27 Aug Let’s Talk About Rosato
You Say Rosé, I Say Rosato!
Rosato is the Italian parallel of the French Rosé and is the generic name for pink or blush wines made from red wine grapes in Italy. This process is achieved by not allowing the juice to be in touch with the dark skins for any length of time. Each district in Italy has then adopted a regional name for their Rosato.
Rosato from the north of Italy are a specialty and have earned DOC status in many regions, with each district having a slightly different blend of grapes. Interesting enough, the wine from the far north are lighter, and as you travel south through northern Italy and into Tuscany, the wines pick up more structure and intensity. In these regions, there are some exceptional standouts that can sit proudly alongside almost any Italian meal.
At SOUMAH, we have been making our Ai Fiori Rosato since 2013. As we plant, nurture and harvest more Italian varieties, our wine is picking up more Italian influence every year. The aim is to eventually make Ai Fiori Rosato from 100% Italian varieties on an ongoing basis.
Furthermore, we set forth to make a Rosato of some pedigree. It is not an afterthought, nor a by-product of some other production. It is a thoughtful, wild yeast, barrel fermented and barrel aged wine that is designed to be enjoyed alongside your meal — not take a back seat. Rosato is generally preferred as a lunch or picnic wine, but we are find ourselves enjoying it more as more as an aperitif, before the evening meal. With its fuller flavour, more than white wine, it really does prepare the palate and appetitto for what is coming!
Examples of the names, regions, and grapes involved in Rosato production in Italy are in this chart. There are many more, and each region — right down to the tip of the shoe — has its own recipe of varieties and production style. Below is a snapshot of four regions from the north and into Tuscany.
Ai Fiori, meaning ‘amongst the flowers’ in Italian, is our way of describing the personality of our Rosato. For our 2020 vintage, red wine grapes (Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir and Brachetto), are left in contact with the skins for a short period before wild yeast fermentation in barrel.
The breezy aromas of flowers on a summer day are accompanied by the rich depth of pomegranate and wild strawberry with hints of spice. Our Ai Fiori finishes dry with a lime and citrus leaf freshness and is perfect for relaxation, conversation, antipasti or all three combined.