A Wine Aficionados’ Delight: The Best Wineries In Ravenna, North Italy
Italy is home to twenty different geographical regions. The Emilia-Romagna region in North Italy is both geographically diverse and wealthy. Including the best wineries in Ravenna, which is a special and enriching experience for wine enthusiasts.
Bordered by six other win-producing regions – Veneto, Lombardy, Piemonte, Liguria, Tuscany, and Marche – Emilia-Romagna has been named after a beautiful Roman road called Via Aemelia. This road used to follow the foot of the sturdy Apennine Mountains, as well as Romagna, once the capital of the waning Roman empire, located in the city of Ravenna.
As per Carol Plantamura’s When in Emilia Romagna, the wines of this region can be divided into two distinctive categories – generally dry and light to the west in Emilia, full-bodied and relatively more decadent to the east in Romagna.
Local winemakers know the Emilia Romagna region as a flyover country – it’s a land of slow food and fast cars. In the Romagna region, you will come across plenty of wineries, especially in the provinces of Ravenna, Rimini, Forlì-Cesena, Ferrara, and the popular Bologna.
While we were at Ravenna recently, we fell in love with three things – the UNESCO-listed monuments, the delish food, and the wineries. Today, let’s talk wine – pour yourself a glass of red, and let’s get started with the best wineries at Ravenna.
The Food And Wine Guide You Need Before Landing In Ravenna:
If you are thinking Ravenna, you will end up thinking about Romagna. And if you can’t stop thinking of Romagna, then it’s time to say ‘hello’ to good food and even better wine!
The Food:
Perhaps the most popular delicacy of gastronomy here is undoubtedly the homemade pasta. Among the first dishes we tried here, we have to mention strozzapreti, tagliatelle, tortelloni, ravioli, passatelli, tagliolini, and obviously cappelletti with cheese fillings.
In other parts of Italy, the cappelletti is filled with meat interestingly. Unfortunately, we didn’t try the meat fillings, but the ones with cheese were fantastic!
Moreover, we also tried and loved eating the piadina, the origins of which are pretty old – it can be traced back to the Thessalonians or Romans.
However, one thing about Ravenna is certain – if you haven’t eaten the piadina, then your visit to this region is incomplete.
Originally, piadina used to be made inside the chimney. But now, the traditional dish has left its authentic birthplace and moved to the widespread stands where the piadinas are made in cast iron-plates. You will be able to spot these stands all over the area. Since its a common street food in Italy, you can eat these with either ‘squacquerone cheese’ or cold cult meats.
Additionally, the dish is also open to innovation, and in some areas, you can have it with a chocolate filling. We also tried another innovative version called crescione. It was filled not just with herbs, potatoes, and pumpkins but also with mozzarella and tomatoes, onions and sausages, or fontina and ham.
The Wine:
Just like you can’t leave Ravenna without trying out its delicious food, similarly , you can’t say goodbye without trying the wine, praised by Martial and Pliny.
First up, you have to try the first white wine from Italy that gained a DOCG certificate – the delicious Albana di Romagna. As per ancient legends, Empress Galla Placidia used to drink this white wine from a goblet made of old.
Moreover, the origins of this wine are so old that you will find it difficult to distinguish the truth from the legend. Interestingly, the wine’s name, ‘Albana,’ first made an appearance in the 1200s. Before the 1200s, the wine was called Greco or Greco di Ancona.
Apart from the Albana di Romagna, there are five other wines in this region that have the DOCG certificate. After the Albana di Romagna, the most important wine of the region is undoubtedly Sangiovese di Romagna, which originated from a small, grape-seed vine that is not common in Italy.
The other wines with the DOCG certificate are the Pagadebit di Romagna and Trebbiano, two white wines that are fairly neutral. Finally, the Cagnina di Romagna is a red wine that originated from the famous refosco terrano vine. It’s a full-bodied wine which people usually drink during autumn at the villages and local festivals. The wine in Ravenna is simply delicious – if you visit Ravenna and you miss out on the wines, then please go back again! The area is a wine aficionado’s delight!
A Wine Aficionados’ Delight: The Best Wineries In Ravenna, North Italy
Welcome to a wine aficionados’ delight – Ravenna! It’s really a small town in Northern Italy. But the world-famous mosaics, the UNESCO-listed monuments, and the delicious cuisines make Ravenna a must-stop on your visit to the northern boroughs of Italy.
The much popular Bologna receives plenty of love from tourists throughout the year. But the lesser-known towns of Ravenna, Ferrara, and Rimini are the actually hidden gems of the Emilia Romagna region.
We spent a week in Ravenna. And while the monuments and the food are unforgettable, we also cannot forget the wine. We are not here to talk about the mainstream wineries filled with tourists – we are talking about the real experience you only get to read about in books.
And after much debate, we picked four places – we did visit a lot of places, but there were only four that really sum up the ‘whole’ experience.
Without wasting time, let’s check these wineries out!
1. West Main St Winery & Brewery:
| Phone | +1 330-839-8042 |
| Address | 234 W Main St, Ravenna, OH 44266, United States |
| Timing | Tuesday – Thursday: 2 – 10 p.m. | Friday – Saturday: 2 – 11:30 p.m. | Sunday – Monday: Closed |
The West Main St Winery 7 Brewery is one of the most charming, quaint, warm wineries in Ravenna. And it’s not just a great winery, it’s also a really good brewery. The beer and the wine are brewed on the site itself, which brings the whole authenticity to the table. The entire place is certainly a treasure trove.
We loved the owners! They were so hospitable and eager to talk about the history of the building, which made our whole experience very memorable.
Review By Rachel Wolf:
“What a great find! Jim and Deanna welcomed us like friends on our first visit. This family-run business has delicious wines, refreshing hard ciders, and great-tasting beers – all made on-site! Relaxed atmosphere inside or out on the patio. Loved ordering from the on-site BBQ food truck run by another family. Good food and good times here! And try the “tower of cider” -YUM!!”
2. Radici – Cucina e Cantina:
| Address | Via Mentana, 23, 48121 Ravenna RA, Italy |
| Phone | +39 353 416 1639 |
| Timing | Friday – Wednesday: 12 – 2:30 p.m. & 6:30 – 10:30 p.m. | Thursday: Closed |
Radici – Cucina e Cantina is young, traditional, and innovative. You will love how traditional and local recipes are presented with a modern twist. It’s an inviting place right at the center of Ravenna – so you will definitely not miss it.
We loved how everything here tastes absolutely fantastic – surprisingly, these weren’t expensive at all. Sounds absolutely great, right? You cannot go to Ravenna and miss out on this beautiful winery!
Review By Marcin Tatjewski:
“Really enjoyed the food! Including the surprise set of amuse-bouche, which was also not that small. They also pleased us with a very vast wine menu – I was happy to be able to try Italian Riesling here.”
3. Tenuta Uccellina:
| Address | Via Aldo Moro, 23/1, 48026 Russi RA, Italy |
| Phone | +39 0544 580144 |
| Timing | Monday – Saturday: 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Sunday: Closed |
If you are going to visit Tenuta Uccellina, then you must do the wine tasting here. The owners were friendly, and they explained how the wine is made so well that it is definitely worth spending the better part of a day here while you are at Ravenna.
The wines were great, and we particularly enjoyed the Red Passito – so much so that we ended up buying a bottle. One thing we loved about Tenuta Uccellina was how they allowed visitors to choose which wines they wanted to taste! We also loved the Sangiovese and the Burson.
Review By Julia:
“Wine tasting is highly recommended. The guide was very friendly and helpful, adapted the tour to our previous knowledge, and answered all of our questions in detail. The wine was also extremely good. We were allowed to choose which varieties we wanted to try.”
4. ‘Na Fraschetta:
| Address | Via degli Ariani, 10, 48121 Ravenna RA, Italy |
| Phone | Tuesday – Sunday: 12 – 2:30 p.m. & 7 – 10 p.m. | Monday: Closed |
| Timing | +39 0544 158 0297 |
‘Na Fraschetta is one of the hidden treasures of Ravenna. It gets very lively and loud during lunch hours – it’s part of the whole experience of trying out the wine here. They have a very good selection of wines – the best part? Small local wine producers are on the menu, accompanied by excellent taste.
We also loved the traditional Italian dishes served here. You must try the Spaghetti Alla Carbonara – it’s the bestseller here, and after we tried the dish, we understood why. It was so creamy and so delish!
Review By Philip Harvey:
“We came across this place by accident, and very happy we did. Friendly staff who also spoke different languages not just Italian (we were a mixed group so this made it easier). There is a good selection of items on the menu some family some not so, but the quality was very good. The wine selection is worth exploring, with some small producers being represented, as well as the normal mix of Italian wines. Explore the menu for the food as well as the wine. Definitely going back here.”
And It’s A Wrap!
And it’s a wrap on the best wineries Ravenna has for your tastebuds. Ravenna has so much to offer that we still cannot recover from our week here. Summers here are perhaps the best time to visit. But if you are going to visit Ravenna solely for the food and wine, then you definitely go during winter.
It’s truly a wine aficionados’ delight waiting to be explored! Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences (in case you have already been to Ravenna) in the comments below.
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