Colli d’Imola DOC

A denomination in the hills south of Imola, on the boundary where Emilia stops and Romagna begins. It covers a wide range of varietal wines, white and red, still and frizzante, across the communes of Borgo Tossignano and Casalfiumanese and parts of Imola, Castel San Pietro Terme, Dozza and Ozzano dell’Emilia.

The History The registered file is unusually detailed, and worth reading closely. Viticulture is attested here from the medieval period, with Albana and Trebbiano named as early as 1300. In the eighteenth century the wines of Imola built a reputation good enough to be exported. In the nineteenth, local nobles introduced new varieties — mostly French — alongside the native ones, which is why a denomination on the edge of Romagna today leads on Cabernet Sauvignon. A document of 1824 records that the wines “are properly made and much appreciated”. In 1855 an experimental cellar was founded to advise growers. From the second half of the 1990s the file describes a substantial restructuring of the vineyard and the arrival of new techniques.

The Terroir Apennine foothills running down towards the Via Emilia, on ground that varies considerably over short distances. The file notes that in soils richer in clay and limestone the wines gain structure and colour — the practical distinction growers here work with. Altitudes are modest and the climate is continental, hot in summer, with the ridge behind providing what relief there is.

Grape Varieties A broad cast. Among the reds, Cabernet Sauvignon is the main variety, with Barbera and Sangiovese alongside. Among the whites, Trebbiano Romagnolo and Pignoletto, joined by Chardonnay. Most bottlings are varietal and named as such.

The Critical Take Colli d’Imola has the misfortune of sitting between two better-known names — Colli Bolognesi to the west and the Romagna denominations to the east — and offering nothing that either of them does not. The Cabernet is competent and the Pignoletto is refreshing, but the denomination has no signature and consequently no market beyond the province. The serious estates that work here mostly bottle under other names.

Dozza The hilltop village of Dozza, inside the zone, holds the Enoteca Regionale dell’Emilia-Romagna in its Sforza fortress — the regional wine library, and the best single place to taste across the whole of Emilia-Romagna in an afternoon. The village is also painted: since 1960 its walls have been given over to a biennial mural festival.

At the Table Imolese cooking, which is Romagnolo with an Emilian accent: piadina, tagliatelle al ragù, roast pork, grilled meats, and squacquerone. Serve the Cabernet at 16–17°C and the Pignoletto at 10–12°C.

Benchmark Producers Tre Monti, Branchini, Merlotta.