Lazio or Latium and Emilia Romagna are not exactly famous for their wines but the former has Rome and the latter lays claim to being Italy's Gastronomical Capital. Although not well known for their wines, these two regions of Italy do produce a fair amount of juice, mainly easy drinking sound wines rather than the more cerebral. Much of Lazio wine production is cafe fresh white wines and the wines of Frascati and Est! Est! Est! di Montefuscione have been popular quaffs for decades, especially the tourist trade. The wines are blends of Trebbiano Toscano & Giallo and Malvasia Lunga and Malvasia Lazio (aka Candia) that is produced protectively in stainless steel and under controlled temperatures to preserve the freshness and aromatic qualities of these grapes as much as possible. These are light bodied, crisp wines that serve well in casual cafe atmospheres and go along with light fair, especially seafood. The other white produced in Lazio but more closely associated with neighboring Umbria is Orvieto, a crisp white made primarily from Grechetto di Orvieto (Blanco) and Grechetto di Todi, which is also known as Pignoletto. However, things have been changing lately with some small craft type Frascati Superiore that makes quite a compelling drink. The best Frascati Superiore contain a higher percentage of Malvasia and will see extended lees contact and partial wood contact. The locale Cesanese grape also shows some promise if they can increase the fruit intensity to match the high acidity and tannic structure of the grape. The wines can be searingly acidic and are generally medium bodied with floral, pepper spice notes and red fruits. Sparkling Frascati also shows some promise, at least in a commercial sense if done in either a dry (aka Prosecco)style or semi-sweet style. Other grapes used in various DOC, IGT wines, especially the Lazio IGT include Bombino Bianco, Greco, Bellone Bianco and Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Canaiolo, Nero Buono and International varieties like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Top producers include Bigi, Zandotti

Emilia Romagna on the otherhand has been long famous or infamous for its Lambrusco, thanks to the efforts of brands like Riunite and Cella. While wines like that serve a purpose, especially for excellent wine coolers, they do not represent the best of what that grape is capable of producing. The finest are dry, high in acidity with modest tannins and quite flavorful but with a little more work, they can find the balance between fruit expression, residual sugar and the structural elements already present. The various Lambrusco DOC's have genuine marketing potential with the right branding that downplays the Lambrusco name. Other more exciting wines are to be found in Sangiovese base wines under the Sangiovese di Romagna DOC