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Importers of Fine Wines Since 1919 | Resources for the Trade |
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Emilia-Romagna, Marches, Umbria
Riunite Lambrusco is the number one imported Italian wine to the USA—a tribute to an ancient grape of noble parentage that still has pop culture in the 21st century! The eastern section of Romagna is home to Italy’s first DOCG wine: Albana di Romagna. It is made from the white Albana grape. This is a high acid white with carbonized minerality and a toasted almond finish. Marches, lying just below Emilia-Romagna on Italy’s east coast, is a mountainous area with rolling foothills. It makes Verdicchio, a light white with citrus accents and Rosso Conero, a soft red with flavors of sun-dried cranberries and a pinch of cinnamon. Kicking inland on the boot, so to speak, is Umbria, one of Italy’s two land-locked wine regions. It makes Orvieto, a delightful white primarily comprised of Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes and two DOCG reds: Sagrantino di Montefalco and Torgiano Rosso Riserva. Sagrantino di Montefalco is made from the Sagrantino grape with a little white Trebbiano tossed into the blend. Torgiano Rosso Riserva is primarily a Sangiovese/Canaiolo Nero mix. The Sagrantino is jammy with sun-dried cherry fruit and the heady aromas of sun-baked adobe clay. The Torgiano tastes of Bing cherries and dried orange peel. The white Orvieto is a firm composite of toasted nuts and minerals. Tuscany—Home of Chianti and Castello Banfi
The original “formula” was developed back in the mid-1800s by the “iron baron” Ricasoli and was comprised of red grapes, Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino and two white, Trebbiano and Malvasia. The white grapes were added to soften the “tannic” reds. Although Chianti can now be made as a 100 percent Sangiovese, many producers still opt to include other grapes to craft a blend. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
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Emilia-Romagna is famous for parmigiano, proscuitto tradizionale, and balsamic vinegar. Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG, a red sparkling wine made in Marches, comes in both dry and sweet versions. Rosso Piceno also hails from Marches. Like Rosso Conero, it is a Montepulciano/Sangiovese blend, but the percentages are slightly different. Rosso Picino can contain anywhere between 30-50 percent Sangiovese; Rosso Conero can only use up to 15 percent Sangiovese.
Le Marche (Marches) is most famous for its “white” lasagna called Vincigrassi. Ribbons of pasta are alternately layered with a cream sauce of meat, chicken livers and truffles.
Orvieto can be made in dry (secco), or off-dry (abbocatto/amabile) styles. Grechetto, Drupeggio, and Verdello are other white grapes often incorporated into the Orvieto blend. There are eight different Chianti DOCGs: Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Montalbano, and Rufina. These DOCGs represent different zones of production within the larger Chianti region itself. In Chianti, “superiore” means that the wine was made from vineyards with more restricted yields and that the wine possesses a minimum of 12% alcohol. There are rules that govern the Chianti blend. If blended, regular Chianti, or Chianti normale must contain 75-100 percent Sangiovese plus:
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Emilia-Romagna is large wine producer. Its western section, Emilia, is famous for Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine that is refreshing with notes of fruit and dusty cocoa. It can be vinted into a dry wine or finished with a little residual sugar.
The Lambrusco grape is believed to have grown wild on the Italian peninsula and was the first vine “domesticated” by the Etruscans, a people who inhabited Italy long before Rome became an empire. Today, its principal growing areas are the broad plains around the towns of Parma, Reggio, and Modena.
Tuscany is almost synonymous with Chianti, a Sangiovese-based red blend. In fact, Chianti is Italy’s most widely distributed and most widely recognized wine product. The production zone lies all around the cities of Florence and Siena with the historic “classico” zone located exactly between the two.
Umbria is known for its mushrooms—porcini and truffles, wild boar, and Perugina chocolates—specifically their hazelnut “baci” or kisses.