Albana is a white grape of Emilia-Romagna, grown mainly in the Romagna hills between Imola, Faenza, Forlì and Cesena. It makes dry, off-dry and sweet whites, from firm, golden dry wines to rich passito dessert wines, and in 1987 it became the first Italian white wine to receive DOCG status.
Albana has been grown in Romagna for many centuries. The origin of the name is not certain: it may come from the Latin albus ("white"), or from the Alban Hills near Rome. The grape has thick skins and large, loose bunches, so it resists rot and is well suited to drying for passito wines. For a long time it was best known for simple sweet and off-dry wines, but since the 1980s and 1990s producers such as Fattoria Zerbina have shown its quality both as a passito and as a structured dry white. The DOCG, first called Albana di Romagna, is now labelled Romagna Albana.
Albana grows almost only in Romagna, in the hills of the provinces of Bologna (around Imola), Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena and Rimini. The best vineyards are on clay and limestone soils, and on the spungone, a yellow sandstone found around Bertinoro. Small plantings exist elsewhere in Emilia-Romagna and central Italy.
Dry Albana is fuller and more textured than most Italian whites, and some producers ferment it on the skins like an orange wine. The passito versions are golden to amber, with dried apricot, honey and candied orange, balanced by good acidity, and can age for many years.
Start with a dry Romagna Albana DOCG, then try a passito to see the grape's other side. Producers worth knowing include Fattoria Zerbina, Tre Monti, Fattoria Monticino Rosso, Trerè, Tenuta La Viola, Al di là del fiume, San Biagio Vecchio and Villa Papiano.
Albana grows next to Sangiovese and Trebbiano in Romagna. Read our best Emilia-Romagna wines, the best Italian dessert wines, or browse the grape varieties index.