost flourless. Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro amabile matches the dark chocolate; Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG brings the elegant option; Vin Santo del Chianti Classico carries the coffee note.

Check Desserts pairings
Eggplant parmesan, plated

Eggplant parmesan

For Eggplant Parmesan, choosing a wine with good acidity is key to pairing with the acidity in the tomato sauce. Medium to full body can stand up to the dish's heft, and tannins should be moderate to low to avoid clashing with the dish’s cheesy component. A moderate level of tannins can provide a nice counterpoint to the soft texture of the eggplant. Italian wines are often a good match for Italian dishes due to regional pairing synergy. A Chianti Classico, with its bright acidity and cherry flavors, could complement the tomato sauce, while its savory notes echo the parmesan. Sangiovese, the grape behind Chianti, typically has a profile that makes it a versatile partner to dishes with tomato sauce. Alternatively, a medium-bodied Barbera offers vibrant acidity and a touch of fruitiness to balance the savory cheese and earthy eggplant.

Check Vegetarian pairings
07 · On The Ground15

Explore Emilia Romagna by place

Wine routes, towns and wineries to follow when you go.

Wine routes

2 days, ~120 km

Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori di Modena

Lambrusco loop from Sorbara on the Po plain through Castelvetro and back to Modena, with stops for balsamic and Parmigiano.

  1. Bomporto
  2. Modena
  3. Castelvetro di Modena
  4. Santa Croce (Salamino)
2 days, ~140 km

Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori dei Colli Piacentini

Four river valleys south of Piacenza for Gutturnio, Ortrugo and Malvasia di Candia Aromatica.

  1. Piacenza
  2. Val Tidone
  3. Val Trebbia
  4. Val d'Arda
3 days, ~180 km

Strada dei Vini di Romagna

Sangiovese sub-zones from Imola to Rimini, with Albana DOCG stops at Bertinoro and Oriolo dei Fichi.

  1. Faenza
  2. Brisighella
  3. Predappio
  4. Bertinoro
  5. Modigliana

Wine towns

Bologna

Regional capital and Pignoletto base, with the Colli Bolognesi DOCG hills starting just south of the ring road.

Bologna anchors the Colli Bolognesi DOCG zone, with Pignoletto cellars in Sasso Marconi, Monteveglio and Castel San Pietro Terme inside an hour's drive. The city is also the natural starting point for tasting the rest of the region by train, with Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma and Forli all under an hour away. Bologna's enoteche and aperitivo culture make it a useful tasting hub for Lambrusco, Pignoletto and Sangiovese di Romagna in one sitting.

Bologna

Modena

Lambrusco capital, with Sorbara on the plain and Grasparossa on the hills south of the city.

Modena is the centre of the Lambrusco economy. Sorbara cellars cluster around Bomporto and the Panaro river bend north of the city, while Grasparossa producers concentrate around Castelvetro, Levizzano Rangone and Castelnuovo Rangone in the Modena Apennine foothills. The city is also a UNESCO site for the cathedral and the home of traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena, which most cellars also produce.

Modena

Reggio Emilia

Reggiano DOC heartland and home to Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce on the plain east of the city.

Reggio Emilia covers a wide stretch of Lambrusco country, including Reggiano DOC, Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce DOC and the small Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa DOC in the southern hills, which uses the local Spergola grape for white frizzante. The city is also a Parmigiano Reggiano stronghold, making it an obvious base for combined wine and cheese visits.

Reggio Emilia

Parma

Prosciutto and Parmigiano capital, with Colli di Parma DOC frizzantes south of the city.

Parma's wine identity sits one notch below its food identity, but the Colli di Parma DOC south of the city makes light frizzante reds from Barbera and Bonarda and a small but distinctive Malvasia and Sauvignon. The Strada del Prosciutto e dei Vini dei Colli di Parma links cellars, salumifici and Parmigiano dairies into a single touring loop.

Parma

Faenza

Sangiovese hub on the Romagna side, with the Brisighella and Marzeno sub-zones rising into the Apennines behind the town.

Faenza, famous worldwide for its ceramic majolica, is also the gateway to two of Romagna Sangiovese's most distinctive sub-zones: Brisighella, with its higher-altitude vineyards and Mediterranean herbs, and Marzeno with its clay-rich soils. The Albana DOCG vineyards of Oriolo dei Fichi are within an easy drive, and the local Strada dei Vini di Romagna passes through the historic centre.

Ravenna

Piacenza

Western edge of the region, gateway to the Colli Piacentini valleys and Gutturnio.

Piacenza opens onto four wine valleys (Tidone, Trebbia, Nure, Arda) that produce Gutturnio, Ortrugo, Malvasia di Candia Aromatica and Bonarda Frizzante. The river Trebbia valley, in particular, is a sought-after summer escape for Milanese diners and offers an easy day's tasting between vineyard and trattoria. The city anchors the Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori dei Colli Piacentini.

Piacenza

Wineries to follow

Drei Donà – Tenuta La Palazza
Emilia Romagna · Forlì

Drei Donà – Tenuta La Palazza

The Counts Drei Donà family estate above Forlì, in the Predappio sub-zone of Romagna DOC. The only Emilia-Romagna winery currently in the Comitato Grandi Cru d'Italia, with a 23-hectare organic and biodynamic estate that ranges from single-vineyard Sangiovese (Vigna del Pruno, Notturno) to the first polyclonal Cabernet Sauvignon planted in Romagna (Magnificat).

0wines
Fattoria Zerbina
Emilia Romagna · Marzeno

Fattoria Zerbina

Marzeno hills outside Faenza, where Cristina Geminiani has run the family estate since 1987. Best known for Scacco Matto, a noble-rot Romagna Albana Passito DOCG with five Tre Bicchieri awards from Gambero Rosso, alongside Marzeno-cru Sangiovese under Romagna Sangiovese Superiore Riserva DOC.

0wines
Medici Ermete & Figli
Emilia Romagna · Reggio Emilia

Medici Ermete & Figli

Five-generation Lambrusco house at Gaida di Reggio Emilia, founded in 1890 and now farming about 80 organically certified hectares across Reggio Emilia and Modena. Best known for Lambrusco Concerto (Reggiano DOC), which holds seventeen consecutive Tre Bicchieri awards from Gambero Rosso, alongside Phermento (Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC) and the Unique metodo classico spumante. Equalitas-certified and home to a Tenuta La Rampata acetaia producing Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia DOP.

3wines From £12.49
Ronchi di Castelluccio
Emilia Romagna · Modigliana

Ronchi di Castelluccio

Founded in 1974 above Modigliana, Ronchi di Castelluccio pioneered single-vineyard zoning in Romagna. The Rametta brothers have run the estate since 2020, working nine ronchi for Sangiovese under the Romagna Sangiovese Modigliana DOC sub-zone and a 1974-planted Sauvignon Blanc bottled as Ronco del Re Colli di Faenza DOC.

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Tenuta Mara
Emilia Romagna · San Clemente

Tenuta Mara

Demeter-certified biodynamic estate above San Clemente in the Valconca, twelve kilometres inland from Rimini, focused on Sangiovese di Romagna. Founded in the early 2000s by entrepreneur Giordano Emendatori and named for his wife Mara, with a flagship MaraMia aged in three architecturally distinct cellars (Tinaia, Bottaia, Barricaia) and an on-site restaurant run by chef Antonio Palmisani.

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Azienda Agricola Tre Monti Est. 1972
Emilia Romagna · Imola

Azienda Agricola Tre Monti

Founded in 1972 by Sergio and Thea Navacchia and now run by sons David and Vittorio, with 55 organically certified hectares split between the cool Rio Sanguinario valley above Imola and a Forli ridge above the Ravenna plain that catches both Apennine fohn and Adriatic bora. Flagship Thea bottles a Romagna Sangiovese Superiore Riserva DOC, while Vitalba ferments Romagna Albana DOCG in Georgian qvevri.

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08 · Common Questions9

Ask the sommelier

Quick answers about Emilia Romagna. Numbers, denominations, food and what to start with.

Lambrusco. Sparkling red wines from Modena and Reggio Emilia (Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Modena and Reggiano DOC) make up the largest share of regional production. Romagna's Sangiovese DOC, Albana DOCG and Bologna's Pignoletto DOCG are the other key names.

Not necessarily. Modern Lambrusco runs from fully dry (secco) through off-dry (semisecco) to amabile and dolce. Lambrusco di Sorbara is most often dry, Grasparossa di Castelvetro can be dry or amabile, and the export-styled Lambrusco of the 1970s and 1980s gave the wine an undeserved reputation for being uniformly sweet. Look for secco on the label for the dry style.

Albana is the white grape behind Romagna Albana DOCG, the first Italian white granted DOCG status in 1987. It is bottled in four styles: secco (dry), amabile (off-dry), dolce (sweet) and passito (a dried-grape sweet wine of dried apricot, honey and saffron). Bertinoro and Oriolo dei Fichi are the two best-known sub-zones.

Gutturnio is a Colli Piacentini DOC blend of Barbera and Croatina (locally called Bonarda), bottled in three guises: a still Classico, a frizzante for everyday drinking, and a Superiore Riserva for ageing. The wine is named after the gutturnium, a Roman silver cup found near the Trebbia river.

Tuscan Sangiovese (Chianti, Brunello, Vino Nobile) tends to lead with cherry, leather and dust. Romagna Sangiovese, grown on the Adriatic side of the Apennines on heavier clay and the marine spungone of Bertinoro, is often a touch riper and rounder, with red plum, blood orange and savoury herbs. Modigliana and high-altitude Brisighella sub-zones now make wines that drink closer in style to cool-climate Tuscan reds.

Match the wine to the local cooking. Lambrusco di Sorbara cuts the richness of tortellini in brodo and prosciutto di Parma. Grasparossa di Castelvetro stands up to gnocco fritto, salumi and braised pork. Sangiovese di Romagna is the natural partner for tagliatelle al ragu and grilled meats, while Albana DOCG secco drinks well with piadina and squacquerone, and the passito closes a meal beside hard cheese or biscotti.

We currently list 31 wines from Emilia Romagna, starting from £8.48. Browse them all on our wines page.

We currently curate 7 active Emilia Romagna grape guides, including Lambrusco, Barbera, Bombino Bianco, Malvasia di Candia, Merlot, and more. This is an editorial selection, not the complete regional grape list.

Emilia Romagna is renowned for dishes including Cotoletta alla bolognese, Gnocco fritto, Lasagna, Torta Barozzi.

09 · Keep Exploring

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