Romagna/emilia">Emilia-Romagna is a Rich and fertile region in Northern Italy, and one of the country's most prolific wine-producing regions, with over 58,000 hectares (143,320 acres) of vines in 2010. It is 240 kilometers (150 miles) wide and stretches across almost the entire northern Italian peninsula, sandwiched between Tuscany to the South, Lombardy and Veneto to the north and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Nine miles of Liguria is all that separates Emilia-Romagna from the Ligurian Sea, and its uniqueness as the only Italian region with both an east and west coast. Emilia-Romagna's wine-growing heritage dates back to the seventh century BC, making it one of the oldest wine-growing regions in Italy.
Vines were introduced here by the Etruscans and then adopted by the Romans, who used the Via Aemilia (after which the region is named) to transport wine between towns. The Grape varieties used here for many centuries were of the Vitis labrusca species rather than the Vitis vinifera used worldwide today. The famous Lambrusco varieties of Emilia Romagna are derived from the Vitis labrusca species. Today, about 15 percent of the wine produced in Emilia-Romagna comes from the region's 20 or so DOCs, and only a tiny fraction from its two DOCGs (Albana di Romagna and Colli Bolognesi Classico Pignoletto).
A very old vine cultivated in the northwest of Italy, in Piedmont to be precise (provinces of Asti and Allessandria). For a long time it was confused with a large number of other Italian grape varieties, which explains why the latter still bear the synonym "brachetto". It is said to be related to the Muscat à petits grains blancs, to be continued! Note that Brachet, known in the Nice region (Alpes maritimes), is not related to Brachetto. Brachetto can be found in Argentina, Italy, etc. It is virtually unknown in France.
sparkling wines from the region of Émilie-Romagne go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or mature and hard cheese such as recipes of rougail sausage, tunisian bricks or gratin of fresh chard (green and ribs).
On the nose in the region of Émilie-Romagne often reveals types of flavors of strawberries, red fruit or microbio and sometimes also flavors of tree fruit, non oak or oak.
Rhône 2021 en primeur vintage rating: Northern Rhône: 2.5/5 Consistently excellent white wines, but reds very mixed due to severe frost and a mild, rainy season. Some are weak and green, others very good in a fresh and structured style. Southern Rhône: 2/5 Fresh, bright, intense white wines throughout the region. A hard frost reduced yields and produced a fragile harvest for reds. Quality is mixed; many wines lack ripeness, but there are some very good wines in a lean, fresh style with relativel ...
My book The Complete Bordeaux, which has been revised every five years, is soon to be published in its fourth edition. This may seem like excessive haste, given the scope of the book, but it is astonishing how rapidly changes can take place in the region. Burgundy, in contrast, is relatively stable, since most properties are family-owned and tend to stay that way. But not so in Bordeaux, where there are ample opportunities for newcomers to acquire established properties, as they have been doing ...
Torres is best known for producing wines across Spanish regions including Catalunya, Rioja and Ribera del Duero. It also has an international presence with Miguel Torres in Chile and Marimar in Sonoma, California, but for more than a decade it has been producing wines in Galicia too. This aspect of its portfolio started with the purchase of a 6ha vineyard in the Salnés subregion, producing the upmarket wine Blanco Granito based on Rías Baixas’ star variety, Albariño. The wine is made from a uniq ...
