Emilia-Romagna

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Highly varied sedimentary lithotypes: arenaria, argille, calcare, gypsum, sand, and conglomerates.
• Predominantly subalkaline to alkaline soils, deep, with fine or moderately fine texture, distributed in complex mosaics.
• Plains ranging from 2 to 70 m a.s.l. with a continental climate (annual mean 14–16 °C, Winkler index ~2,400 degree-days); hillside zones follow a temperate sub-continental regime.
• Annual rainfall between 600 and 800 mm, concentrated in autumn; summer moisture deficit is moderated by relative humidity and deep soils.
• Alluvial plain soils rich in pebbles and silt, well-draining, refreshed hydrologically by Apennine rivers and torrents.

• Viticulture of Roman origin: vine rows were married to living trees in the Etruscan tradition, yielding a sparkling and 'albano' (golden-hued) wine.
• The traditional 'alberate' training system evolved toward a permanent cordone speronato with drooping canes; secondary fermentation transitioned from bottle refermentation to the metodo Martinotti-Charmat.

• Frizzante and spumante styles: moderately aromatic, fruity palate with pronounced acidity and bitter notes linked to argille and arenarie soils.
• Still hillside version: delicate white-flower bouquet, perceptible minerality, higher residual sugar and less pronounced acidity compared with plain-grown wines.

• Alluvial soils rich in pebbles and silt, with argille and arenarie, impart pronounced acidity and bitter nuances to the frizzante and spumante styles.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-02770
• Official trade body site — Consorzio Tutela Vini Emilia