For September, we are heading to Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Emilia-Romagna is a region of northern Italy located between Lombardy and the Veneto in the north and Tuscany in the south. The area is best known for its production of Parmigiano cheese and the sparkling red wine, lambrusco, a wine which is having a real moment right now, incidentally. The region has a diverse landscape with hills and mountains in the western Emilia section and coastal plains leading all the way down to the Adriatic coast in the eastern Romagna section. Grape plantings consist of a variety of Italian classics such as sangiovese, malvasia, barbera, croatina, bonarda and trebbiano in addition to the cornucopia of lambrusco specific varieties. These grape varieties and terroir result in some genuinely joyful wines that are fruit forward, crowd pleasing, and an outstanding value compared to some of the neighboring wine regions.
We were introduced to La Tollara a few years ago by the Mucci Brothers, one of our favorite young wine importers. Located in the Colli Piacentini in the hilly Emilia section of the region, about 200 meters above sea level. The estate is owned and operated by three sisters, Federica, Cristina and Mariolina Bolzoni. The Bolzoni’s inherited their farm from their parents and decided to capitalize on its potential by expanding their vineyards and going back to school to study wine making. Today it is a fully operational farm that grows grapes and produce. They even have a plot of land on which they farm earthworms! From the start the sisters have focused on local grape varieties such as ortugo, barbera, and bonarda as they believe that these varieties best reflect Emilia-Romagna’s unique terroir.
Wines
Ortugo is a largely unknown local grape variety used for both sparkling and still wines. La Tollara’s ortugo is done in a frizzante (lightly sparkling) style, fermented in stainless steel and bottled with just a small touch of residual sugar to balance out the wine’s bright acidity. On the nose there are notes of peach and chamomile with a vibrant minerality on the palate. Pair with light pasta dishes. Pair with rich red sauce dishes or grilled meats. $14.99
Barbera could reasonably be called the unsung hero of northern Italy. A grower’s favorite, this grape produces wines with rich fruit and spice from Piedmont down to Umbria. La Tollara’s barbera is grown on the estate’s sandy clay soil that makes the vines work hard for nutrients, leading to deeply characterful and complex wines. A portion of the grapes are carefully dried using a method known as “appassimento” at the winery following harvest to further enhance the richness and density of the wine. It is full bodied but lightly structured with beautiful notes of spice, blackberry, crushed violet, and plum. $22.99
