Sangiovese di Romagna wines, copyright BKWine Photography
BKWine Photography
Romagna is the eastern part of the Italian region Emilia-Romagna. The region is famous for its gastronomy, with Parmigiano Reggiano (“parmesan” cheese), Parma ham, mortadella, balsamic vinegar (balsamico) from Modena and many others. Today, Romagna, the eastern part of Emilia-Romagna, is carving out its own separate wine identity based on a white wine and a red wine, the white albana and the red sangiovese. Here’s your guide to finding some of the wine treasures of this Italian region on the Adriatic Sea.
The Romana wine region has around 28,000 hectares, about the same size as Burgundy (excluding Beaujolais) or Champagne, or half the size of Rioja.
Albana DOCG
Romagna has one DOCG (denominazione di origine controllata e garantita), the top level of the Italian wine classification system: the white Albana DOCG (or Albana di Romagna). It is said it was the first white DOCG in Italy, which may be true, although the first DOC (later elevated to DOCG) was Vernaccia di San Gimignano. It really doesn’t matter; it’s a wine with a long history. Albana DOCG must be made from at least 95% albana and can be produced in a variety of styles: amabile, dolce, passito, and passito riserva. But the most prominent wines are still and dry.
Albana is a small appellation with only just under 800 hectares of vineyards, which is unfortunate since the wines are so delicious and savoury. It is sad to see the evolution of the albana plantings (considering the quality of the wines): in 1970 they had 7418 hectares, in 2010 there was 1522 ha, and today only 768 ha. The wines have impressed me, so I hope the downward trend will be reversed!
Vigna Rocca Abana di Romagna Secco, Tre Monti, copyright BKWine Photography
BKWine Photography
Traditionally, the wine was made with skin maceration and with an oxidative winemaking. This style still exists, and is thus not a fad generated by the popularity of “orange” wine (skin-macerated white wines). But today you find them in all styles, steely dry and fresh to botrytised. Generally, they have a deep colour.
If one tries to summarise the albana whites, it is wines with a significant amount of substance. Ranging from quite light, uncomplicated and fresh to much, much more substantial. In general, a good structure and body (what we call “structure wines” rather than aroma wines) with a little bit of tannins. Most have some “grape skin feeling”—hints of tannins, that some call saltiness, or astringency, which gives them a lot of freshness—even if they have not had any maceration. In general, plenty of character for a white.
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