Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa DOP

A little history

Sparkling, fortified, passito and mostly white. This is how the wines produced in the area that today falls under the Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa denomination have been described since the 16th century, although there are reports of the spread of this variety dating back to Roman times. In the 19th century, many authors emphasized the importance of wines made in this area with grape varieties such as Spergola or Malvasia di Candia Aromatica. Production of wines made from both Lambrusco and Marzemino grapes then increased considerably in the 20th century. The first voluntary consortium was founded in 1964, while the first controlled denomination of origin was established in 1976 and is called “Bianco di Scandiano”. The current denomination, named “Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa”, was created in 1996.

The area

The geographical area corresponding to the “Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa” controlled denomination of origin lies in the central western part of the Emilia-Romagna region, in the province south of Reggio Emilia, and covers a limited area of land. Specifically, the grapes must be grown in the administrative areas of the municipalities of Albinea, Quattro Castella, Bibbiano, Montecchio, S. Polo d’Enza, Canossa, Vezzano sul Crostolo, Viano, Scandiano, Castellarano and Casalgrande, as well as in part the municipalities of Reggio Emilia, Casina, S. Ilario d’Enza and Cavriago.

Wines and grape varieties

The 15 types permitted by the product specification include both white and red wines in still, sparkling, spumante, passito and novello versions. The ampelographic base is equally rich, including both local indigenous and international grape varieties. The white grape varieties comprise Spergola and Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, while the most notable red grape varieties are Malbo Gentile and the Lambrusco family (Grasparossa and Montericco). The international grape varieties include Chardonnay and Sauvignon among the whites and Cabernet Sauvignon among the reds.