Emilia-Romagna: Opposite Ends of the Spectrum

BY ERIC GUIDO | MARCH 16, 2023

It is hard to think of another region in Italy that appears as fragmented as Emilia-Romagna. Even Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with its diverse mix of cultures from Italian to Slavic and Austrian and borders that have changed multiple times in the past 100 years, still feels more unified. In Emilia-Romagna, food, culture and landscapes change drastically from east to west. This makes sense, considering it spans the entire northern Italian peninsula, with only a small swath of Liguria cutting it off from the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Apennine Mountains define its borders to the south and the Po River to the north. In the northwest, the Colli Piacentini, or Hills of Piacenza, share their borders with Oltrepò Pavese in Lombardia. Colli Piacentini is also home to the Gutturnio DOC, where we find Barbera blended with Bonarda (otherwise known as Croatina). From there, the vast plains north of Reggio and Modena, which produce Lambrusco, make up the bulk of Emilia’s wine production. Things transform drastically, moving east and south from the city of Bologna. Here we are in the foothills of the Apennines, with the Adriatic Sea only miles away, where alluvial soils change to a mix of clay, sandstone and rock. Elevations rise, and a combination of continental and Mediterranean influence creates the perfect environment for Romagna Sangiovese. 

Looking out across Modigliana toward the Apennines and Tuscany.

Trial and Tribulations of Romagna Sangiovese

Top producers of Romagna Sangiovese are starting to receive the attention they deserve. A small group of wineries has recently entered international markets with wines from superior terroirs, expert winemaking and the willingness to show the wines. They have placed Romagna back on the Italian wine map. Hopefully, other wineries in the region will realize their land's potential through the accomplishments of their neighbors and catch up.

Wineries from Romagna display such a disparity of quality from portfolio to portfolio. For many years, most producers were set in their ways and settled for the status quo, making passable wines using antiquated methods in the vineyards and cellars. Often, there wasn’t a proper focus on the health of the vines and soils, instead producers choose to “fix” wines in the cellar or cover up inferior fruit with new oak. Add to this a reluctance to travel and explore what the best winemakers are attaining outside Italy. Lastly, there’s the learning curve of dealing with global warming. It will take time, practice, effort and sacrifice for the region to succeed. 

The Sangiovese of Romagna is very different from its Tuscan counterpart. It’s rounder and fruitier, with an herbal spiciness that sets it apart. This is not just the result of terroir but often of different clones. The Sangiovese of Romagna (or Sangioveto dal Cannello Piccolo, which originated in Predappio) is distinguished by its smaller bunches and berries, thicker skins and dark, almost black color. 

Putting the location of Romagna’s wine-producing regions into context helps to understand why Sangiovese thrives here. While standing at a high lookout point off the side of a mountain road, Francesco Bordini of Villa Papiano pointed out across the valleys that formed Modigliana and said, “Do you see that ridge? That’s Tuscany.” We stood there staring deeply into the Apennine mountains, yet it was easy to visualize the Tuscan landscape on the opposite side. The prized vineyards of Romagna Sangiovese are positioned across a series of valleys and foothills that run across the spine of the Apennines, with Tuscany to its south and west and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Elevations can drastically change here, ranging from as low as 100 meters up to 600 meters. The soil further sets it apart. The sea that covered most of the region in ancient times receded, leaving a mix of marine sediments, referred to in Romagna as spungone. It’s a porous calcareous sandstone inlaid with seashells, coral and petrified marine life. In some vineyards, these large stones lay at the top of clay and sand soil.