Colli Piacentini DOC

[KAWL-lee pyah-tchen-TEE-nee] In 1984 this doc combined three previous DOC areas (Gutturnio dei Colli Piacentini, Monterosso Val d'Arda, and Trebbianino Val Trebbia) plus several other areas under this one designation. It's located south of Piacenza in the western part of Italy's emilia-romagna region. This DOC allows varietal wines made from barbera, bonarda, malvasia, Orturgo, Pinot Nero (pinot noir), and sauvignon blanc. Each of these varietal wines can have up to 15 percent of other approved grapes blended with them. They all have dry and still or frizzante versions; some can be semisweet or sweet, some spumante. Gutturnio is a blend of Barbera and Bonarda that can be made dry or sweet and also frizzante. Other approved blended wines are Monterosso Val d'Arda, Trebbianino Val Trebbia, and Val Nure-all are made from approved white varieties and can be dry or amabile (medium-sweet) and still, frizzante, or spumante.