Booking choice: The city wine walk, 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Book this Tour details
Bologna is a food city first, and its wine gets less attention than it deserves. The hills south of the city, the Colli Bolognesi, have their own DOC and their own DOCG, both built around Pignoletto, a white that is often served lightly sparkling at aperitivo time.
Four wine experiences are on this site. Two are in the city centre and need no transport: a guided wine walk and a short seated tasting. Two are at family wineries in the hills, one to the west and one to the east. Below is how they compare, and the honest answer on Lambrusco.
The quick answer
Yes, you can take a wine tour in Bologna. For a first taste, book the city centre wine walk with a certified wine educator. For vineyards and a cellar, book Terre Rosse Vallania in the western hills, or the organic Cantina Tomisa in the San Lazzaro hills. Lambrusco is a Modena and Reggio Emilia wine.
Can I take a wine tour in Bologna?
Yes. You can taste in the centre on foot, or go out to a winery in the hills for a cellar visit and a tasting.
The four wine experiences on this site, with the facts from each listing:
| Wine experience | Where it happens | How long | Wines poured (listing) | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Centre Guided Wine Experience | Enoteca and osteria in the centre | 1.5 to 2.5 hours | 3 to 4 Colli Bolognesi wines | On foot from Piazza del Nettuno |
| Bottega Botlé tasting | A wine shop in central Bologna | 45 minutes | Pignoletto, Sangiovese, Sangiovese Appassimento | On foot |
| Terre Rosse Vallania | Family estate, Colli Bolognesi (Zola Predosa area) | 1.5 hours | Chardonnay, sparkling Pignoletto, Pignoletto Superiore DOCG, Merlot | About 15 minutes from Bologna, per the listing |
| Cantina Tomisa | Organic estate, San Lazzaro hills | 1.5 hours | Five organic wines: sparkling, white, red | Close to the centre; guests mention the bus |
Three or four Colli Bolognesi wines with a DipWSET-certified educator, from an enoteca to an osteria. No transport needed.
Book this Tour detailsWhat wine is Bologna famous for?
Pignoletto. It is the white of the Colli Bolognesi hills, and the only DOCG named for them.
The grape behind Pignoletto is the same as Grechetto Gentile. Since 2014 the name Pignoletto has been kept for the place: it is a small village (a frazione) of Monteveglio, in the hills west of the city. You will meet it in three styles: still (fermo), lightly sparkling (frizzante) and fully sparkling (spumante). The frizzante is the one poured at aperitivo.
Bologna province also reaches into two other wine areas. Its eastern edge, around Imola, falls in the Romagna DOC for Sangiovese. And the zone of Albana, Italy's first white DOCG in 1987, includes Bologna province too. Neither is what a Bolognese means by local wine. Pignoletto is.
What are the Colli Bolognesi DOC and the Pignoletto DOCG?
Two layers of protection for the hills south of Bologna: a DOC created in 1975 for several grapes, and a DOCG since 2010 for Pignoletto alone.
The Colli Bolognesi DOC dates from a decree of 29 July 1975. Pignoletto and Cabernet Sauvignon were added in 1985, Chardonnay in 1993. The zone runs along the Apennine foothills, through Zola Predosa, Monte San Pietro, Sasso Marconi, the Valsamoggia villages (Monteveglio, Savigno, Bazzano) and San Lazzaro di Savena.
Pignoletto became a DOCG in 2010. The rules were changed in 2014, the area grew, and the original 2010 zone is now the Classico subzone. A wider Pignoletto DOC also exists, covering more of the region. On a label, look for Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto DOCG if you want the hill wine.
Wine here is old news. A parchment from 1033 records winemaking in Zola Predosa, about 12 km from the centre.
City tasting or hill winery: which wine tour should you book?
Book the city walk if you have an evening and no car. Book a hill winery if you want to stand in the vines and meet the family that makes the wine.
In the city. The guided wine walk is led by a wine educator with the WSET diploma and moves between bars, from an enoteca to an osteria. It runs rain or shine, and the listing says it is not for anyone under 18 or pregnant guests. The Bottega Botlé tasting is shorter: 45 minutes, a maximum of seven guests, three wines and a tablet sommelier game, with mortadella, Parmigiano at 12 and 24 months, honey, balsamic and three olive oils. Good before dinner. Guests mention the staff handled gluten-free requests.
In the hills. Terre Rosse Vallania was founded in 1964 by Enrico Vallania and is now run by Giulio and Enrico. You see the cellar, walk the vineyard and taste four wines with mortadella, tigelle and Parmigiano. Rain can cancel the vineyard walk. Cantina Tomisa is a family estate in the San Lazzaro hills, east of the city: a panoramic terrace, the production area, then five organic wines with cured meats and cheese. Vegetarian on request.
Three wines, Parmigiano and a sommelier game in 45 minutes: the shortest wine tasting in the centre.
Book thisWhat are the best winery tours near Bologna?
For a classic Pignoletto estate, Terre Rosse Vallania. For organic wines close to town, Cantina Tomisa. For Lambrusco, the Food Valley day near Modena.
Both hill wineries list transport to the venue, but neither listing names a pickup point. One guest at Vallania took a taxi from the centre; guests at Tomisa mention the bus. Message the operator after booking and confirm how you get there.
Public transport helps less than you would hope. The Bologna to Vignola railway stops at Zola Predosa, Ponte Ronca, Crespellano and Bazzano, but those stations are in the towns. The wineries are up in the hills. Plan on a taxi, a car or the operator's transfer.
Accessibility differs too. Vallania's listing says it is not wheelchair accessible; Tomisa's says it is.
A cellar visit, a vineyard walk and four wines from a family estate in the hills, with mortadella and tigelle.
Book this Tour detailsIs Lambrusco from Bologna?
No. Lambrusco is the wine of Modena and Reggio Emilia. You will drink plenty of it in Bologna, but the vineyards are to the west.
The Consorzio Tutela Lambrusco, formed in 2021, covers Modena and Reggio Emilia. Its DOCs carry place names from there: Lambrusco di Sorbara, Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Salamino di Santa Croce, plus Reggiano. Bologna pours it because it is the region's famous red and goes well with salumi.
If Lambrusco is the wine you came for, the Food Valley day visits a family winery at Castelvetro di Modena with seven tastings and snacks, between a Parmigiano dairy and a balsamic acetaia. The Food Valley guide covers the day stop by stop.
What is Italy's best red wine?
There is no objective answer. Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino and Amarone della Valpolicella are the names most often given.
Barolo (Piedmont) and Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany) were among Italy's four original DOCGs in 1980. Amarone della Valpolicella (Veneto) is a DOCG too. None of them comes from Emilia-Romagna.
In Bologna, drink the reds that grow nearby. Sangiovese from Romagna and Lambrusco from Modena are on most lists. The Bottega Botlé tasting pours a Sangiovese Appassimento, made from partly dried grapes, and the Colli Bolognesi make Merlot, Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon. A tasting tells you more than a ranking.
What is the drink of Bologna?
No official city drink exists. The local answers are Pignoletto at aperitivo and Amaro Montenegro after dinner.
Amaro Montenegro was created in Bologna in 1885 by Stanislao Cobianchi and renamed in 1896 after Princess Elena of Montenegro, who married the future King Victor Emmanuel III. It is still made in San Lazzaro di Savena, on the edge of the city. Order it as a digestif after a long lunch.
The Spritz you see on terraces all over town is from the Veneto, not Bologna. The pasta cooking class has you mix a Casoni Spritz, then finishes with a Montenegro, which is a fair summary of how Bologna drinks.
Roll tagliatelle with a sfoglina, then eat it with ragù, Pignoletto, Sangiovese and a Montenegro.
Book thisFrequently asked questions
What wine is Bologna known for?
Pignoletto, a white from the Colli Bolognesi hills, often served frizzante. It has been a DOCG since 2010.
Can you visit wineries from Bologna without a car?
Partly. The city wine walk and the Bottega Botlé tasting are on foot. The hill wineries list transport to the venue, but no pickup point is named, so confirm with the operator. Guests mention a taxi or the bus.
Is Lambrusco a Bologna wine?
No. Lambrusco is made in the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The Food Valley day near Modena visits a Lambrusco winery.
What is the local digestif in Bologna?
Amaro Montenegro, created in Bologna in 1885 and still made in San Lazzaro di Savena.
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option, and live availability on the booking page.
City Centre Guided Wine Experience
Colli Bolognesi wines in an enoteca and an osteria
Boutique Winery Tour at Terre Rosse Vallania
A vineyard walk and four wines from a family estate
Cantina Tomisa Organic Wine Tasting
Five organic wines on a family estate near the city
