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There is rosé and rosé

Brindisi con vino rosato

Of rosé wines, or rosé or for some simply pink, Italy is rich. We can say that each region has its own, almost always with its native grape varieties. We propose 4 of them, from different areas.

As is well known, rosé wines are made from red grapes and are obtained by a brief maceration of the skins with the must. Essendo le sostanze coloranti contenute nelle bucce, è proprio questo contatto che conferisce al vino il caratteristico colore rosato. Questo processo dura generalmente poche ore, depending on the desired color intensity. La moda attuale chiede rosati molto scarichi di colore, un leggero color cipria, ma in alcune denominazioni storiche sopravvive l’idea di un colore più carico, che connota anche all’estero i rosati tradizionali italiani.

The idea of blending red wine with white to make rosé is an ancient idea but one that was not allowed in Italy. If you really wanted to use white grapes, you had to macerate them together with the reds. With the adoption of European legislation, which allows blending instead, this practice is now allowed here as well, and we find it especially in the “new” rosés, those of more modern conception.

Let’s start with Abruzzo and the Barba brothers.

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Collemorino Barba setIn our examination, we start with one of the regions historically most dedicated to the production of rosé, to the point that it has made it a regional appellation and a name that is a badge: we are talking about the Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. Prodotto con l’uva principe della regione, il Montepulciano (minimum 85%), is a wine that has not succumbed to fads, and after all, its name comes from cerase, cherries, precisely because of its deep pink color, reminiscent of cherry red.

The producer we have chosen is Barba, 62 hectares of vineyards located in the most vocated areas of Colle Morino, Casal Thaulero and San Lorenzo. The wine is the Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Collemorino 2023.

We move on to Salento from the “dean” Leone De Castris.

Five Roses Anniversary Leone de Castris setAnother area recognized as the cradle of Italian rosés is the Salento, the base of the Apulian “heel” of this nation of ours. This is the great land of the Negroamaro, a grape variety with extraordinary potential, which is the basis of almost all the reds and rosés of this area (with the exception of Primitivi di Manduria, but we are talking about rosés). The rosé version traditionally sees a small addition of Malvasia Nera.

The first local producer to bottle rosé wine was Leone de Castris, in 1943, calling it Five Roses. After 50 years-in 1993-the Five Roses Anniversario was created and this is the wine we present: Salento Rosato Five Roses Anniversario 2023.

We go up to Castel del Monte and find Torrevento

Torrevento Castel del Monte Bombino Nero Rosato Veritas 2023 ambietataWe are in the northern Murgia, in Castel del Monte, where the 13th-century octagonal castle of Frederick II of Swabia towers, which is now a UNESCO heritage site. This is the most important of the appellations in north-central Apulia. Nero di Troia, Aglianico and Bombino Nero are the basis of soft reds and rosés, and here the rosé from Bombino Nero grapes is Docg.

One of the historic producers in the area is Torrevento and the wine we are presenting is its Castel del Monte Bombino Nero Rosato Veritas 2023.

Here we are in Valpolicella, in the Masi house.

Rosa dei Masi setThe fourth stage shakes up the cards: we go up to the Veneto and not in the Lake Garda area, where Bardolino Chiaretti is the other major enclave for rosé production, but inland. Precisely we go to the upper Valpolicella, but the rosé we have chosen is not made from local grape varieties such as Corvina, but rather from Merlot, a grape that is practically indigenous to the Veneto region.

We are offered this modern, countercultural rosé by another historic, reliable and internationally renowned winery: Masi. Ecco la sua interpretazione del vino “in rosa”, giovane, scanzonato e divertente, il Trevenezie Rosato Rosa dei Masi 2023.

All four wines offered, of course, cost a maximum of 15 euros.

TO READ THE WINE DESCRIPTIONS, WITH SCORE AND AVERAGE SHELF PRICE, CLICK ON THE TABS BELOW.

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