Emilia Romagna is a large region in northern Italy with more than 55,000ha under vine. It is one of the oldest of Italy`s wine growing regions with evidence of winemaking that dates back as far as the 7th century BC. In the west the rolling hills and Apennine peaks give way to the lower-lying plains east of Parma, Modena and Bologna, and beyond that the coastal plains of the Ferrara province, where a notable portion of the land lies just below sea level. The river Po flows west to east across all these features, marking the region`s northern border and linking the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea.