50 shades of pink: ranking the best Italian rosé wines
Today we offer you a selection of excellent rosé wines, with character, finesse and great quality/price ratio. There are some sparkling wines, but most are still rosé wines, a category that is being reborn in Italy, after dark years of dull and opaque wines. We will make a separate ranking of sparkling wines and rosé champagnes apart, do not worry.
We will call it 50 shades of rosé, the wines not to be missed.
And do you know why rosti are being reborn and gaining credibility?
Because many of these wines are interpretations of indigenous wines, not impromptu vinifications to follow trends or to bottle a summer wine.
The rosé must have its own dignity even if it is not in the summer period. The jugs of iced rosé wine to be thrown down at the beach, eating chicken parmigiana are over …
They are wines with a nice look, acidic, savory, fragrant and well made. They are obviously not very structured, but they can offer typicality and a certain thickness: flavor, tannins or freshness. They are excellent with white meats, as an aperitif, to combine with fish, shellfish soups or grilled fish.
In a word, they are versatile wines, you can combine them with a thousand dishes, even spicy Mexican, Chinese or Indian ones.
The ones we offer are all wines linked to their territory: a Sardinian Cannonau, a Sangiovese from Maremma, a Primitivo from Puglia: we looked for wines of a certain depth, but never too tannic. Pleasantness must always be the first characteristic.
Fabula Rosé
Let’s start with a Sangiovese rosé with born in Maremma. The grapes are pressed and the must is fermented for 50 days, then refined on the noble lees in steel. The result is a tasty wine, rich in pulp, with delicious aromas of flowers and strawberries and a lot of freshness. Excellent silky tannins, but lively and a splendid flavor given by the proximity of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Cost 10 euros, a rosé, organic among other things, with an exceptional quality/price ratio.
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC Giusi, Terraviva Estate
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is a great wine, there are not many producers and the production is accurate. Not to mention that the sea and the Apennines give flavor and depth to the wines. One of our favorites is the Giusi, rocky, pungent, fresh and with elegance and great drinkability. Organic, unfiltered and made with indigenous yeasts: it does not hesitate and has a great personality. Ridiculous cost, just over 10 euros: you can’t expect more!
Martina from the Togni Rebaioli winery
From Valle Camonica comes the rosé of a small, great natural winemaker: Enrico Togni. The wine is splendid, a crazy mineral concentrate, elegant, fine, with a sidereal freshness with a complement of flowers and mint. Pure elegance for a Schiava vinified in rosé.
Rosé Malvasia of Salento by Vigneti Reale
And finally here is a classic and rocky Apulian rosé from Malvasia Nera di Lecce. Many floral scents, wild berries and the call of the sea, once again. White vinification and 8-hour maceration: the result is a very pleasant and drinkable wine with a titillating freshness and a discreet savory thickness. He does his duty, he is very clean and direct. Pair it with Caprese, fish soup, seafood carbonara, but it is also excellent as an aperitif.
Rosada Cannonau of Sardinia DOC Rosé
A rosé with a beautiful aromatic profile, tasty and full, but always declined with elegance and finesse. The body is slender, but the fruity and balsamic charm of Cannonau is felt in the background: it is a dark call that mixes with the iodine flavor of the sea. Good variety and moderate persistence for such a delicate wine: an excellent Sardinian rosé to combine with seafood, hors d’oeuvres and Sardinian gnocchi with lobster.
Puntalice DOP Cirò Rosato 2017, Senatore winery
Could a rosé Cirò be missing from the super rosé show ranking? Obviously not, they are among the best and this one from the Senatore winery is fabulous for its mineral thickness and delicate aromas. The body is slender but tenacious and never banal, the persistence, the aromas of strawberries and the pleasantness do the rest. The price is excellent, 9.90: a real bargain. To be paired with spicy chicken tacos.
Amore Umbria IGT Rosato, Barberani wineryPuntalice DOP Cirò Rosato 2017, Senatore winery
A wine to be loved for its crystalline precision. Endless rose petals, orange peel, mint, and many berries have a graceful and tantalizing bouquet. In the mouth, it is clean, very fresh and well-shaped with a slight flavor. Very delicate structure, but not brittle. The wine on the whole is very pleasant and has excellent drinkability. Almond finish. To be paired with paccheri with swordfish sauce.
Mida Rosato azienda agricola Allevi Maria Letizia
Another organic Montepulciano, this time from Marche with love. The result changes little, it is always an amazing wine, under 10 euros, with texture, still gritty tannins and a lot of pulp. A wine with few frills, lots of fruit and sometimes balsamic freshness.
Rosa, Toscana IGT, Fonterenza winery
A Tuscan rosé with a beautiful presence, straightforward, with sharp but well-made tannins and very intriguing aromas. It is a natural wine, therefore straightforward, but with impeccable precision. The nose is all cherries, flowers, mint and rock returns. In the mouth, it is savory, with an agile development that culminates in a salty crescendo. Earthy and persistent finish. A light but splendid wine. To be paired with Vitello tonnato.
Donna Rosa, Gaglioppo from the San Francesco winery
A gritty, fruity and very floral Gaglioppo, which contains a savory heart like the sea. Balanced, slender, but with delicious marine references that add elegance and depth.
Five Roses Anniversary, Leone de Castris
An immortal classic, the first rosé wine bottled in Italy. Even today it is a pleasant wine, well made, with the right balance between acidity, flavor and smooth tannins. Good persistence, lots of fruits and the call of the sea in the background. Excellent price.