RED WINE Sangiovese, which Latin origin (Sanguis Jovis) means "blood of Jove", is one of the most common grapes in Italy, and it is likely that Sangiovese dates all the way back to Etruscan winemakers. The area cultivated with this particular grape constitutes 11% of the entire national wine grape crop. The Sangiovese is cultivated from central Italy to the south and is traditionally the most common grape in Emilia-Romagna. Sangiovese is used in many of the most prestigious vines of Italy, these in- cludes: Chianti and Chianti Classico, but also Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino. The Sangiovese di Romagna, a DOC-wine, which is produced in the provinces of Rimini, Ravenna, Forlì and Bologna, is still one of the less know vines based on the Sangiovese grape. Sangiovese di Romagna is said to reflect the character of the Romagnol farmers, who are know to be frank, robust and straightforward, but at the same time hospitable and festive. Over the last ten years, the Sangiovese produced in Romagna has enjoyed a noticeable and consistent improvement in quality. Now it can therefore, when it reaches excellence, be compared to the more famous Sangiovesi mentioned above. Sangiovese di Romagna has a ruby red colour, a bouquet of violets and red fruits, a dry, harmonic and slightly tannic taste with a pleasant, somewhat bitter after taste. WHITE Pagadebit (“debtpayer”) is in Emilia-Romagna the most common name for the Bombino Bianco (“little white bomb”). The name derives from the fact that the farmers used to pay their debt to the landlord with wine produced from this particular grape, thanks to is fertility and high resistance to adverse climatic conditions. Even in particularly unfavourable growing seasons, the vine would succeed in yielding grapes, permitting the grower to pay the debts contracted during the year. Pagadebit is widely diffused under different names throughout central and southern Italy. In Romagna this vine is cultivated on the hillside, especially in the Cesena and Forlì area. At the beginning of the seventies, the wine seemed to loose popularity, but it was revived through the efforts of a few committed viticulturists who applied modern techniques in vinifying the grapes. The wine obtained has received the DOC recognition, extended in 1989, and it has in this way managed to catch the attention of the market as well. The colour of Pagadebit is straw yellow with slight green reflexes when held up to the light and its bouquet reminds you of flowers. At times it reaches the quality of Albana, especially when it is fruitier. DESSERT WINE Cagnina is a “red berry” grape of the ‘Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso’-variety. Its presence in Emilia-Romagna probably dates back to Byzantine times when it is likely to have been imported from Dalmatia along with the vast quantities of limestone used to build many of the historical byzantine monuments in the region, especially in Ravenna. The first real mention of this characteristic vine dates back to the 13th century and refers to the vine and the wine from Friuli. In Emilia-Romagna the Cagnina grape is used to create a sweet red wine, Cagnina dolce di Romagna. The grapes are harvested around the end of September and after a short vinification process the wine is bottles in November. The wine can be drunk as soon as it has been bottled. The wine has a red, purple colour, when poured, and a sweet taste, and intense fragrance that reminds of morels and raspberry. It’s traditionally served with the regional desserts like ciambella (a simple sponge cake), fruit and jam tarts, sweet tortelli filled with jam or with saba (cooked grape must). WHERE TO ENJOY THE WINE Bertinoro, a small medieval town located on a hill in the province of Forlì-Cesena a few kilometers from the road ‘Via Emilia’, offers a fascinating environment in which to enjoy the regional wines. The origins of the name of the town is most likely nothing but a legend which has been passed from one generation to another, but nevertheless intriguing. The roman Empress Galla Placidia is said to have tasted the nectar of the Albana grape produced by local farmers. Impressed by the delightfulness of the wine she exclaimed: “This wine is worthy of being tasted from a les humble cup, it should be drunk from a gold cup”. The words: “drunk from gold!” (in Italian “berti in oro”) has later been transformed into Bertinoro. At Bertinoro you will find vast number of enoteca, which is special type of local wine shop which is directed at giving visitors the possibility to taste local and regional wines and possibly to buy them. The Enoteca Ca’ de’ Be’ (which in local dialect means “house of drinking”) is situated near the main town square, Piazza della Libertà, and offers a spectacular panorama of a large part of the region. Here while enjoying the view –sparticularly beautiful by night– one can make acquaintance with the local wines, such as Sangiovese Cagnina dolce, Pagadebit, Trebbiano and Albana.