The slash in the name hints at a tale of two different regions: Emilia and Romagna are politically united but culturally very different. Boundaries are hard to establish but locals will tell you that wine helps you understand where you are – if it’s sparkling, you are in Emilia. If it’s still, you have entered Romagna.

The cradle of Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, and iconic Italian recipes like lasagna and ragù bolognese, Emilia is a treasure trove of hearty culinary specialties, requiring bubbles to their counterbalance oiliness and creaminess. Luckily, the Lambrusco family of grapes, which thrives in the vast plains extending from the Adriatic coast to the northern Apennine, allows the production of sparkling red and rosè wine – either tank or bottle-fermented.

The cuisine of Romagna is only slightly lighter, mixing pork, beef and truffle from the Appennine and seafood from harbors along the most famous Italian riviera . Sangiovese crossed the border with Tuscany, and became the main red grape, giving still reds that have finally started showing complexity and refinement after having been simple and generic for several decades. The white grapes are more diversified: Trebbiano Romagnolo and Pagadebit supply gigantic wineries based in Romagna with large volumes of inexpensive bulk white, but the real star is Albana di Romagna, an extremely interesting – if little-known – white wine that embodies the joyful Romagnolo spirit with its exuberant aromas and flavors.