The Rebola gang

Producers associated with Rimini’s Strada dei Vini (Wine Road) have decided to launch Rebola, a good quality white wine made from Grechetto Gentile grapes that is very suited to pair with the area’s gastronomic traditions.

What could be more summer-like than Rimini? Thus to be “in tune with the times”, today I will tell you about a Rimini wine, Rebola. The wine has ancient roots and is mentioned in a document from the 13th century, even if they have been relaunching it only in the last few years.

It should first be noted that Rebola is the name of the wine and not the varietal it is made from, which is Grechetto Gentile cultivated exclusively in the Rimini hills. In the not too distant future there will be a DOC Rimini Rebola appellation, to underscore how this white wine with its above suspicion character is intertwined with its area of origin.

In the framework of the Strada dei Vini and Sapori (flavors) of Rimini initiative, 17 out of 24 producers for now have created an association to which the others hope to join. Leading the “Rebola gang” is Sandro Santini, a volcanic Romagnolo producer, who was acclaimed president by all members. All this is not exactly something new. A group of producers in a certain area creating a consortium and launching a new wine has been seen again and again.

However, in this case, be for the enthusiasm of the producers, be it for the local Rimini pride that has involved others aside from winery owners, be it for the fact that a good quality white wine has been reborn in an area where the gastronomic tradition is well suited for pairing, an authentic phenomenon has been created around Rebola that has rarely been seen in similar circumstances. And so I went to Romagna and tasted all 17 wines.

I found the wines to be of good and at times excellent quality, with organoleptic characteristics that recall other whites of neighboring areas but with nuances that are slightly more aromatic. The wines are saline, with good body, which different producers interpreted with different styles, some clearly macerated on the skins, others made “in reduction”, but which reflect their totally Mediterranean origin.

Certain Rebola stood out for me for their character and personality, for their technical consistency. These were the wines of Enio Ottaviani, Franco Galli, Isotta from Tenuta Santini, Zingarina from Tenuta Santa Lucia, Libera from I Muretti, Anima from Tenuta Saiano and Giulietta from Podere dell’Angelo. But they are just at the beginning of this adventure that will only get better.