Rosato

Rosato is the Italian name for rosé, covering pink wines made across Italy from grapes such as Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Negroamaro and other local varieties. Styles vary, but expect strawberry, raspberry and red cherry with citrus, herbs and gentle spice. Fresh and food-friendly, it’s brilliant with pizza, pasta, seafood, grilled chicken, antipasti and salads.

Taste:

Italian rosé, with absolutely no requirement to be one specific shade of pink.

Rosato can range from pale and delicate to deep pink and seriously full-flavoured, depending on the region and grapes used. Most styles are dry, with fresh acidity and flavours of strawberry, raspberry, red cherry and watermelon.

You may also find citrus, peach, flowers, herbs and gentle spice.

Unlike a specific grape or appellation, Rosato simply means rosé in Italian, so there isn't one universal flavour profile. A Sangiovese-based Tuscan Rosato can taste noticeably different from one made with Negroamaro in Puglia.

One name. An entire country’s worth of possibilities.

Food Pairings:

Rosato's combination of fruit, acidity and freshness makes it ridiculously useful with Italian food.

Pizza is an easy win. Try it with Margherita, prosciutto, vegetable, chicken, spicy salami or seafood pizza.

For pasta, pair Rosato with tomato and basil pasta, pesto pasta, seafood pasta, prawn linguine or lighter tomato-based dishes.

Seafood works beautifully too, including prawns, calamari, crab, grilled fish, tuna and seafood salads.

For meat, try grilled chicken, roast chicken, pork, Italian sausages or charcuterie.

It's also made for antipasti. Prosciutto, salami, olives, bruschetta, mozzarella, roasted peppers and grilled vegetables all work brilliantly.

For salads, try tomato and mozzarella, Greek-style salads or chicken salad.

On the cheese board, mozzarella, ricotta, goat's cheese, Parmesan and mild Pecorino are all good choices.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Rosato, Grenache Rosé is a great next move for a fresh Mediterranean style with plenty of ripe red fruit.

Côtes de Provence takes things in a pale, delicate French direction, while Garnacha Rosado brings juicy Spanish fruit and spice.

For something sparkling, Rosé Prosecco keeps things Italian and adds bubbles to the equation.

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More About Rosato:

Rosato is simply the Italian word used for rosé wine rather than the name of a particular grape, region or production method.

That means you'll find Rosato across Italy, made from the same local red grapes responsible for many of the country's famous reds.

Sangiovese can produce fresh, cherry-driven Tuscan Rosato, while southern regions use varieties including Negroamaro, Primitivo and Nero d'Avola to create richer, more deeply coloured styles.

The pink colour generally comes from allowing clear grape juice a relatively short period of contact with dark grape skins before fermentation continues without them.

And no, darker Rosato doesn't automatically mean sweeter Rosato.

Italy has enough complicated wine rules without us inventing another one.