v i n o t o u r - Turismo del vino

	*Tasting*

"Romagna Sangiovese is meeting with increasing success, and should no longer be considered inferior to Sangiovese from Chianti or Montalcino. It is now clearly on a par. The wines differ from Tuscan interpretations, but are still top-drawer offerings that have nothing to fear from comparison with their cousins across the Apennines. ....... As we were tasting these wines, we realized that the variety takes on distinctive features in different parts of Romagna, which is a large region. We are keen to emphasize these differences in territory because we are convinced it is time to stop talking about Sangiovese di Romagna generically, and to start referring to the Sangiovese "terroirs" of Romagna".

(from "Italianwines 2005" by Gambero Rosso / Slow Food Editore)

Important wines and good cuisine.
To get to know our wines you can visit the «Cà de Bé» (House of Wine) in Bertinoro, Predappio Alta and Ravenna, or enjoy your tasting at the Enoteca Regionale located in the Castle of the little town of Dozza.

Naturally we are very proud of our oldest vine, the Sangiovese: you certainly are aware that many of the most celebrated wines, i.e. Chianti and Vino Nobile, not mentioning Brunello, are produced from Sangiovese!

The Sangiovese of Romagna, whether blended or not with Cabernet Sauvignon, thanks to an attentive selection of varietals, has been revealed as one of the most interesting Italian wines.

From the hills surrounding Rimini north to Faenza, across Cesena and Forlì vineyards, no other area can offer so many opportunities of buying great wines at such competitive prices.

It must be pointed out that, like in some other parts of Italy, a few wines have gained fame outside the DOC: for example the "Borgo dei Guidi", the "Bron & Rusèval", the "Magni- ficat", the "Marzieno" and the "Mito".

Our region is well known for its good cuisine, especially for pastas; we’re also proud of producing a couple of delicacies you will certainly appreciate: the EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL from Brisighella and the FORMAGGIO di FOSSA (PIT CHEESE) from the village of Sogliano al Rubicone. They really deserve a visit, but hurry up: since the demand is very great indeed, they won’t be available for a long time!

What's never missing on our table is piadina, the most traditional speciality of Romagna: it's a sort of unleavened flat bread, perfect for a bite when filled with salami, ham or cheese. At lunch or dinner our tradition suggests tagliatelle, cappelletti, strozzapreti, passatelli as first dishes; then either fish from the Adriatic sea or mixed grill, with the right wine. As desserts, beside the typical ones related to certain feasts: castagnole and frappe at Carnival, pagnotta pasquale at Easter, we recommend zuppa inglese, ciambella and the very traditional savòr, a sort of compote made of grape, apples, quinces, pears, dried fruits, almonds and sugar; albana passito DOCG to go with, of course.

White Wines of Romagna
ALBANA
The first Italian white wine to be granted the DOCG; the best comes from the vineyards around the little town of Bertinoro. (Get someone to tell you the story of this name, involving the Byzantine Princess Galla Placidia).

PAGADEBIT (Debt payer)
A name as curious as its origin: by selling these grapes, very resistant to cold and diseases, therefore always productive, the farmers were once able to pay off their debts.

TREBBIANO
Well known since roman times, during the vintage the vineyard colours offer a wonderful sight, especially if you happen to be among the grapes of the "Trebbiano della Fiamma" (Flaming Trebbiano).

Red Wines of Romagna
SANGIOVESE
We romagnoli, once known as rabidly anticlerical persons, venerate Saint Jovese: in both varieties, big or little berries, he made the miracle of making the Wines of Romagna revive.

CAGNINA
A red and sweet still wine is rather an uncommon feature in the Italian wine outline; it's the first one to get on our tables (we usually drink it to go with roast chestnuts) and it hardly outlives spring.

D.O.C. and D.O.C.G.
Vini di Romagna, Bosco Eliceo, Colli di Faenza, Colli d'Imola, Colli di Rimini, Colli della Romagna Centrale.