Feature

Wine: Italy’s underdogs

Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region is known for its “fizzy” red Lambruscos, but new wineries are trying to find out what else the terroir is capable of.

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.”

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

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