Imola lies at the crossroads between the Via Emilia plain and the foothills of the Apennines, in a wine-growing landscape where altitudes range from 60 metres to 400 metres. The sub-zone encompasses a variety of environments, with vineyards spread across terraces, foothills and the Apennine hills. The soils show considerable variety: red and dark soils in the lower areas, grey clays at intermediate altitudes and ochre tones in the higher areas; in the Colli d’Imola hills, medium-textured to clayey and clay-loam soils, generally calcareous, also predominate.
The climate, which is more continental than that of coastal areas, alternates between hot, generally dry summers and colder winters, favouring full ripening and good aromatic development. Sangiovese is the historic cornerstone of Imola’s viticulture, alongside Albana, Trebbiano Romagnolo, Pignoletto and other authorised varieties. The wines offer a diverse range: fragrant, structured reds; fresh, savoury whites; as well as semi-sparkling, sparkling, ‘superiore’, ‘riserva’ and ‘passito’ wines. The local tradition is rooted in hillside viticulture that pays close attention to aspect, grape selection and the enhancement of the differences between individual plots, with winemaking techniques designed to preserve the wines’ identity, balance and expression of the terroir.
