Think Pink: Italy’s Lively 2018 Rosatos

BY IAN D'AGATA | MAY 1, 2019 

Read Part 2 Here

Italy, long viewed as mostly a treasure trove of red wines, in fact loves to drink pink. Some wine lovers might simplistically think that one pink wine fits all. Not so, or at least not in Italy, where you can choose, in increasing depth of hue, between Chiaretto (typical of the Lake Garda area, divided between Lombardy and Veneto), Rosato (made all over the country) and Cerasuolo (the darkest of all Italian pink wines, essentially a light red wine that is traditional and highly typical of Abruzzo). Of these, Chiaretto most reflects the style of Rosé that is currently the rage all over the world, a wine so pale pink in color that it is almost transparent. There are two different Chiarettos: Bardolino Chiaretto (made with the typical grape varieties of Veneto, including Corvina and Molinara) and Valtènesi Chiaretto, made on the Lombard shores of Lake Garda (usually from a blend of the Groppello varieties, Barbera, Marzemino and Sangiovese). Rosato is the name of the Italian Rosés that are most like the pink or blush wines that most people think of as Rosé; they are characterized by darker colors and more flesh than Chiarettos. Last but not least, Cerasuolo is more light red than pink in style. The full name of the wine is Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo (not to be confused with Cerasuolo di Vittoria, which is a Sicilian red wine). Unlike other Rosatos, Cerasuolo is not a floral, often slightly sweet “summer supper” meant to go down like water on a hot afternoon. Rather, it is much fleshier, boasting ripe red fruit and offering both size and a hint of tannins. In fact, Cerasuolo has always been viewed as ideal for drinking in autumn (and all year long). Rosato wines are made in every region of Italy, but the best come from Lombardy, Veneto, Abruzzo and Puglia.

The Marche vineyards provide lots of grapes for Rosato production

What’s New in Italian Rosato