It’s hard to overcome a perception that has grown over time. Hopefully we can all help change that, as many of these wines are truly delightful!

And thanks on Ancellota, I have updated as this is indeed a secondary grape used in blends, and not a clone within the family.

Oh yes! There is a whole big community of us food-obsessed folks. We plan trips around food and pick destinations that are known for specific foods or because of a certain restaurant. The Emilia Romagna region is really important to the history of Italian cuisine as a whole, which is one of the reasons I love it so much. Prior to my first visit to Bologna, I was convinced I hated Italian food after eating what I grew up with in CA. This will sound cliche, but visiting there was life-changing. It really opened my eyes to real Italian cuisine and the passion that goes into artisan products like Parmigiano Reggiano and the Balsamico.

No, I’m from California actually — my friends from Mexico got me hooked on them as a kid..with lime and chili of course. These were similar, but not all air like the pork rinds I’m used to.

After I left Emilia Romagna, I passed through Los Angeles for two days en route to my place here in Belize and couldn’t find decent Lambruscos in the store. It’s no wonder people have a poor image of what they are. I opened a really nice one I picked up a year or so ago from Emilia Romagna on an earlier trip and my parents are hooked. I think they are going to order them online to avoid the cheap ones.

Where did you go in Emilia Romagna? What is your favorite city/area? Bologna is probably my go to spot that I can’t get enough of.

Bummer, but completely understand. 🙂 And, thanks…I am in love with that shot (and that storage room of cheese.) If not for the fact they weigh over 40 kg each, I might’ve tried to “sneak” one out. HAHA. Funny how the guys handling the wheels seemed to effortlessly lift and move them. I’d develop some nice arm muscles working there!

The Lambrusco wines we tried were incredible….and a bit overwhelming to take all in. Although I studied wine, I am really quite a novice when it comes to Lambrusco wines — I learned a lot in those few days and sampled probably 30 different ones. If you love Italy, you have to visit Emilia Romagna. Cities like Bologna are a food traveler’s paradise. You could easily spend a week just eating your way through the region. We were very lucky to be invited as media to cover the AlMeni Food Circus in Rimini, hosted by Chef Massimo Bottura from Osteria Francescana in Modena. We tasted some incredible dishes from renowned chefs and met with a number of small producers who made a variety of culinary products. I’ve been back to the region so many times because I absolutely love the food, the people, and the sights. Watch for future posts as we have a TON of write up from this latest trip!

You should definitely check out Brett’s beer posts then. He and another travel blogger have been doing a beer diary/beer challenge for 2015. They are trying a new craft beer every day this year and writing about them! There is quite a bit of craft beer in Emilia Romagna, not just Reggio Emilia as well.

YES! Lots of tasting! That room was definitely heaven for me — we tasted a brand new cracked wheel as well as several other aged ones from their farm. You can do the whole tour and watch how they make the Parmigiano Reggiano, which I found fascinating. We’ll have some upcoming long-form posts about that and our visit to a Prosciutto factory in Parma. And, thanks for bookmarking! 🙂

Yeah, I was very surprised on the rice cake, which is why I want to try it — at least do some more research anyway.