This is a fascinating area, defined by gentle hills, patches of woodland, spectacular badlands, and orderly geometries of vineyards and orchards, which also provide the tables with all the other typical fruits of Vignola: plums, apricots, peaches, pears….
Here, where for centuries Bologna and Modena clashed in epic battles, as also recounted by Tassoni, cherry trees find an ideal habitat, a particular microclimate that, combined with the skilled hand of man, leads each year, in this season, to the harvest of tasty and irresistible red fruits. A product of excellent quality, which had already conquered the northern European markets in the post-war period and today, also thanks to the introduction of new varieties and the improvement of production techniques, confirms its leadership in the market.
The itinerary
After passing Casalecchio di Reno, at the gates of Bologna, the provincial Bazzanese road offers the first glimpse of the hills and quickly leads to Zola Predosa, a town with a dual character, agricultural and industrial, as suggested by the “Grande Ruota” by sculptor Martani, welcoming visitors at the town’s entrance.
Before going to look for the cherry-laden trees, it’s worthwhile, if arriving in the morning, to make a sweet stop at the Marsigli bakery-pastry shop, where, upon entering, you are enveloped by the scent of freshly baked cherry tarts, pinze and raviole (traditional Bolognese sweets) filled with jam, small pastries garnished with custard cream and Duroni Rubavista cherries, fruit pies and countless other delicacies, including the typical zuccherini montanari, made with flour, eggs, and Romagna aniseeds.
From here to the Vecchia Malga, the well-stocked cheese and cured meats shop of the Chiari family, another emblematic name of local gastronomy, is a short step. House specialties include artisanal mascarpone cakes garnished with cherries or other fruit and various vegetables, as well as stuffed tomini cheeses, very fresh scamorze and a hard cheese aged 24 months, called “Re Nero”. All products come from the dairy in Rocca di Roffeno, at 800 meters in the Apennines, surrounded by organic pastures where Brown Alpine cows are raised. Before leaving the inhabited center of Zola Predosa, it is recommended to also stop at Azienda Agricola Lodi-Corazza, where a shop with an attractive name, DeGusto, is nestled; there Silvia Corazza, one of the owners, offers jams, cherries preserved in spirit and syrup, Duroni and Morette pulp, natural plum pulp, juices and syruped plums, organic honey, and a selection of the company’s D.O.C. wines, among which is the typical Pignoletto, made from grapes produced by the only native grape variety in the area, resulting in a straw-yellow colored wine with a delicate and fruity aroma, dry, harmonious, and fairly persistent flavor. Perfect with cured meats and tigelle, fish appetizers, and even, many claim, with classic tortellini.
Just outside the town appears the sign of Azienda Agricola “Da Zia Polly”, run by Mrs. Lucia Benini and her husband Giorgio, who cultivate cherry trees of all varieties, peach trees, plum trees, apricot trees, strawberries, and seasonal vegetables on three hectares of land.
Beyond the skilful cultivation techniques and the favorable microclimate of the foothill belt, what makes these cherries excellent is also the so-called “Vignolese” processing.
Already from the post-war period, our cherries had conquered northern European markets; the older generation still remembers the freight cars that carried baskets full of red fruits to England amid huge blocks of ice>>.
Regaining the provincial Bazzanese road, one just has to follow it, immersing oneself in a landscape of soft lines, gently moved by harmonious geometries of vineyards and orchards, patches of woodland, and some small castles, which testify to the ancient rivalries between Bologna and Modena. After passing Bazzano, with the evocative Rocca Bentivoglio, home to cultural initiatives and the “Crespellani” Archaeological Museum, the cherry-themed route leads towards Monteveglio, where in the Oliveto area appears La Faggiola, an agritourism farm specialized in the production of fruit, honey, and organic cereals.
