Wine: Italy’s underdogs

Move over, Riunite, said Talia Baiocchi in the San Francisco Chronicle. Though Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region is home to such gastronomical capitals as Parma and Bologna, it’s been known in the wine world mostly for its “fizzy” red Lambruscos, including mass-produced Riunite. That’s changing, as new wineries have explored what else the terroir is capable of, often following a local tradition of creating whites tinted by extended contact with grape skins. Here are a few bottles that hint of great things to come.

2006 La Stoppa Ageno Emilia IGT White ($40). “One of the most unique skin-contact wines on the market,” this white has “aromas of burnt orange peel, wildflower, and tea.”

2007 Alberto Tedeschi Spungola Bellaria Emilia Pignoletto ($20). A “mineral-driven powerhouse,” with “notes of citrus oil and smoke.”

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2009 Castello di Luzzano Colli Piacentini Tasto di Seta ($15). A “high-toned” white malvasia, “with notes of white flowers, tropical fruit, and smoke.”