📍 Emilia-Romagna

Emilia-Romagna is a region in the north of Italy between the river Po, the Apennines and the Adriatic Sea, and a wine region of two parts: Emilia in the west and Romagna in the east. According to the official list of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture (March 2026), which matches the EU eAmbrosia register, it has 21 designations of origin — 2 DOCG and 19 DOC. Another 9 wines hold IGT status, including IGT Emilia.

Emilia makes Lambrusco. Three DOCs carry grape names: Lambrusco di Sorbara, with at least 60% of the Lambrusco di Sorbara grape, and Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro and Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, with at least 85% of the corresponding variety. These designations are only for sparkling and semi-sparkling wines.

Romagna has the Romagna DOC: Romagna Sangiovese contains at least 85% Sangiovese. The white Romagna Albana — at least 95% Albana — became a DOC in 1967 and a DOCG in 1987. The region's second DOCG is Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto (DOCG since 2010; until 2023 “Colli Bolognesi Classico Pignoletto”): the main grape is Pignoletto, also known as Grechetto gentile, with no more than 15% of other white varieties.

The youngest designation is the «Emilia-Romagna» DOC, approved in the EU in December 2023. These are wines from at least 85% Pignoletto: still, semi-sparkling, sparkling, passito and late harvest.

Why it matters to you. The word frizzante on Lambrusco means a semi-sparkling wine with light bubbles, and spumante a sparkling one. A grape name in the designation — Sorbara, Grasparossa, Salamino, Albana — shows the backbone of the wine. Every DOCG bottle carries a state control strip with a series and number.