Sangiovese
Today Romagna is considered one of the national revelations with regards to quality wine production, as testified by the three glasses given in the last few years by the “Vini d’Italia”guide of Gambero Rosso. In the section of “Berebene 2005” (drinking well, on page 137) you can read “…their best Sangiovesi now competes equally with the best Italian red wines…an on-going growth that –we’re sure- will reserve in the near future big surprises”. The first news about Sangovese date back to ‘600: it is said that during a banquet at the Capuchins Monastery in Santarcangelo di Romagna, in the presence of Pope Leone XII and other illustrious guests, it was served this wine, produced by the friars themselves. The wine was really appreciated and it was asked about its name. With alacrity, a friar said that the wine was called “Sunguis di Jovis” = Sangue di Giove (Juppiter’s blood) (Sanjovese). Throughout the years, the wine became the symbol of Romagna’s land, thanks also to clever winemakers. At a national level the Sangiovese grapes, by themselves or mixed with other grapes, contribute to the production of many famous wines such as Brunello di Montalcino, the different Chianti, the Forgiano Rosso, the Rosso Conero and many others. The Sangiovese produced in the Romagna area for the last ten years has had a steady growth in quality that sometimes reaches peaks that makes it able to compete with the excellent wines mentioned above. It is said that the Sangiovese of Romagna (Sanzvés, in dialect), carries the romagnoli’s character: frank, exuberant, unsophisticated, strong and hospitable and at the same time apparently rough, but very sincere and delicate inside. The Sangiovese wine, in Romagna, is produced with different denominations:
• Sangiovese del Rubicone – I.G.T.
• Sangiovese di Forlì – I.G.T.
• Sangiovese di Romagna – D.O.C. Novello
• Sangiovese di Romagna – D.O.C.
• Sangiovese di Romagna – D.O.C. Superiore
Riserva
It has a red blood colour, with violet and red fruit smell and a dry, harmonious and slightly tannic taste and gently bitter aftertaste. Accompanies: Stews and meat ragú, roasted meats and barbecues, the classical hot pot, pot roast and lamb legs, game and birds.
Pagadebit (pay the debts)
 “Bombino bianco – white berry” vine. First of all, this wine hits for the name that comes from the fact that the farmer managed to pay all his debits thanks to his wine production, his tendril being very resistant to any climactic condition. In fact, the contracts were traditionally stipulated “on words”, called “Pagadett”. In Romagna, it is cultivated on the hills, especially the ones around Cesena and Forlí, with limited productions that favour the higher alcoholic gradation and a really important structure. The Pagadebit is straw-yellow in colour with greenish reflexes and a perfume rather like hawthorn. At times it shows a class comparable with the Albana, with a major fruit taste and perfume of almonds. The Pagadebit is produced in different denominations:
• Pagadebit di Forlì – I.G.T.
• Pagadebit di Romagna – D.O.C.
• Pagadebit di Romagna – D.O.C. – “Zona Bertinoro”
• Pagadebit di Romagna – D.O.C. Frizzante
Accompanies: potages, creams, seafood pasta and risotto, the traditional “passatelli”, white meats, grilled fish, frogs and snails, vegetables omelettes.
Trebbiano
Trebbiano is a “white-berry” vine that produces a soft wine better to be consumed within a year from the grape harvest. The origin, in Romagna, dates back to the Etrusque-Latin period, when the colonizers planted vines after the reclaim of Romagna’s lands. In 1305, Pier dè Crescenzi wrote:” There is a type of vine, called tribiana, which is white with round and abundant grapes. When young, it doesn’t give fruit but when of mature age it becomes prolific”. Throughout the years, from the ancient stump of Trebbiano has born a family of vines, some of which are very similar while others quite different, largely cultivated in Italy and abroad (some areas of France and California). Depending on the location and the wine-making systems, you can obtain from the old vine light wines, delicate in perfume and taste and to be drunk still young. The Trebbiano is straw-yellow (more or less intense) in colour and its perfume reminds of wildflowers and herbs and its taste is dry and savoury. Trebbiano, in Romagna, is produced with different denominations:
• Trebbiano di Romagna – D.O.C.
• Trebbiano di Romagna – D.O.C. Spumante
• Trebbiano di Romagna – D.O.C. Frizzante
• Trebbiano di Forlì – I.G.T.
• Trebbiano del Rubicone – I.G.T.
Excellent as an aperitif, it accompanies perfectly light and delicate starters and seafood salad. It can be appreciated especially with the traditional piadina romagnola with ‘squaquerone’ (local fresh soft cheese). A good Trebbiano of Romagna weds all Romagna soft cheeses (raviggiolo, casatella, etc.).

Cagnina
The Cagnina is born from an old ‘red-berry Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso’ vine. Red sweet wine is ready to be drunk straight after the grape harvest. The wine was already known at the Byzantine epoch during which it was imported from Dalmazia and Istria on the occasion of the importation of limestone for the construction of Ravenna of historical monuments. The earliest news about this wine dates back to the XIII century and refers to the vine and wine of Friuli (barbatelle of Terrano d’Istria or Carso, synonyms of Refosco d’Istria or Carso) that, cultivated in the surroundings of Forlí and Cesena, took the name of Cagnina. The organoleptic characteristics of both Refosco del Terrano friulano and Cagnina are similar even if the environment modifications and the different wine-making systems tent to characterize the peculiarities of each wine: Romagna develops the hotter and pulpy side of this vine. It main peculiarities are the purple colour and the small foam; its perfume is winy (typical perfume post- fermentation) and recalls small red fruits. Its maturation takes place through the quick passage in barrels; it can be drunk already a week after the wine-making. It’s a wine to be drunk young and its obsolesce is circumscribed to the year of its birth. The Cagnina wine is produced with just one denomination:
• Cagnina di Romagna – D.O.C.
When eating (tasting temperature 10-12°), traditionally accompanies home-made ring shaped cake, roast chestnuts, cakes and fruit tarts, ‘tortelli’ stuffed with jam or with ‘saba’ (must be cooked). Lately, it has recently born a new D.O.C., the “COLLI ROMAGNA CENTRALE”. This denomination refers only to the production of the Forlí and Cesena areas where, besides meeting the classical Sangiovese and Trebbiano, there are two new vines: the “Chardonnay” and the “Cabernet Sauvignon”.
Albana
The Albana is a “white-berry” vine (big and pentagonal leaf, golden yellow skin), and it was the first white wine in Italy to get the D.O.C.G. in 1987. The origin of the ‘blonde’ nectar of Romagna apparently dates back to Latin epoch. There are traces in the written works of the time that refer to Galla Placida, Teodosio’s daughter. A few think that the wine takes its name from the Colli Albani (Albani hills), from where the Legionaries who colonized Romagna came. More probably, the name comes from the light grape’s quality that is considered the best amongst the white grapes. (albus: white par excellence = Albana). According to the legend, the beautiful Galla Placidia in 435 a.C. arrived in the little village on the plain between Forlí and Cesena: hit by such beautifulness, the inhabitants offered her, in a rough terra-cotta jug, the sweet and vigorous local wine. Delighted by the quality of that nectar running through her veins, she said:” you shouldn’t be drunk in this humble way, but in gold”. Since then, according to the legend, the village where the queen quenched her thirst was called Bertinoro (drink-in-gold). The main area of production is the one delimited in the “Spungone Romagnolo”, in the Bertinorese area up to Imola’s hills, as the climate is very favourable (soil, wind, sun and closeness to the sea). Albana, in Romagna, is produced with different denominations:

• Albano di Romagna – D.O.C.G. – Dolce
• Albano di Romagna – D.O.C.G. – Secco
• Albano di Romagna – D.O.C.G. – Amabile
• Albano di Romagna – D.O.C.G. – Passito
• Romagna Albana Spumante – D.O.C.G.
Amongst the typologies mentioned above, that of “Passito” is the flagship of Romagna enology, as it presents itself as a superb and competitive wine that in the past few years has as gained fame and prestige at a national and international level. The wine is obtained by the withering of the grapes. It is amber-yellow in colour and with an intense and characteristic perfume that recalls acacia’s honey, toasted almonds, peaches and apricot jam and spices. The different wine typologies accompany well fish starters, vegetable cake, vegetables and cereals, stews and soups, pasta and risotto. It also accompanies nicely fish second courses up to the traditional desserts. The best match for the Albana Classico is with the classical “Formaggio di Fossa”, accompanied by oak chestnut’s honey, fig and quince jam, Savour Romagnolo (must be cooked with quince apples and pears and peanuts), candied figs and all the “herbalized” cheeses (Gorgonzola, Taleggio di Grotta, etc.).
 We recommend to you a few cellars that will be happy to welcome you for a friendly visit and tasting:

Azienda Agricola Podere Vecciano
Via Vecciano, 23  Vecciano (Coriano) RN
Tel/Fax 0541 658388
Tenuta del Monsignore
Via Patarino, 154 San Giovanni In Marignano (RN) 
Tel 0541 955128

Azienda Agricola San Valentino
Fraz. San Martino in Venti - Via Tomasetta 11 - Rimini
Tel 0541 752231

Tenuta Santini
Via Campo,33 Passano di Coriano (RN)
Tel 0541.656527