Rimini, Imola, Faenza – 31 August 2021. Consorzio Vini di Romagna, which incorporates 60% of the region’s vineyards and represents the history, flavors, beauty and innovation of Romagna wine, is back with Vini ad Arte.
The most important wine event in Romagna features a new dynamic edition: from August26 to 30, members of the international press visited the region starting from Rimini and reaching Imola. This journey enabled them to directly meet the producers and have a glimpse of the historical and artistic treasures of the region.
Vini ad Arte’s special summer edition let the guests taste the grapes directly in the vineyard, offering them the chance to have a preview of the 2021 vintage. The program covered four days: three were dedicated to visiting the territory and one was for the technical tasting of the new vintages at the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza.
The 2021 edition by the numbers
59 participating wineries, 154 wines presented at the technical tasting and 7 wineries visited, featuring 1 welcome aperitif dedicated to Rebola.
The event was made possible thanks to Consorzio Vini di Romagna, sponsored by Regione Emilia Romagna and Comune di Faenza, in collaboration with Convito di Romagna, AIS Romagna and AscomFaenza.
But Vini ad Arte does not end here: on October 11, an event specifically for operators and enthusiasts will be held at the Autodromo di Imola.
“For this new edition of Vini ad Arte, we wanted to present the wine region of Romagna by featuring the art cities of the hinterland, the medieval villages, the fortresses and the splendid vineyard landscapes – says Ruenza Santandrea, President of the Consorzio – We will continuously showcase our territory online: our website Cartoline dalla Romagna, is a digital magazine filled with news, recommendations and itineraries that will offer visitors a 360° experience of Romagna wine”.
Despite the difficulties due to the pandemic, Consorzio Vini di Romagna – which brings together 115 wineries, of which 7 are cooperatives, 5 bottlers and 103 winemakers – registers a positive trend, especially the Sangiovese from the sub-zones. Filiberto Mazzanti, director of the Consorzio, adds: “Romagna Sangiovese DOC Sottozona, located at the top of the DOC pyramid, represents 4% of Romagna production, for a total of 434,133 bottles, and it is continuously growing. This urges us to continue on this journey and allocate additional resources for the promotion of these 16 sub-zones (4 of which are awaiting ministerial approval).”
A glance at the future: what about 2021 harvest?
It is also time for the first surveys on the current vintage. To date, we can estimate a delay of about 4-6 days compared to 2020 for the early varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot and Sauvignon); while the remaining varieties are in line, if not early, than the previous year (Pignoletto, followed by Albana, Merlot, Cagnina, Famoso, Trebbiano, Sangiovese, Cabernet, and finally Uva Longanesi and Fortana). After the frost, a few hail-like incidents and the heat of San Lorenzo, the 2021 production will register a reduction compared to 2020.
Three wines with designations of origin or protected geographical indications: 2020 by figures
Romagna Sangiovese DOC, the most important denomination, with a total cultivated area of 6,235 hectares; 86,310 hl produced for a total of 11.5 million bottles, a slight decrease compared to the excellent 2019 vintage;
Romagna Sangiovese DOC Sottozona (at the top of the DOC pyramid): 3,256 hl produced (4% of Romagna production), for a total of 434,133 bottles, signaling its growth: it registers high market demand, and a significant price pick-up;
Riserva production counts 1.4 million bottles, a figure that remains stable thanks to a remarkable following that keep sales regular from year to year; the same goes for the Superiore type, which stands at around 3.7 million bottles;
Romagna Albana DOCG: total cultivated area of 818 hectares, 5,673 hl produced for a total of 756,400 bottles (of which 230,000 are Albana dolce and 487,000 are Albana secca, in continuous growth). The Passito continues to also be highly appreciated abroad;
Romagna Trebbiano DOC, total cultivated area of 14,170 hectares, 8,678 hl for a total of 1.2 million bottles.
Remarkable figures also for Rubicone IGT, which is close to 92 million bottles, and the latest Romagna DOC Spumante (white and rosé), with 292,000 bottles. Grape prices have not decreased thanks to the positive economic outcome brought by the flow of visitors to the hills and the cellars of small wine producers.