Emilia- Romagna

Emilia- Romagna

Italian : Emilia- Romagna is one of the regions of Italy , is based on two historical regions : Emilia and Romagna . Populated by 4.4 million inhabitants and an area of 22,446 km2 , is located in Northern Italy and its capital is Bologna.

Emilia- Romagna is considered one of the richest and most developed in Europe. The area is also an important cultural and tourist center with the oldest university in the Western world , containing numerous Renaissance cities (such as Modena, Parma and Ferrara ) and many tourist resorts

Emilia- Romagna has two historically distinct areas : Emilia and Romagna . Emilia takes its name from the ancient Via Emilia built by the Roman consul Marcus Aemilius Lepidus . Romagna, Latin Romania , which is the word that the Romans used to describe the region near Ravenna .

Thereafter , the two areas until the unification of Italy follow an independent course of this historical geography . The northern region is now federated the Duchy of Parma created by Paul III in the fifteenth century , Ferrara and Modena are incorporated duchy while Bologna depends on the Papal States . Even after the Napoleonic wars , the territories are an individual course , Parma became a French department, other cities ( Modena , Bologna, Ferrara and Reggio ) Cispadane joining the Republic.

Emilia Romagna , as its name reveals composed , consists of two distinct areas which meet more or less the capital , Bologna. To the west lies Emilia , with its prosperous cities posed like jewels along the ancient Via Emilia Modena , Reggio , Parma, Fidenza , Fiorenzuola juqu'à Piacenza on the Po To the east of Bologna is the Romagna with the cities of Faenza , Forli , Cesena , Ferrara , Ravenna and Rimini resort on the Adriatic Sea.

The wines of Emilia Romagna may be considered less conventional than those of the north, in all respects different from those of its neighbors, a rather complacent but still individualistic style .

In Emilia , the main wine is Lambrusco , while sparkling shades of purple to pink , made from grapes grown in high trellises , mainly in the plains south of the Po Romagna wines are mostly from Sangiovese , Trebbiano and Albana , the variety that contributes to the first white DOCG Italy.

Lambrusco is produced in volume in the four areas DOCs around Modena and Reggio . Most of the Lambrusco shipped overseas is semi-sweet ( amabile ) or soft when it is consumed on site is dry, and not always from a DOC . Indeed, the authentic dry is considered perfectly with the rich regional cuisine , but it should be noted that few fans abroad had the opportunity to taste this wine in this style.

Even the hills of Emilia tend to foam . The vineyards in the foothills of the Apennines to the south, give festive white wines made from Malvasia and Trebbiano Ortugo and sour reds from Barbera and Bonarda . But there is a tendency in the DOCs areas Colli Piacentini , Colli Bolognesi and Colli di Parma make still wine and , in some way , seriously, from grape varieties such as Sauvignon , Chardonnay, Pinot , Barbera , Cabernet and Merlot . Natural conditions favor the wines depth and finesse, but the market seems to favor light weight.

In Romagna , the plains of the Po basin between Ferrara and Ravenna are known for fruits, vegetables and very productive vines , most of them as raw material to wine mixture. The hills south of Imola, Faenza , Forli , Cesena and Rimini are known for wines from local grape Albana , Sangiovese and Trebbiano all carry the name of Romagna .

Albana di Romagna , which appeared in 1987 as the first DOCG white wine in Italy is mostly dry and quiet with a back taste of almond and occasionally some complexity. The best expression of Albana is probably under the " raisin " form ( passerillé ) from partially dried grapes. Traditional versions , semisweet and bubbly , are usually consumed locally . The Trebbiano di Romagna , different from other varieties of the same name , is almost always light and fresh , whether still or sparkling , with a fragility that makes it better in his youth.

The preferred variety of Romagna 's Sangiovese , usually a robust red with a certain charm in its fruity aromas. But more and more producers of Sangiovese wines develop care deeper bouquet and aroma and a real capacity for successful aging .

In Romagna , the trends favor Sauvignon , Chardonnay, the Pinot and Cabernet . But many producers are making significant efforts to develop superior strains of Sangiovese and Albana , while showing a growing interest in local wines that are rare as DOCs Pagadebit white wine or red wine and Cagnina Bosco Eliceo Fortana .