Italian ROSÈ for All Seasons

Rosé wine can be enjoyed all year long because it pairs well with many different foods, but for many of us summertime is when we think Rosé.  With that in mind, Irene Graziotto of studio cru, a marketing agency based in Vicenza, Italy, hosted a webinar on the topic of Rose’ sponsored by the The New Istituto del Vino Rosa Autoctono Italiano.  Rosautoctono means “native pink.”

The New Istituto del Vino Rosa Autoctono Italiano was founded in Rome in 2019. Luigi Cataldi Madonna and Franco Cristoforetti were the organizers. It is a partisanship of six historical pink wine producing areas using indigenous grapes: Veltenesi Chiaretto (Lombardia grape: Groppello), Chiaretto di Bardolino (Veneto grape: Corvina Veronese), Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo (Abruzzo grape: Montepulciano), Castel del Monte Bombino Nero/Rosato (Puglia grape: Bombino Nero), Salice Salentino Rosato (Puglia grape: Negroamaro), Ciro Rosato (Calabria grape Gaglioppo).

One of the speakers was Franco Cristoforetti of the Tutela Chiaretto and he spoke about the Rosautoctono and Chiaretto.

The main speaker was wine writer Katherine Cole, author of Rose’ All Day.  Katherine gave a brief history of rose’ wine and said that it was most likely the earliest and oldest style of wine going back to the Paleolithic Era.  Many ancient Greek and Roman writers wrote about “pale wine” including Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia. 

Katherine mentioned that in Northern Italy, “pink” wine is referred to as Rose’ and she attributes this to the Roman influence. In Southern Italy, the wine is darker and is referred to as Rosato because of the Greek influence. In general the Rose’ of the north tends to be lighter and the Rosato of the south darker with more body. I have seen the terms Rose’ and Rosato used in both the North and the South. Also it seems that the producers are going for a lighter style like the ones from Provence.

Another speaker was Angelo Petetti, Director of Rosautoctono  and the Consorzio di Tutela Chiaretto. He was very upset that European legislation fails to recognize pink wine, instead classifying them as “non white,” and urged that this legislation should be changed. He also said that Rose’ wine can age for a few years. Katherine mentioned that she had a 5-year-old Rose’ and it was drinking very well. I like my Rose’ at least 3 years old.

Luigi Cataldi Madonna, one of the founders of Rosautoctono, produces Rose’ wines that go from very light in color to one that could be mistaken for a red wine.

 

 

Prosecco DOC Rose’ Brut Millesimato 2020 Consorzio Tutela Prosecco made from 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Noir from vines in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. The soil here is mainly of alluvial origin rich in subsoil. Harvest is the end of August for the Glera and the end of September for the Pinot Noir. Whole white grapes (Glera) are put into the pneumatic press for soft pressing and the resulting must is put into temperature controlled tanks where it remains until it is used for the production of the sparkling wine. The red grapes (Pinot Noir), after pressing are put into thanks where a soft maceration for extraction of and tannins takes place at a controlled temperature. For the secondary fermentation the white must and a small amount of red wine are mixed. Selected yeasts are added and put into vessels where fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature. 

 When the required alcohol and sugar content is reached fermentation is stopped by refrigeration. After two months in contact with the yeast (Martinotti method), the sparkling wine is ready for bottling. Alcohol 11%. Residual sugar 10g/l. This is a wine produced by the Consorzio Tutela Prosecco from grapes from the 9 Prosecco producing areas.

Tanja Barattin, another speaker, who is in charge of promotion at Consorzio di Tutela Prosecco said that the new Prosecco Rose’ has become very popular and America has become the biggest market. 

Angelo Petetti said Chiaretto is the only Italian Rosa appellation. He also said the most of the Chiaretto is largely consumed by French and Germans.

Bardolino Chiaretto Classico 2020 (Vino Rosato Secco) Corte Gordoni made from 80% Corvina and 20% Rondinella. The production zone is Valeggio sul Mincio on the hills south of Lake Garda. There is prevalent skeleton terrain with a silty, clayey texture. The wine has hints of red berries and cherries.

Franco Cristoforetti said with the 2021 vintage up to 95% Corvina Veronese will be allowed in the blend.

Bardolino Chiaretti Classico Rosato secco 2020 Valetti made from Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara and Sangiovese from the hilly shores of southeast lake Garda at 100 to 250 meters. The soil is gravelly of morenic origin and the training system is guyot and pergola. There is a soft pressing of the grape and maceration with the skins for 12 to 36 hours. Fermentation at a controlled temperature and it is in steel tanks for 5 months until bottling. The wine has hints of red fruit, raspberries, strawberries and cherries.

Cerasuolo D’ Abruzzo 2020 “Valforte Rosè  Barone di Valforte made from 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Vineyard is at 150 to 350 meters and the soil is sandy and clay of medium mix. The training system is buttressed cordon espalier and there are 4,200 plants per hectare. Harvest is the last 10 days of September and the beginning of October. Vinification: cold steeping. Refinement: cold process techniques. The wine has hints of strawberry, cherry and a  hint of violets.

Cerasuolo d’ Abruzzo 2020 “Torre Zambra“ Colle Maggio Federico de Cerchio Family Estates made from 100% Montepulciano di Abruzzo from vineyards at 180 meters with a southern exposure. The training system is Abruzzo pergola. Harvest is the first 10 days of October. Clusters are hand picked and packed with dry ice. The bunches are soft crushed as for white wine making and the must is separated from the skins after 8 hours for a cherry pink hue. There is 14 day fermentation at a controlled temperature. The wine spends two months in stainless steel vats on the lees and two months in bottle. The wine has hints of red fruit, cherry, plums and a hint of red currants and a touch of white pepper. The name cerasuolo comes from the dialect word cerasa, which means cherry.

Ciro DOC Rosato 2020 Sengo Librandi  Librandi made from 100% Gaglioppo. The soil is clay and calcareous and the training system is traditional alberello and spurred cordon. There are 5,000 vines per hectare. Harvest is the last week of September and the first week of October. Vinification is in stainless steel vats with racking and brief maceration. The wine is aged in stainless steel vats. It has hints of ripe cherry, strawberry and raspberry.

Luigi Cataldi Madonna, one of the founders of Rosautoctono, produces Rose’ wines that go from very light in color to one that could be mistaken for a red wine.

Whatever your preference is in, Rose the Italians have every style from very light to darker with more body. The choice is yours to enjoy. All the wines retail for about $15 a bottle.

 

Pecorino, Cerasuolo & Montepulciano at Tenuta I Fauri

On our recent press trip to the Abruzzo Region of Italy, we visited a number of wineries that produced excellent wines.

At Tenuta I Fauri, we were greeted by Valentina Di Camillo, a member of the family that owns the winery, and the Managing Director.

Valentina at the Grand Tasting Dei Vini D’Abruzzo

The winery is located in the small town of Ari in the center of the province of Chieri, among the hills that drop down from the Maiella Mountains to the Adriatic Sea.

The vineyards are at 250 meters and the vine training system  is tendone

Valentina said she and her brother Luigi, the winemaker, inherited their passion for making wine from their father Domenico. Tenuta I Fauri is not just a brand name but represents a family dedicated to wine production for many years.

Valentina said the cellar in not very photogenic because of the old cement tanks, used by her grandfather Luigi, which have been carefully restored and preserved so they can be used once again.  There are also new stainless steel fermenters and a few wooden barrels.

Valentina had prepared a selection of foods to taste with the wine,

among them fresh fruits and vegetables.

Abruzzo Pecorino DOC 2017 made from 100% Pecorino. The soil is clay calcareous and the training and pruning methods are tendone, single curtain/rows (spur training). There are 1,600/3,000 vines per hectare. Static decanting of the must takes place, followed by a soft pressing. Fermentation is in stainless steel at a controlled temperature and the wine is aged in stainless steel. The wine is bottled at the end of February. The wine has hints of apple and honey and a touch of mint.

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC “Baldovino (Rosato) 2018 made from 100% Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo. The soil is clay calcareous and the training system is tendone, single curtain. There are 1,600 vines per hectare. Maceration takes place inside the press and static decanting of the must and a soft pressing. Fermentation at a controlled temperature is in stainless steel vats. The wine is bottled at the end of February. This is a fruity wine with hints of cherries, strawberries and a touch of almonds in the aftertaste.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo “Ottobre Rosso” 2017 DOC. The training system is single curtain tendone and there are 3,000 vines per hectare. Fermentation and maceration is in concrete vats for 10/12 days followed by 9 months aging in concrete vats. The wine is bottled in June. This is a red wine with intense red fruit aromas and flavors with hints of wild cherry and a touch of raspberry.

Spumante Brut NV made from Chardonnay and Pecorino. The soil is sandy and the training system is tendone, single curtain. There are 1,600 plants per hectare. Static decanting of the must followed by a soft pressing and fermentation at a controlled temperature. There is a second fermentation in an autoclave for 3 months and it is bottled in January. The wine has hints of peach and apricot with a touch of pineapple.

Both Michele and I were very impressed by the wines. We tasted the wines again at the Grand Tasting at the end of the trip and I enjoyed them again at an event in NYC.

 

One Wine Bar, One Restaurant and Tartufo in Rome

There are so many wonderful restaurants in Rome and Michele and I try to eat in as many as possible. We rented and apartment for two weeks in the Monti which is close to the colosseum and the forum and were able to walk to many of them.  

Enoteca Cavour 313, located at 313 Via Cavour, is a wine bar in Rome that I always wanted to try but never got to. Last month we rented an apartment in the Monti section of Rome and I realized that it was right around the corner so we went. It is a cross between a pub and a bistro with dark wooden beams running across the ceiling.

There are two wine lists. One is for the restaurant and it contains close to 1,000 labels in all price ranges. The other is a list of wines for sale that you can take home with you.

The menu is limited but appealing. I had an insalata mista and roast pork with house made pear mostarda. The pork was perfectly cooked and delicious.

We drank a Bramaterra 2005 from Tenuta Sella made from 70% Nebbiolo, 20% Croatina and 10% Vespolina. The production area is in Northern Piedmont. The vines are 48 years old, the exposure is Southwest, the vineyard is at 300 to 350 meters the training system is guyot and the soil is volcanic in origin and reddish brown in color. Harvest takes place between September 22 and October 12. After the grapes are crushed, fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with pumping over and delestage. There is 30 days maceration for the Nebbiolo and 16 for the Croatina. The wine is aged in 10 hl Slavonian oak casks for 28 months. The wine was showing no signs of age. There were hints of faded roses, leather, blackberries and a hint of spice. The wine could age for another 10 years. It is an excellent buy.

Roscioli Salumeria Vineria con Cucina – Via dei Giubbonari 21-22. Roscioli is very difficult to describe because it is not only a restaurant but also a salumeria, a shop specializing in salumi and cheese, and a wine bar all at the same time,

It was opened in 2002 when Alessandro and Pierluigi Roscioli decided to make the change from the family grocery. They also have a bakery named Roscioli around the corner, with the best fig bread I have ever eaten. They also sell Roman style pizza by the slice. Michele likes the restaurant because it has one of the best spaghetti carbonaras in Rome.

We started with hand made Mortadella from Bologna garnished with crisp bread and 36 month aged Parmigiano Reggiano from red cows.

Then I had the water buffalo DOP mozzarella from Paestum served with Cantabrian anchovies and Taggiasche olives.

We both ordered La Carbonara: Spaghettone Pasta tossed with bits of crispy guanciale (pork cheeks), black pepper, Paolo Parisi eggs and Roman Pecorino DOP.

The wine was the 2012 Cerasuolo d’ Abruzzo (Rosè) made from100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from Eduardo Valentini. Aged in large botti of Slavonian oak for 12 months. There was just a touch of strawberry in the wine but that may be the only thing it has in common with other rose wines. I believe it is Italy’s best Rosè and it was less than 40 Euro in the restaurant. Eduardo passed away a few years ago but his son Francesco continues the tradition. 

Taurasi Radici 1998 Riserva 100% Aglianico Mastroberadino The soil is poor in organic substances but with a high content of clay, limestone, minerals and microelements. The vineyards are on two hills, Mirabella vineyard at 500 meters and the Montemarano vineyard at 550 meters. Because of its position on the hill and its altitude, the temperature at the Montemarano vineyard is much colder and the grapes are picked a little later. Harvest is from the end of October into the beginning of November. The vinification is the classic one for red wine, long maceration with skin contact at controlled temperatures. The wine spends one year in Slovenian oak barrels and two years in bottle, the wine can be laid down for 10 to 15 years. The riserva stays in medium sized 40 to 50HL oak casks for 2 years and 2 years in bottle. It can live in the bottle for 25-40 years. This is the way I believe the 1998 was produced. The wine was showing no signs of age. This is a full, complex wine with hints of black cherry, plum, spice, smoke and a touch of leather.

Roscioli has a very good wine list and the wines are displayed on the walls of the restaurant.

We were walking in the Piazza Navona and passed Tre Scalini, a café and restaurant famous for its Tartufo, chocolate covered chocolate gelato. The tartufo was created in 1946 by the head of the Ciampini family.

It has 13 varieties of Swiss chocolate and the exact recipe is still a secret. It has been a number of years since we had one so we decided to try it once again. The shape is different than I remember it, but it was just as good.