PODS of Reggio Emilia

The province of Reggio Emilia is the homeland of Lambrusco together with that of Modena. Since Roman times Lambrusco grapes have been an integral part of the economy of this area. The vine shoots have long been strung like festoons from one elm to the next and even today a few vines can still be found “married” to trees. Within the Reggio Emilia province, the area of the hills of Scandiano e di Canossa has been renowned for its excellent wines for centuries. In the 15th century, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, wife of Francesco I of the Medici family, mentioned in her travel diary "The good wine of Scandiano, fresh and sparkling.". So widely appreciated was the wine of this area that it soon became widely exported, as Venturi stated in his analysis of the wine sector in the 18th century. He also offered his own evaluation of these wines: "In fragrance, in spirit and flavour, they surpass many other wines made from Rimini to Piacenza, so that foreigners purchase them with pleasure." Lambrusco is the most important grape in this area. Nevertheless, also other grape varieties deserve consideration for the quality of their produce. Only to mention two, the rich and aromatic Malvasia di Candia and the indigenous Spergola make very distinctive white wines.