Even though Italian rosé, or rosato in Italian, seems to be a new phenomenon, it most certainly is not: some of the Italian rosati listed below have been made for a century, if not centuries.
The reason we have not heard of Italian rosati is mainly because Italians were not convinced their rosé wines were as serious as their beloved and vast range of reds and whites. But, with pink-producing neighbors like France, and the international palate finding rosé wines more appealing—and not just in the summer, but year round—the Italians have begun to market and celebrate their rosati on a broader scale. As they should, because they are wonderful!
Fascinated by the endless wine choices Italy has to offer thanks to its wealth of native grape varieties, I’ve put together this list of top Italian rosati that are waiting for you on the shelves of your local wine shops or in a quarterly shipment of La Dolce Vigna’s Wine + Culture Club.
Top Rosati Wines of Italy
Bardolino Chiaretto
Veneto
This pale-pink rosé hailing from the eastern banks of Lake Garda in the Veneto has been a DOC wine since 1968. Chiaretto means “little pale one” because it is the rosé version of Bardolino, a versatile, light red wine mainly made from the local Corvina grape variety. It is one of my go-to Italian rosati thanks to the smooth, balanced acidity and summery flavors of strawberries and summer herbs. Locals of the Bardolino wine region often pair this wine with lake trout, but it would be fantastic with salads, light pasta dishes, or on its own as an aperitivo.
Favorite Producers:
Le Fraghe, Le Morette, Cantina Gorgo, Vigneti Villabella
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo announces itself with a loud hot pink color, verging, at times, on magenta. The color comes from the region’s famed Montepulciano grapes, whose skins have high levels of anthocynanins (color-giving compounds). Even a few short hours of skin contact will imbue the must with its potent hue. Rest assured, however, this wine is not sweet: The mountainous terrain of Abruzzo allows for a high diurnal temperature variation, preserving the acidity of the grapes. The Montepulciano grape skins also transmit light tannins, making this wine a perfect pairing with an abundant charcuterie board. You can expect red cherry, rhubarb and cranberry flavors alongside that solid structure.
Favorite Producers:
Amarotti, Agricola Cirelli, Cantine Mucci, Tiberio, Masciarelli
Salento Rosato
Puglia
Salento is the most southern part of Puglia, beginning mid-heel and continuing through to the stiletto point that is Santa Maria di Leuca. On this vast plain, consisting of mainly clay and limestone soils and surrounded by the Mediterranean, grow native grapes such as Negroamaro, Aleatico, Malvasia Nera and Primitivo. A delicious Negroamaro-based rosato has been made here for nearly a century, which typically has a bright pink peony color, fresh acidity, and black cherry notes with a touch of floral and sweet spices.
Also for your rosato radar: Puglia’s rosés made from Susumaniello (also found in the Salento), Bombino Nero grapes (Castel del Monte wine region) and Primitivo (Primitivo di Manduria and Gioia del Colle regions).
Favorite Producers
Leone de Castris (Negroamaro-based and Primitivo), Castello Monaci (Negroamaro-based), Tormaresca (Negroamaro-based), Li Veli (Susumaniello), Polvanera (Primitivo), Cantina Carpentiere (Bombino Nero)
Etna Rosato
Sicily
On the northern and eastern flanks of Mount Etna, Europe’s largest volcano and one of the most active in the world, lies Sicily’s Etna DOC wine region. Here, in these mineral-rich, volcanic soils, winemakers produce wines from native grapes such as Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Catarrato and Carricante—mostly grown on head-trained vines. Etna Rosato is made principally from Nerello Mascalese, the most prized red grape variety on Etna due to the nuanced complexity it transmits into the glass. This typically salmon pink rosato is redolent of grapefruit, blood orange, strawberry and is always accompanied by a bright acidity and tingling minerality thanks to its volcanic terroir.
Favorite producers:
Graci, Pietradolce, Barone di Villagrande, Fattoria Romeo del Castello, Benanti
