📍 Emilia
The western part, home of sparkling red Lambrusco.
Emilia is the western part of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, with the cities of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma and Piacenza. It covers the plain of the Po and the first foothills of the Apennines. The area is known for food, such as Parma ham, Parmesan and balsamic vinegar, and for wine that goes well with it.
The main wine of Emilia is Lambrusco, a light red, often sparkling or lightly fizzy. Several Lambrusco grapes grow here, each with its own home: Sorbara, Salamino di Santa Croce, Grasparossa di Castelvetro. The wine is bright, dry or off-dry, with a scent of berries and violets. It is served chilled with fatty meat dishes.
On the hills of Piacenza, Gutturnio is made from Barbera and Croatina, along with Ortrugo. Around Scandiano and Canossa grows Malvasia di Candia Aromatica. The hills of Bologna are known for sparkling Pignoletto. There are also white wines from Trebbiano.
For comparison with its neighbours: to the east lies Romagna, where the main grape is Sangiovese along with white Albana, to the north the region borders Lombardy, and to the south Tuscany and Liguria.
How it connects to Wine
📍 Emilia → → → 🍷 Still wine → kind of → 🍷 Types of wine → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 📍 Emilia-Romagna
- Related to
- Italy: 📜 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, 📜 Lambrusco di Sorbara, 📜 Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, 📜 Modena, 📜 Ortrugo dei Colli Piacentini, 📜 Reggiano, 📜 Terre di Veleja, 📜 Castelfranco Emilia, 📜 Colli Bolognesi, 📜 Colli Piacentini
and 7 more
📜 Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa, 📜 Reno, 📜 Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto, 📜 Colli di Parma, 📜 Fortana del Taro, 📜 Gutturnio, 📜 Val Tidone
🍷 Still wine, 🍷 Semi-sparkling wine, 🍷 Sparkling wine - Wines
- 🍷 Red wine, 🍷 White wine, 🍷 Rosé
Frequently asked questions
What is Lambrusco?
A light red wine of Emilia, often sparkling or lightly fizzy. It is served chilled with rich food.
What wines are made on the Piacenza hills?
Gutturnio from Barbera and Croatina, and the white Ortrugo.
How does Emilia differ from Romagna?
Emilia is the western part of the region with Lambrusco; Romagna is the eastern one, where Sangiovese is the main grape.
What to read next
- 📜 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro — Italian PDO sparkling and semi-sparkling red and rosé wines from Castelvetro and the Modena area.
- 🍷 Red wine — Wine from dark grapes that ferments with the skins and takes its colour from them.
- 🍷 Still wine — Wine without noticeable bubbles: EU category 1, at least 8.5–9 % actual alcohol and no more than 15 % total; red, white, rosé or orange.
- 📜 Lambrusco di Sorbara — A pale, fresh sparkling Lambrusco from the plain north of Modena.
- 📜 Colli Bolognesi — Wines of the hills south-west of Bologna.
Similar
📍 Romagna · 📜 Meuse Valley Limburg · 📜 Bosco Eliceo · 📜 Modena · 📜 Reggiano · 📜 Heuvelland wine
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.
What it includes
Sources
- Ministero dell'agricoltura (MASAF)
- eAmbrosia – EU geographical indications register
- eAmbrosia – EU geographical indications register