There is a magical moment every golfer knows: the one that follows the last putt of the day, when the shoes come off, the clubs are set down, and you finally sit with a glass in hand to relive the day on the fairways, shot by shot. In Emilia, this moment takes on a special dimension, because the glass waiting for you is no ordinary wine: it is the liquid expression of an extraordinary territory, of hills that know how to turn grapes into emotions.
Emilia does not have the wine fame of Tuscany or Piedmont, and strangely enough, that is one of its greatest strengths. Less celebrated means less touristy, more authentic. Emilian wines are often easy-drinking, cheerful, fragrant: they pair naturally with local food and with the conviviality that defines this region. These are wines that do not ask to be studied with academic seriousness, but enjoyed with the same spontaneity as an afternoon round with friends.
Lambrusco is drunk the way you play a short par 3: with ease, confidence, and the certainty that pleasure is guaranteed.
Lambrusco: The Misunderstood Wine That Wins You Over
Let’s address the elephant in the room right away: Lambrusco. For decades dismissed by wine purists, associated with semi-sweet, industrial versions that flooded supermarkets across half the world in the 1980s, true Lambrusco is today the subject of an enthusiastic reappraisal by critics, sommeliers, and enthusiasts worldwide.
Genuine Lambrusco, dry, sparkling, with a deep ruby colour and a pink foam that slowly fades in the glass, is a wine of extraordinary character. The four main DOC denominations produce wines ranging from the most elegant and floral to the most robust and tannic, capable of accompanying an entire meal, from cured meats to pasta with ragù, with a versatility few other wines in the world can match. A curious fact: quality dry Lambrusco is today among the most sought-after Italian wines in the finest restaurants of London, New York, and Tokyo.
Malvasia di Candia Aromatica: The Surprise of the Parma Hills
If Lambrusco is Emilia’s wine par excellence, Malvasia di Candia Aromatica from the Colli di Parma is its best-kept secret. Produced on the hills surrounding Parma, the very same hills that form the backdrop to Golf Salsomaggiore, it has an almost moving fragrance of rose, lychee, apricot, and acacia blossom. It is the wine of sunset aperitivo, of the moment when the sun sets over the vines and you wish time would stop. Produced in limited quantities, it remains a jealously guarded local treasure.
Cellar on display
Cantina Il Poggio
Salsomaggiore Terme · a few minutes from Salsomaggiore Golf Club
If there’s one place that perfectly embodies the meeting between the worlds of golf and wine in Emilia, it’s Cantina Il Poggio, located just minutes from the 18-hole Salsomaggiore Terme course—one of the Emilia Golf Experience consortium’s flagship courses.
Nestled in the vineyards of the Parma hills, this winery is much more than a place of production: it’s a destination where time slows and the senses open. Guided tastings allow you to explore the range of local wines—from Malvasia frizzante to Lambrusco, from full-bodied reds to sparkling wines—with the depth of someone who knows every vine by name.
But the most special moment is the sunset aperitivo: when the sun sinks behind the hills and paints the vineyards gold and red, the outdoor tables come alive with freshly showered golfers, travelers, and locals. Glasses of sparkling Malvasia, platters of cured meats and aged Parmigiano, the magical light of the golden hour on the Apennines in the background.
Emilia’s Great Wines: A Map for the Curious Golfer
The most elegant of the Lambruscos. Strawberry and rose notes. Ideal with Parma cured meats.
Rose, lychee, peach. The perfect aperitivo after golf, fresh and fragrant.
The most full-bodied of the family. Stands up to a steak or a rich ragù.
Herbaceous, fresh, mineral. A surprise in its local artisanal versions.
An ancient grape variety from the Parma area, nearly extinct and now reappraised by connoisseurs.
The Reggio Emilia version: fruitier, more approachable, excellent with local tigelle.
How to Pair Emilian Wine After Golf
If you’re at the clubhouse right after the round, in the warm afternoon of an Emilian summer, the almost obligatory choice is a chilled sparkling Malvasia, well cold, with a few slices of Prosciutto di Parma and shavings of Parmigiano. If the evening carries on into dinner and the first courses arrive, the switch to dry Lambrusco is natural and inevitable. Its sparkle cuts through the richness of the sauce, its tannins meld with the pasta, and its serving temperature, around 14°C, keeps the palate lively throughout the meal.
The Emilian Aperitif Ritual
The aperitivo in Emilia is a deep, almost sacred ritual that marks the passage from day into evening. It begins with a glass of Lambrusco or Malvasia, continues with platters of local products, culatello, salame, coppa, Parmigiano, and unfolds slowly, unhurried, with the awareness that time devoted to pleasure is never time wasted. Cantina Il Poggio, with its evening aperitivo among the vineyards of Salsomaggiore, offers this experience in its purest form: just the sunset, the silence of the vineyards, and the natural conversation that arises when people meet in a beautiful place with a glass in hand.
The Emilia Golf Experience Board
After a day on the 18-hole course at Salsomaggiore Terme, Cantina Il Poggio is just a few minutes away by car. If you’re in the area during the summer months, plan your visit to coincide with Thursday evening: the sunset aperitivo among the vineyards turns a good day of golf into an unforgettable memory. Book in advance: seats are limited and word has spread.
Wine Tourism in Emilia: A Growing Phenomenon
In recent years, wine tourism in Emilia has seen significant growth, driven by the international rediscovery of local wines and growing interest in authentic experiences away from mass-tourism circuits. For a foreign golfer with an Emilia Golf Experience package, combining morning rounds on the fairways with afternoons in the wine cellars represents an increasingly sought-after holiday formula: active, culturally rich, gastronomically satisfying. A holiday that leaves something lasting, not just the memory of good shots, but the awareness of having come to know a territory in its fullness.