The Melara grape variety is cultivated in western Emilia-Romagna, primarily in the province of Piacenza. There is little historical documentation about this grape variety, and its origins are almost entirely unknown. It is also known by the synonym Merlara, and it owes its name to the pronounced honey-like aromatic notes developed in the wine made from its dried grapes. The thickness of the skins makes the Melara grape variety particularly suitable for drying. Melara is mainly used in the sweet Vin Santo wines of the Colli Piacentini, especially those produced around Vigoleno and in the Val d’Arda. Melara is grown alongside Santa Maria, another equally unknown variety beyond the Val d’Arda, where these grapes are cultivated. Primarily used in dessert wines, Melara grapes are dried immediately after harvest, concentrating their sugars and natural flavors for more intense wines.

Together with the Santa Maria grape variety, Melara constitutes up to 60% of the composition of Vin Santo di Vigoleno, a sweet wine produced in the hills south of Piacenza. These two grape varieties have long been blended in local wines, given their simultaneous presence in the vineyards, but they have recently been joined by other grape varieties such as Berdevino, Ortrugo, and Trebbiano Romagnolo, as well as Marsanne, a white grape from the Rhône Valley. The latter is approved for use only in the Colli Piacentini Vin Santo type and not in the more prestigious Vigoleno variant. Wines made from Melara grapes are typically very sweet, with an intense amber color and rich aromas of honey, dried citrus, and deeper notes of toasted hazelnuts and almonds.