Historically, southern France has taken center stage as the region for rosé wines, the light red, sometimes pinkish-orange wines that don the shelves of restaurants and retail stores in the spring. However, Italy is now becoming known for its rosé wines. Due to the country’s varied climates, Italy puts forth rosés in different styles and taste profiles, which are making it the go-to country for these wines.
First, let’s dispel some myths about rosé wines. They are not made from pink grapes. Rosé is made mostly from red grapes. The color of the rosé wine is due to the grape’s red skins and its contact with the wine juice. If you squeeze a red grape, the juice that comes out is clear. Red and rosé wines achieve their color not from the juice but from the juice’s contact with the grape’s skins.
For rosés, winemakers allow the grape’s juice to soak with its skins typically just for hours. For red wines, the grape’s skins and juice can remain in contact for days or weeks. Hence the reason red wines are a deep color and rosé wines are a shade of pink. Each winemaker makes her or his own decision on how long the skins and juice remain in contact, based on the resulting color and desired taste. After the winemaker obtains that color and taste, wine fermentation is started.
Most rosé wines also are fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged. Therefore, the resulting wines generally have a fresh vibrant and crisp profile. Still, each one is different, based on the soil in which it is grown, the climate of the region and the winemaker’s methods.
The varied cuisines of spring and summer are great partners for rosé wines. Fresh seafood, lighter salads and even meats on the grill pair nicely with rosés. Here are my top three Italian rosé wine picks for this season.
[caption id="attachment_437481" align="alignright" width="324"]
A DIFFERENT SHADE: These rosés from Italy will pair with a variety of dishes that are commonly served in the spring and summer.
COURTESY JESSICA NORRIS GRANATIERO[/caption]
La Spinetta Il Rosé di Casanova, Tuscany, Italy. The Rivetti family owns La Spinetta in both Piedmont and Tuscany. Its Tuscan property is where its rosé is produced. This wine is made from two red grapes – 50% sangiovese and 50% prugnolo gentile – that are then fermented in stainless steel. Winemaker Giorgio Rivetti brings a fresh, crisp style with notes of freshly picked cherries and soft hints of watermelon. Pair with shrimp, grilled octopus and potato salad or turkey burgers.
Garofoli Montepulciano Rosato, Marche, Italy. The Garofoli property dates back to the end of the 1800s when Antonio Garofoli made wine for the local townspeople in the Marche, a coastal area in central Italy that borders Umbria, Emilia Romagna, Abruzzo and Tuscany. Today, the Garofoli properties are still family-owned and run by its fourth and fifth generations. Its rosato wine is made from the grape Montepulciano, and the coastal climate influences the resulting taste profile. With a slight salinity that is reminiscent of the ocean, the wine is refreshing with a bracing, yet balanced, acidity. It’s fruit forward with hints of cherry and watermelon with a hint of spice at the end. Pair with a sunny side up egg with shaved truffle, fruit salads and sea scallops atop asparagus risotto.
La Valentina Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, Italy. The Abruzzo region, historically, has been known for inexpensive bulk wine. That has changed, and La Valentina is right at the front of it. This rosato, known in the region as cerasuolo, is made from the grape Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Quite different in appearance than many other rosé wines, it has a deep fuchsia pink hue. It’s also richer in body than most other rosés. It displays notes of strawberries and spice on the full-bodied palate that ends with a nice mineral tinge. Pair with blue-cheese burgers, barbecue ribs and grilled chicken atop arugula, feta and strawberries.
Jessica Norris Granatiero is the founder of The Savory Grape, a wine, beer and spirits shop in East Greenwich. She can be reached through her website, www.jessicagranatiero.com.
