Imola is home to a famous product that is not a wine, but which thanks to its continuous successes, lets wine flow abundantly: Ferrari cars. People here are so proud of the successes of their red sports cars that they always keep a bottle special wine with which to drink a toast to Ferrari’s success.
Those bottles were given a D.O.C. appellation in 1997, after a period of intense activities in the vineyards and cellars for their improvement.
This has allowed these wines to develop a distinct personality that is very different from those of other wines produced in neighboring areas.
The area where the Colli di Imola D.O.C. wines are produced is to the south of the ancient Via Emilia highway. It includes the municipalities of Imola, Dozza, Castel San Pietro Terme, Ozzano Emilia, Borgo Tossignano, Casalfumanese and Fontanelice.
The appellation covers eight different types of wine.
The first five – Bianco, Chardonnay, Pignoletto, Trebbiano and Barbera – are light and lively, and represent the merry, carefree character of the inhabitants of this area, where people are always ready to feast, dance and sing.
The other three – Rosso, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese – are, on the other hand, representative of the other aspect of the inhabitants of this land: they are thoughtful, tenacious, patient, and all too happy to wait a few years for their red wines to reach their best.