When the wines from this area were upgraded from DOC to DOCG status in 1987, the event sparked much controversy. Many wine reviewers had hoped the DOCG designation would be reserved for outstanding high-quality wines, and the Albana di Romagna wines weren’t viewed as such. At their best, these wines, which are made from the ALBANA grape, are SMOOTH yet CRISP, with hints of nuttiness. Their quality, however, is quite variable, and the wines are generally not considered world class. The area for producing these wines is extremely large and is located in the EMILIA-ROMAGNA region in northern Italy. Albana di Romagna covers the vineyards surrounding over twenty villages between Bologna and Rimini. The DOCG designation allows many styles of wine including AMABILE, SECCO, PASSITO, and DOLCE. The SPUMANTE wines may still only be classified as DOC. The best versions are the sweet ones, passito and dolce.