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Sparkling Wines of Emilia-Romagna

Carl Silvestri • January 4, 2020

Fiorentini's Famous Famosa

Italians take no back seat when it comes to producing sparkling wines. Prosecco from the Veneto, is a popular low cost, high value wine known around the world. It is made from the Glera grape and produced via the Charmat method; meaning that the second fermentation occurs in a large vat. Franciacorta is Italy’s answer to Champagne. It is produced in Lombardy using the traditional method where the second fermentation occurs in the bottle. Like Champagne, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes are generally used.

Emilia Romagna is no stranger to sparkling wines either. The most famous, Lambrusco, was a very important export into the US back in the 80’s and now is exported around the world. The wines are located in the Emilia side of the region and is generally produced via the Charmat method. Some of the DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) classified regions producing Lambrusco include:

  • Emilia DOC
  • Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC 
  • Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC 
  • Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce DOC 
  • Modena DOC
  • Reggiano DOC

However, there are other sparkling wines being produced in the region. Pignoletto is a DOC region where you can find a Spumante wine using the Grechetto grape. It is a light wine typically served as an aperitif.

In Romagna, Dr. Fiorentini, a winemaker in Fiorli, makes an IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) wine he simply calls BVB. He uses the Charmat method and a very ancient grape called Famosa. It is a white aromatic grape similar in style to Moscato. It virtually disappeared in the twentieth century. With a little help from the University of Bologna, the grape staged a comeback of sorts and can be found growing on the countryside east of the city.  

Fiorentini wines are served at the Culinary Institute of Bologna and this wine tends to be one of the favorites. Sparkling wines go well with the foods of the regions as they tend to be a bit more fatty. Think prosciutto and mortadella. A visit to his winery is always fun as he loves to offer his philosophy on wine. And life!

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