Emilia Delizia goes to discover the wine and food hidden on the spectacular rolling hills just 30 minutes south of Bologna.

Pignoletto the king of Bologna wines, with Lambrusco to follow.

When you say wine in Bologna you mean Pignoletto DOC. This wine is of course sparkling in following the best of the Emilia Romagna tradition that command for frothy wines. Opposed to Lambrusco Pignoletto is a whine wine, it is light, refreshing with a pleasant bitterness that it is a characteristic of the clays soils around Bologna. Pignoletto is to marry local dishes, tagliatelle, lasagne, tortellini and of courses it is the best aperitif together with Parmesan cheese that it is produced on these hills between Modena and Bologna. Emila Delizia visited wine producers in Castello di Serravalle a lovely hill top castle where both Lambrusco and Pignoletto are made according to the sparkling tradition of this area.

Vini dei Colli Bolognesi route – Wines and castles of the Bologna hills between the Reno Savena, Samoggia rivers.

This is a very interesting wine route in Italy for those staying in Bologna, you will have the opportunity to explore many castles, churches, hamlets on top of the hills overlooking the vineyards, so no need to travel to Tuscany to have this sort of idyllic Italian country side. The Castello di Serravalle is typical example of well preserved medieval castle between vineyard fields where the foodie and wine connoisseur can sip wine on a tour.

Savigno truffles, porcini, and old fashion osterias.

If you are adventurous and want to explore the Bologna hills between here and Tuscany an afternoon spend in Savigno it is a good bet. the town is lovely and it is one of the most famous truffles towns in Italy, hosting a truffle festivals once a year in October and November. A hidden gem is definitely the Da Amerigo restaurant. The clientèle is mostly Italian and all give excellent reviews about the food here which is made using only excellent ingredients and generous shavings of truffles.

Spilamberto the balsamic vinegar museum and the best ice-creams in the whole world.

Spilamberto or also known in the middle ages as Spina Lamberto, seems to to have given birth to the balsamic vinegar of Modena, it is an age old tradition that has started here from aged and cooked grape juice. In Spilamberto you will find the Traditional balsamic vinegar museum, that it is open to anyone but the guided tours must be booked in advance.

In the corner of the main square just 2 minutes from the Rangoni Castle, you will find an icecream shop called Gelato. The ice creams here are simply sublimes and we have not been able to find a match. The use only organic eggs, sugar, milk and only the best seasonal fruits. The results cannot be described with words you must try it yourself.