Rosé wines

To produce quality rosé wines, you need to consider which grape variety you want to start with. There are grape varieties that have such a wealth of pigments in their skins that a short maceration of the must is necessary to prevent the rosé from tending too obviously towards red. There are therefore various techniques, from"one-night wines,"whose skins macerate in contact with the must for 8-12 hours, generally for those who produce only rosé wines from an entire batch, to the saignée or bleeding technique. The latter technique is used by those winegrowers who produce the largest quantity of red wine, plus a portion of rosé. In this case, the wineries remove part of the free-run juice from the tank a few hours after the start of maceration, in order to vinify it separately as rosé.

Once the base must has been prepared, normal fermentation proceeds as for white wines. Rosé wines are often fermented in steel, without any passage in wood, in order to maintain their fruity and floral characteristics on the nose and their freshness on the palate. In some cases, if the grape variety has character and good body, as in the case of the grapes used to make Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo and Salice Salentino, the result can be a product that combines the characteristics of both white and red wines. This is the case with some rosé wines tasted blind, which were mistaken during tasting panels for whites on the nose and reds on the palate. This is the magic of rosé wines: they always know how to be a pleasant surprise!

Rosé wines are truly enjoyable because they can be paired with practically any dish, provided you know them very well. In the case of rosés with delicate aromas and good freshness on the palate, you can opt for fresh cheeses, cold pasta and rice dishes, and vegetable-based preparations, such as a rich eggplant parmigiana. Unmatched with shellfish, especially if they are particularly flavorful, they can also accompany meat sauces or white meats, if they are produced from grape varieties with good structure and character. At this point, all you have to do is experiment, even trying unusual pairings, such as sautéed mushrooms or pasta allo scarpariello.

Here are 5 pairings between rosé wines from Southern Italy and traditional Neapolitan dishes featured on the SoloSud menu:

• Aglianico Rosato – Perfect with seafood risotto, thanks to its balance between freshness and intensity.
• Negroamaro Rosato – Ideal with zucchini parmigiana, enhancing the delicate flavors and herbaceous notes of the dish.
• Etna Rosato DOC – Pairs well with marinated anchovies, complementing them with its acidity and mineral aromas.
• Falanghina Rosé – Excellent with pasta timbale, for a light and fruity touch.
• Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo – Perfect for legume soups, adding freshness to every bite.