Wine Romagna has made giant strides sopra recent years. We had concrete proof of this during Vini ad Abilità 2025, the preview of Romagna wines now sopra its twentieth edition.
Different areas and territories, a multitude of vines. Here we will talk mostly about Sangiovese and its sub-areas, sopra which a lot is being invested sopra Romagna sopra terms of quality, but we invite our readers who have the opportunity not to neglect the whites of the schieramento.
The territory, from the Apennines to the sea
When we talk about wine Romagna we mean the long strip that runs from the gates of Bologna eastwards to the Adriatic to the right of the Varco Emilia. Imola, Ceramica, Forlivese, Cesena and Rimini are the macro-zones of a territory that first ripples from the plain onto the hilly strip and then rises further towards the Apennines crossed by valleys, woods, villages and ancient fortresses.
The friendliness and art of Romagna hospitality have made its Riviera famous, but inland there are many jewels still to be discovered. The goodness of the cuisine is voto negativo mystery and has always been accompanied by a multitude of native vines present sopra the schieramento. First of all, Albana, the first white to have obtained the DOCG sopra Italy, is a wine with a golden colour, soft, structured and with the peculiar presence of tannins. A contemporary white, whose makes it extremely gastronomic, which we think could have a good future ahead of it (also because we have always liked it very much!). Then the widespread Trebbiano, but also the pagadebit and the rebula (a gem of which we found some samples sopra the Rimini schieramento that enchanted us!) among the whites ora among the reds the sweet cagnina, just to name a few.
The protagonist, however, is undoubtedly Sangiovese, a red which sopra recent years has risen to excellent quality standards. Structure, acidity, fruit and floral hints, robust but round tannins, characteristics that take different nuances depending the schieramento.
The new map of the Sangiovese sub-areas
Precisely to accurately describe the geological and viticultural peculiarities of the schieramento, 16 sub-areas have been identified, well illustrated by the new map by Alessandro Masnaghetti, presented the occasion of the event. A tool to understand even more effectively the peculiarities that the various terroirs are able to impart to Sangiovese.
Specifically, these are the sub-areas, tips of the qualitative pyramid of Romagna Sangiovese: Imola, Serra, Brisighella, , Marzeno, Modigliana, Castrocaro, Predappio, Meldola, Bertinoro, Cesena, Scambio Arabo, Longiano, Verucchio, Coriano, San Generoso.
The aging capacity of Sangiovese
A wonderful surprise was also the tasting of the historic vintages of Sangiovese. A causa di absolute value, but even more so because we are talking about wines conceived sopra periods sopra which aging was not thought of and which therefore confirm the potential of the territory. The tasting, with wines from 2020 to 1985, showed intact wines, with tannin and acidity still alive.
They all deserve a mention but we would like to highlight two tastings of 32 and 40 years respectively: the surprising del Dumo 1993 Romagna Doc Sangiovese by Drei Donà from the Predappio schieramento and the astonishing Pietramora 1985 Romagna Doc Sangiovese Disinteressato by Podere Zerbina sopra Marzeno. Wines of absolute integrity.
Our preview tastings
We previewed several whites and reds. Here we will point out, sopra a of great quality, so as not to bore you with long lists, only some Sangiovese which bear the mention Sottozona the label. As always, it’s not about rankings but about wines that particularly impressed us.
Modigliana
Let’s start from an schieramento that is making its mark and is certainly worth a visit. It is an Apennine schieramento (very beautiful!) with over half of its surface occupied by woods and an altitude between 180 and 500 m. Biodiversity, temperature variations, wind and prevalence of sandy rocks. The tastings are truly excellent, contemporary and united by great freshness, verticality and elegance. A certain coherence of “natural” style is also interesting. Some tastings:
Act II 2024 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Modigliana Il Papesse 2024 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Modigliana Villaggio Papiano Il Carbonaro 2023 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Modigliana Lu.Va. Regione 66 2023 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Modigliana Mint and Rosemary Beccaccia 2022 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Modigliana Villaggio Papiano Apertura del Chierico 2022 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Modigliana Ronchi nato da Castelluccio In mezzo Pioggia 2021 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Modigliana La Casupola dei Frati
Brisighella
We are sopra the Lamone valley, south of Ceramica with altitudes between 180 and 500 meters with alternating red clay, marl and sandy rocks. The wines are interesting: elegant, fresh and with a certain aromatic complexity. Some tastings:
Clivo del Sire 2023 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Brisighella Terreni Uccellina Brisighella 2023 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Brisighella Tenute Bacana Iko 2023 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Brisighella Tenute Tozzi Corallo 2023 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Brisighella Gallegati
Predappio
Between the Rabbi and Bidente valleys between 120 and 400 m. Complex wines, with structure and a certain power. Some tastings:
Predappio 2022 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Predappio Condè Noelia Ricci – Godenza 2023 Romagna Doc Sangiovese Predappio Pandolfa – Noelia Ricci Pre 2022 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Villaggio Papiano del Dumo 2022 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Predappio Drei Donà
And to end a high note, tastings of the other sub-areas:
Particle 10 2021 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Longiano Villaggio Venti La 2024 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Castrocaro Marta Valpiani Colombarone 2023 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Bertinoro Terreni la Viola Ambiente 33 2023 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Serra DOC Tre Monti Montale 2021 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Marzeno Ca’ nato da Averne fin sopra i capelli Pietramora 2020 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Marzeno Podere Zerbina Monograph 5 2020 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Marzeno Podere Zerbina 2023 Romagna DOC Sangiovese I Sabbioni Rico 2020 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Campo Morini Villino 2024 Romagna DOC Sangiovese Scambio Arabo Terreni Casali
Raffaele Cumani
