Colli Bolognesi

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The landscape of the Colli con Frane e Calanchi presents, on the slopes and valley floor, a substrate formed by the so-called Argille Scagliose, a chaotically structured complex with inclusions of calcareous, arenaceous, and marly rocks.
• In the landscape of the Primi Colli, along the sub-Apennine margin in the north-western part of the area, the formations of the Argille Azzurre and Sabbie Gialle dating to the Pliocene–Pleistocene crop out, with ancient palaeosoils preserved on the gently sloping terraces.
• The landscape of the Contrafforti e Rupi is characterised by tabular or cliff-edged reliefs bordered by rocky faces, shaped from stratified Pliocene and epiligurian sandstones with subordinate marls and conglomerates.
• The zone has an elevation ranging from 100 to 550 metres above sea level, excludes any lowland areas, and enjoys a dry, sunny, and well-ventilated climate.
• Mean annual rainfall ranges from 800 mm in the upper plain to 1,200 mm in the higher hill zones, with mean temperatures between 14 °C and 12 °C in an inverse gradient to precipitation.

• The medieval treatise by Pier de' Crescenzi of 1300, Ruralium commordorum – libro XII, described the organoleptic characteristics of the wine then known as 'Grechetto gentile', the most widely produced and appreciated for its pleasantness and its lively golden froth.
• The Bologna statute of 1250 ordered the construction of the 'Strada dei vini' to transport safely towards Bologna the wines obtained from the hills lying to the south of the city.

• The hilly topography and the east-south-east exposure of the vineyards together create a ventilated, luminous environment with significant diurnal temperature variation, favourable to the vegetative and productive functions of the vine.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A0289
• Official trade body site — Consorzio Vini Colli Bolognesi