Emilia Romagna, a region in Northern Italy, is home to a significant number of indigenous grape varieties, many of which are largely unknown to the American public. Among them is Albana di Romagna which is made into a wine of the same name. Albana di Romagna was the first Italian white wine to achieve DOCG status. Many disagreed with this choice, stating that it was not up to the task but nonetheless, it was given the denomination in 1987.
Albana di Romagna has a very long history and is often said to have been the favorite wine of Galla Placidia, Theodosius II’s daughter who is supposed to have tasted it in 435 A.D. Her mausoleum in Ravenna is one of the gems of Roman architecture. While there is no way to verify that she actually tried Albana di Romagna, it was mentioned in an Agricultural treatise in 1300 A.D by Pier de Crescenzi of Bologna.
The grape is grown all over the region from Bologna to Rimini but plantings are concentrated near the cities of Forli-Cesena, Ravenna, Bertinoro and Bologna. There are a number of different clones of Albana. Generally it is grown on hills where it is subject to winds from the Adriatic Sea, rain from the Appenines and humidity from nearby rivers. It grows well on limestone soils with marine organic materials.
Albana is a relatively light bodied grape variety with good acidity. It is nutty, creamy and crisp and can show citrus notes and have a slightly bitter, almond finish as well. It also can contain considerable residual sugar and therefore is well suited to the sweeter styles of wine made from it.
Albana di Romagna became a DOC wine in 1967 and a DOCG in 1987. It is made into a variety of styles including secco, amabile, dolce, and passito. It can also be a made into a sparkling wine but it can use only the DOC denomination for the sparkling version.
Very few of these wines are sold outside of Emilia Romagna and they have not been that widely imported into the United States. While the dry, off-dry versions of this wine are not considered to be that worthy of note, the passito is another story. The passito version of this wine is renowned for its honey, apricot, spice and magnolia flavors. It ages very gracefully and can keep for anywhere between six to 10 years.
Producers have a lot of leeway in the way that they produce Albana di Romagna passito which is not usually the case. Generally production rules, especially for DOCG wines are very strict and meticulous. Instead for Albana di Romagna, producers can choose their method to dry the grapes. It can be done either on the vine, in small boxes, on wooden grates, or indoors using air. The wine can be vinified in wooden barriques or in stainless steel. The length of time for vinification is also not specified. The one rigid piece of the legislation governing the production of Albana di Romagna wine is the date that it is sold on the market. It must be on the market by September 1 of the year following the harvest for the entry level passito and on December 1 of the year following the harvest for the Riserva passito.
Some of the most famous producers of these wines include Umberto Cesari (Colle del Re), Fattoria Monticino Rosso, Leone Conti, Zerbina, and Baciami. The wines are imported by Opici Wine Co., Martin Scott Wines, JK Imports, Michael Skurnick Wines, and John Given Wines, respectively. Some of the most famous brands are not currently available in the U.S.
A brief search found these wines at Harlem Vintage in New York City, Mid Valley Wine & Liquor in Newburgh, New York, Arlington Wine & Liquor in Poughkeepsie, New York, Sand Creek Wine & Liquor in Albany, New York, Dot.com Wine and Spirits in Hartford, Connecticut. The dry version of this wine retails for $7 to $14 while the passito sells for about $30 to $35. The wines are also on many wine lists including those of Hearth Restaurant and Da Giulio in Manhattan, Delfina in San Francesco, and A Cote’ in Oakland, California.
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