Emilia-Romagna: Chomping at the Bit

BY ERIC GUIDO | MAY 20, 2025

It has to happen. It can only be so long before efforts yield results and perceptions change—so long before the research into soils, clones and farming carried out by a dedicated group of forward-thinking winemakers starts to pay off—so long before the mapping and establishment of UGAs and the wave of modernization that has swept through the region is noticed. Emilia-Romagna is poised to take a prominent place on the world stage, but will consumers embrace these unique Sangioveses and deep, complex Lambruscos? Only time will tell, but I know for sure that readers willing to take the plunge and experiment will be drinking very well. 

A Sangiovese Like No Other

Sangiovese in Romagna has a distinctive character that sets it apart from the more familiar Sangioveses found throughout Tuscany. This has been a double-edged sword for the region. It has only been in the last 10 to 15 years that the combination of climate change with an influx of progressive winemakers has begun to yield wines that impress international palates. With that said, the history of Sangiovese in Romagna goes as far, if not further back, than their neighbors in Tuscany (this point is often argued between the two regions). However, the woodsy, often herbal character and rounder fruit profile of Romagna Sangiovese—the result of Emilia-Romagna’s terroir and an array of different clones—usually renders it unidentifiable to an untrained or inexperienced palate. Romagna Sangiovese (or Sangioveto dal Cannello Piccolo, which originated in Predappio) is distinguished by its smaller bunches and berries, thicker skins and dark, almost black color.

An eclectic mix of Emilia-Romagna Sangiovese.

Francesco Bordini, winemaker at Villa Papiano and consultant for the highly regarded wines of Ronchi di Castelluccio and Mutiliana in the subzone of Modigliana, offered, “Through most of the 1990s, consultants and winemakers were treating Romagna Sangiovese the same as Sangiovese from Tuscany, using more extraction and extended time in small barrels. It was only when we realized that our Sangiovese required a softer touch that we were able to make better wines.” His words rang true as I tasted through the Ronchi di Castelluccio portfolio. This is the most historic estate in Modigliana, with wines from the 1970s that are still drinking beautifully today. However, the wines made in the 1990s and 2000s bear overt wood inflections and unbalanced tannins. At that time, famed oenologist Vittorio Fiore made the wines using the experience he gained and techniques he practiced in Tuscany. The wines were often flashy upon release but have not matured evenly. Sadly, many other wineries in Emilia-Romagna still use those heavy-handed methods. These portfolios stick out like a sore thumb and exemplify why Romagna Sangiovese hasn’t reached its potential worldwide.

Alternatively, the use of concrete, steel, neutral barrels and larger-format barrels allows for a much clearer interpretation of Romagna's unique Sangiovese clone. Chiara Condello, of her own namesake winery and Condé (her family's historic estate), came to the same realization as she began developing her terroir-focused portfolio 10 years ago. Condello’s wines made a big splash internationally and continue to be some of the finest examples coming out of Romagna today. Condello’s gentle approach to extraction and fermentation, plus long aging in large 35-hectoliter casks, allows her to communicate regional flavor and varietal typicity in a package that consumers find widely appealing. The Condé portfolio has also fallen in step as Condello has slowly integrated her techniques into the winemaking there as well.

Chiara Condello describing the differences between Sangiovese clones in her Le Lucciole vineyard in Predappio.

Sadly, despite unique and exceptional terroir, the quality disparity in the region’s wines is undeniable. Consumers can’t blindly buy wines in the market and feel assured of a good product. Romagna remains very producer-specific, and only a few of these producers have made a significant impact outside of Italy.

Areas of Note

Predappio is ripe with potential. Soils here were created by an ancient sea that receded, leaving behind a mix of marine sediments, referred to in Romagna as spungone. These porous, calcareous sandstones are inlaid with seashells, coral and petrified marine life. They litter the vineyards amongst a mix of clay and sand and are believed to be the reason behind the minerality and vertical lift in the wines. The question remains: When will we see a dramatic increase in fine wine from the area? There has been outside interest in Predappio from other parts of Romagna, a good example being Villa Papiano with their single-vineyard wine, Pré, yet there’s little other attention being paid to the region.

Left: Friable sandstone in Modigliana. Right: A tiny fragment of spungone. These stones can be the size of boulders.

Modigliana is another area with excellent prospects and more focus from the region's producers. Modigliana consists of three valleys in the extreme southeast of Romagna. It is heavily influenced by the sea to the east and the Apennines to the west, with the border of Tuscany just a few kilometers away. The town of Modigliana sits at an elevation of 180 meters, but the vineyards average between 300 to 500 meters as they run up and along the valley walls. The soils are quite similar to Lamole in Chianti Classico, with a large amount of sandstone mixed with marl. In Modigliana, forests that surround the vineyards. These thick, lush woodlands lend a cooling influence throughout the hot summer months. Many winemakers in the area claim that global warming has helped them significantly over the past decade, as it was challenging to achieve physiological ripeness in the past. Just over the last five years, I’ve noticed a significant surge in quality here. The wines are pure and complex, and they speak of terroir above all else. One of the portfolios that I find most illustrative of the region’s characteristics comes from Mutiliana, which has a bottling from each of the three valleys.

Podere La Berta's Sangiovese vineyards in Brisighella.

Beyond Sangiovese

It’s easy to get caught up in Sangiovese, but Emilia-Romagna is actually one of Italy’s most diverse regions. Emilia-Romagna ranks as the third-largest wine-producing region in the country, following Puglia and Veneto, which can mainly be attributed to its long-standing dominance in the Lambrusco category. While this article covers only a small amount of Lambrusco, I include the majority of reviews from this category in my annual Italian sparkling wine report. Emilia has seen a surge in high-quality Lambrusco from smaller producers made in a range of styles, from Secco (dry) to Amabile (semisweet) to Dolce (sweet). Today, many of these wines are artisanal products made in smaller batches or created using Metodo Classico (Champenoise Method). A well-made Lambrusco is not only the ultimate food-pairing wine but also a wine of meditation. I urge readers to put aside preconceptions of large-production, sometimes cloying and often sticky-sweet Lambrusco and delve into the wines featured here. As a function of Lambrusco’s success, there are also several unique sparkling wines in Emilia-Romagna, such as Ortrugo dei Colli Piacentini. These wines, made from the Ortugo grape, hail from the northwest of the region where Emilia borders Lombardy. These wines are quite distinct from Lambrusco and are typically made in a style best described as Brut. 

Emerging from the Piacenza region, one of my favorite categories of Emilia-Romagna wine is Gutturnio. These wines once fell under the subzone of Colli Piacentini Gutturnio until 2010, when they received their own DOC. Gutturnio wines are made from a blend of Barbera and Croatina (Bonarda). They are spicy and energetic, more herbal and balsamic than the Barberas found in neighboring Piedmont. These wines are extremely food-friendly and represent a significant value. La Stoppa produces wines of a similar character but are located outside of any defining DOC. Their winery and vineyards are located in the Trebbiolo Valley in the foothills of Piacenza. La Stoppa continues to push the boundaries of Emilia-Romagna wine, following a strict, traditional and unabashedly natural path. Their Camporomano (Barbera) is always one of the best reds in the region, but the Ageno (primarily Malvasia di Candia) steals the show. The Ageno firmly fits into the orange wine category, yet it’s pure and clean—think Gravner Ribolla without the glycerol richness.

Albana vineyards and the Tre Monti winery located in the hills of Imola.

Readers will also find a good amount of Trebbiano and a recent surge in Sauvignon Blanc from Emilia-Romagna, but for my tastes, the best whites here are made from the Albana grape. There was a time when Albana was overproduced and yielded wines rich in residual sugar. The variety yields naturally large bunches that ripen easily, so the challenge is to limit production and resist the urge to take advantage of Albana’s high yields. Today, Albana made in a dry style, from the likes of Ancarani, Podere La Berta, and Tre Monti, delivers a mix of perfume and purity with weighty textures. That said, I also highly recommend checking out Podere La Berta’s Albana Passito, a dessert wine that impresses year after year. 

Hell Hath No Fury Like Mother Nature Scorned: The 2023 Vintage

The 2023s from Emilia-Romagna are lifted, finessed and perfumed wines with lower-than-average alcohol, but they also lack concentration. The 2023 vintage was defined by extreme weather challenges, primarily a catastrophic deluge in mid-May. Following a warm winter and an average budbreak, an unprecedented week of rainfall equivalent to a year's average (600 millimeters of rain in two days) triggered landslides, road closures and flooding while severely disrupting vineyard access. Combined with ongoing overcast and rainy conditions through June, the region suffered a severe onset of downy mildew. Many producers were left without options, as tractors could not enter the vineyards to apply treatments. This resulted in drastic yield reductions, with Albana and Sangiovese experiencing losses of up to 70%. While the subsequent summer brought drier weather and warm conditions, the damage had already been done, and winemakers were concerned that the remaining fruit would not reach balanced maturity throughout the bunches. Severe selection was necessary to obtain healthy fruit. Many wineries chose not to bottle their single-vineyard and prestige wines, instead using their best fruit to bolster their flagship bottling.

I tasted the wines for this report in our New York City offices in March 2025.

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