Emilia Romagna wines enter EU register of protected designation of origin (PDOs)

Brussels – Bologna, Modena and Ravenna. The European Commission today (Dec. 18) added the Italian wines of the Emilia-Romagna region at registers of the protected designation of origin (PDO).

The European Commission said in a statement that the wines of Emilia-Romagna are produced in four categories: wine, sparkling wine, quality sparkling wine and semi-sparkling wine. “The unique characteristics of these wines originate in the warm but breezy continental climate in combination with soils of alluvial origin with high pebble and silt content. The day-to-night temperature variation in the summer, which helps the grapes to reach optimum ripeness, preserving all of
their aromatic and acidic properties and thus ensuring a freshness in
the resulting wines,” Brussels explains in its report.

It also recognizes that the expertise of local winemakers plays an important role in branding. “This includes the choice of root-stock and training system, canopy management, water supply regulation and innovative sparkling wine production techniques.” Wines from Emilia-Romagna are based mainly on the Pignoletto grape variety with a small addition of other grape varieties. “Sparkling wines are moderately aromatic, fruity and have perceptible acidity, while still wines also have floral notes and appreciable minerality,” the note concludes. This new designation will be added to the list of 1,640 wine products that are already protected.