Italian Rosé wine

Rosé wine – or rosato in Italian – is made from red grapes. After crushing, the juice spends only a short time in contact with the skins, gaining its signature pink colour. It also absorbs flavour and texture, while remaining lighter and more elegant than the typical rosso (red). The juice is then drained from the skins and fermented like a white wine.

Each winemaker’s rosé style is unique. It depends on many things including the quality of the grapes used, how long the juice stays with the skins, and on the temperature during fermentation.

For example, the juice for “Rosarò” Negroamaro rosé remains with the skins for 24 hours at ambient temperature. This extracts lots of flavour, creating a radiant pink-salmon hue. However, Castello di Radda’s rosé is totally different. The juice is kept with the skins for 12 hours, at a very cold temperature of 5°C. The resulting wine is bright and elegant, with a pure cherry colour.