No red, no white. Just rosé! Don’t call it a hybrid; it’s not a blend of white and red. Rosé is a wine famous for its pinkish color, and it stands in a category all on its own (with dignity, we might add)! In fact, every year in the United States, this particular wine is celebrated on National Rosé Day, which happens to fall on the second Saturday in June. This year, the holiday for pink wine-lovers is June 13th.
Rosé – or rosato in Italian – with its unique color, is generally associated with summertime. Nothing better than sitting by a pool or under a beach cabana while sipping a glass of chilled rosé, right?
It might come as a surprise, but rosé is actually the oldest known type of wine. There is not an accurate date of when the first wine labeled as a rosé was produced, but it is very likely that many of the earliest red wines were closer in appearance to today's rosé wines than they would be to our modern red wines. The reason being that many of the winemaking techniques used to make today's darker, more tannic red wines (such as extended maceration and harder pressing) were not widely practiced in ancient winemaking. In simple terms, rosé wines are fermented red wines that have had only minimal contact with the grape skins.
Mariarosa Tartaglione
Mariarosa Tartaglione, Wine Director of Ai Fiori NYC, gave us a lesson on this delectable summer drink. The Italian-born expert moved to New York City in 2013, where she achieved her American Sommelier certification. In 2016, she started work at the two-star Michelin restaurant Marea in Central Park South, followed by her current position since January 2019 as manager of the award-winning wine program at Ai Fiori, the one-star Michelin restaurant housed within the Langham Hotel on 5th Avenue.
To start, Tartaglione explains the rosé production process a little further, before sharing her pairing tips: “The most common quality production is based on extracting the color from red grape skins. (The color of the grape is in fact exclusively on its skin. The pulp is always white!) Then the grapes are macerated for a variable length of time, before pressing the skins for juice and fermenting. It’s easy to see then that the longer the maceration time, the darker the wine will be – and vice-versa. The characteristics of the grape variety are also another determining factor: A higher concentration of colorful pigments on the grape skin leads to a more intense rosé color.” This explains why we have different varieties of pink.
The number one country for rosé production is France – with 28% of the world’s total production. Mariarosa explains: “France is the leader in this category, with Provence being the most famous, productive and historic wine region in the country, dominating the international market since the early 2000s. But Italy and Spain are leaders of export in terms of quantity, according to the most recent data from France Agrimer.”
Over the last five years, the US has seen a spike in rosé consumption – and the same goes for the Italian rosato. “There’s something that makes Italian rosé, which we proudly call rosato, unique, and there is so much diversity as well! Half of the entire world’s rosé production is made simply by three varieties of grape (those from Provence, or Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault). With 2000 indigenous grapes in Italy, we can offer so many different rosato wines,” says Mariarosa.
With such a wide range of styles, each consumer can find their favorite – and Mariarosa has some advice for the best food pairings:
“If you prefer fresh and crisp whites, that are more delicate in color and flavor, I recommend a lighter-colored rosato, like Chiaretto – one of the most established rosé varieties from the shores of Lake Garda. It works well with many of the classic recipes from this area, such as the sbrisolona (beef tartar with cheese fondue), pasta, main courses with freshwater fish, or risotto with squash and Formagella Tremosine cheese. I suggest a nice Cavalchina Chiaretto Bardolino 2019. For a more fruit-forward medium-bodied rosato, you absolutely must explore the South of Italy! The charming coasts of Salento (in Puglia) are home to spectacular wines made with bombino nero, negroamaro or susumaniello grapes. I recommend the Rosa del Golfo Rosato Negramaro 2019 from Salento, where you would traditionally drink it with U purpu alla pignata, a dish with octopus and potatoes, or frisedde, hard biscuits from Puglia served with fresh local tomatoes. Red wine lovers should try the Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, made with Montepulciano grapes. This wine is darker in color, more tannic, and can be paired with dishes classically associated with lighter recipes made with red sauce, such as a rich tomato or seafood soup – or you can serve it with spicy white meats, red peppers and other flavorful vegetables. Another good choice is the Tiberio Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo 2019, made by the incredibly talented lady winemaker, Cristiana Tiberio. And you definitely don’t want to miss out on a nice sparkling rosato! There are excellent wineries that produce champagne-like sparkling varieties in Trento and Franciacorta, made by blending Pinot Nero with Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco. For a well-aged (and more serious) rosé, try the Cesarini Sforza 1673 Rosé Millesimato TrentoDOC 2013.”