Rosé from Italy

This exceptionally delicious classic rosé from Lake Garda: Chiaretto Bardolino presents itself in the glass as floral, sweet and nuanced, with notes of wild strawberries and candied citrus fruits. It is soft and supple, with brilliant acidity that maintains balance, and crisp red fruits that resonate beneath the rosy floral notes. It has an impressively long finish whilst remaining thoroughly refreshing. A subtle hint of minerality lingers. It is ideal as an aperitif and with light dishes, as well as a summery afternoon drink. SUPERIORE.DE

Cirò is one of Italy's oldest wine-growing regions. Even the Greeks, who settled on the Calabrian coast in ancient times, called this place Krimisa and honoured the victors of the Olympic Games with its wine. Today, Cirò is Calabria's most important DOC – and Gaglioppo is its very soul. Librandi, which has had its roots in Cirò Marina since 1950, produces a Gaglioppo rosé here. Alberello and cordon training, on clay-limestone soil, harvested from the last week of September to the first week of October. Saignée with a short maceration period, aged in stainless steel, followed by a few months in bottle. The winery itself sums it up in a single sentence: "Vibrant like the waves of the sea." That's spot on.

Cantalupi – the name is reminiscent of the wolves that once roamed the vineyards near Salice Salentino. The Zecca family has been cultivating these lands in the heart of Salento since 1580. Their Rosato, made from 80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera, shows just how distinctive Apulian rosé can be: Bright light pink in the glass, with floral notes and red berry fruit on the nose. The ageing in cement tanks preserves the freshness, the lack of filtration the substance. Clear and harmonious on the palate, with lively acidity and a dry, juicy finish. Honest, precise, typically Salento. SUPERIORE.DE

Campirosa Cerasuolo gradually reveals its fresh notes of strawberry and cherry, accented with sweet floral aromas. On the palate, it is silky-smooth and thoroughly compelling, with ripe red fruit and juicy acidity. A hint of liquorice, exotic spices and nuanced tannins emerges on the finish and seems to linger for almost a minute. Campirosa is a charming favourite even when young, but can also be left to mature in the cellar for another year. SUPERIORE.DE

A rosé with an island identity – clear, fresh and imbued with Mediterranean vigour. Tre Torri is made from 100% Carignano grapes, grown in the limestone- and clay-rich vineyards of the lower Sulcis region. The grapes are harvested by hand and undergo extraction with just a few hours" contact with the must at a low temperature before being fermented in stainless steel tanks. This minimal ageing preserves the wine"s freshness and terroir without any distracting elements.

A rosé that tingles on the tongue like summer air, light, fragrant and full of vibrancy. Serra Lori is an unadulterated reflection of Sardinia: a cuvée made from four typical island grape varieties – cannonau, Monica, Carignano and Bovale Sardo. After just a few hours of maceration on the skins, it is a delicate pink colour, soft but not pale. It is matured purely in stainless steel, modern and clear.

Nieddera – an almost forgotten grape variety that has only survived in Sardinia. Attilio Contini has been preserving this heritage for decades and, with his Rosato, impressively demonstrates how much charm this old variety harbours. The wine is produced in the Valle del Tirso, not far from Oristano, where the warm climate and proximity to the sea ensure fragrant freshness. Brilliant salmon pink with copper-coloured reflections in the glass. The bouquet is lively and typically Mediterranean: ripe raspberry, pink grapefruit, rosehip and a hint of wild fennel. The palate is juicy, slightly herbal and delicately flavoured. The fine acidity provides freshness, the body remains round and balanced.

Damascene roses bloom on the label – the "painters' roses", one of the oldest varieties of rose in the world, renowned for their exceptional quality and their enchanting fragrance. Planeta did not choose them by chance: the Damask rose describes the wine better than any technical term ever could. Nero d'Avola and Syrah – complemented by a small proportion of Sauvignon Blanc – from the vineyards of the family estate in Menfi, in south-western Sicily, on clay soils bathed in the Mediterranean breeze and Sicilian sunshine. Organically farmed.

Cerasuolo – the name is derived from "cerasa", meaning cherry, and also describes the vibrant colour of this rosé made from 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. The Di Properzio brothers have been producing it in Spoltore, near Pescara, since 1990: Hand-harvested, 18 hours' maceration, followed by saignée and slow fermentation at a low temperature in stainless steel. No oak, no frills – just the grape variety and the terroir. Cherry red in the glass, with fresh sour cherry, strawberry and a hint of pomegranate on the nose. On the palate, lively acidity, a juicy texture and a salty minerality that recalls its proximity to the Adriatic Sea. Not a pale terrace rosé, but a wine with backbone – and one of Italy's often-underestimated rosati. SUPERIORE.DE

A delicate salmon pink with a coppery sheen – a rosé of subtle elegance. On the nose, redcurrants, rosehip, pink grapefruit and a hint of herb-scented hay. On the palate, the indigenous Bombino Nero grape reveals fresh acidity, delicate fruit notes and a salty minerality. Ageing in stainless steel tanks preserves its clarity and finesse. "Pungirosa" is a wonderful Castel del Monte DOCG rosé – light-footed, yet far from insubstantial. A wine with character that skilfully translates the freshness of the limestone slopes into the glass and sets new standards every year. SUPERIORE.DE

A rosato that carries the light of Sicily within it. The Frappato grape variety, known for its fragrant elegance, brings a lot of finesse and lightness to the glass, especially in rosé format. Grown on sandy, calcareous soils near Trapani and Marsala, the wine is matured in stainless steel tanks to preserve its fresh, fruity character. Delicate salmon pink colour with copper reflections. Smells of wild strawberries, pink grapefruit and a hint of hibiscus. Juicy and clear on the palate, with lively acidity, a delicate fruity flavour and a finely salty finish. A Mediterranean rosato with a fine finish – ideal as an aperitif or with antipasti, seafood and light summer cuisine. SUPERIORE.DE

Keya is the impressive result of several years of experimental work, and the outcome is a rosé made from 50-year-old vines that perfectly expresses the style and character of the Rizzardi vineyards in the hills above Bardolino. The label pays homage to the Venetian heritage of Countess M. C. Loredan, who ran the estate for many years and played a key role in establishing Chiaretto Bardolino as a much-loved classic wine of the region. The name is derived from the first two syllables of Chi-a-ret-to (KEY-A).

Cerasuolo is not a rosé – at least not in the fashionable sense. It is an independent type of wine with its own DOC since 2010, deeply rooted in Abruzzo's wine culture. The name is derived from cerasa, the dialect word for cherry, and describes the characteristic colour that has accompanied the region's tables for centuries. Zaccagnini's Tralcetto is a lesson in what Montepulciano can do without prolonged contact with the skins: The grapes are gently pressed and only the must is fermented at a low temperature – at a low temperature to preserve the fruit. Brief ageing in stainless steel, then into the bottle.

Castel del Monte Bombino Nero is Italy's only DOCG designation reserved exclusively for rosé wines – made from at least 90% of the indigenous Bombino Nero grape. The vineyards lie at an altitude of 400–500 metres around Castel del Monte, the octagonal Staufer castle built by Frederick II, whose mysterious geometry inspired the Torrevento logo. Limestone karst soils, Mediterranean sunshine and a constant sea breeze from 13 kilometres away – ideal conditions for a grape variety that withstands heat, retains its freshness and always remains light and direct on the palate. Gentle pressing, controlled temperature, four months' ageing in stainless steel.

Montepulciano thinks in red. The Prugnolo Gentile, this stubborn Sangiovese clone, is bred for the long haul – for Nobile, for Riserva, for decades in the cellar. The fact that it is also so convincing as a rosato has to do with the terroir: the Toraia and Casale cru sites at 300 to 350 metres, clayey-silty soils, south to south-east exposure. Hand-picked at the end of September, cryomaceration for four to five hours.

Sicily and rosé – that sounds like a beach bar and a sea view at first. Not here. Tenuta Regaleali is located in the heart of the island, on a wooded high plateau of the Contea di Sclafani, around 500 metres above sea level, far away from any coastline. Large temperature fluctuations between day and night, calcareous-clay soils, vines with a history. The Tasca d'Almerita family has been growing Nerello Mascalese here for this rosé since the 1970s – a grape variety that is unrivalled in Sicily: Delicately fruity, lively, with a natural floral fragrance that gave the wine its name. The roses that have always grown on Regaleali are the inspiration. Gentle pressing, fermentation in steel at 14°C, three months of ageing, fruit and freshness.

Gròttolo means ‘little grotto’. A fitting name for an estate whose cellars are dug deep into the rock – across four levels, designed according to the principles of bio-architecture by Edoardo Milesi. No pumps, just gravity. Down there, where the temperature remains constant and time passes differently, this Rosato also matures. Sangiovese, gently pressed, with a short maceration at cool temperatures in stainless steel – and so, from Montecucco’s most important grape variety, a rosé is born that expresses the character of the terroir in a different colour.

The name says it all, as this is a rosato that is reminiscent of the unconventional times of 1968 in terms of its lightness and vivacity. In the glass, it has a radiant, delicate peach-pink colour – almost as if a sunrise had taken wing. A floral bouquet of grapefruit, pineapple, apricot and wild meadow flowers heralds various adventures. On the palate, it remains dancingly light, with bone-clear acidity and crisp fruit, slightly salty notes and an expression of redcurrants round off the picture. Unfiltered, direct, fresh – an invigorating counterpoint to everyday grey life. Flower Power combines Sangiovese with reductive clarity, drinkability and catchiness – puristic, pink and full of emotion. SUPERIORE.DE

From vineyards at an altitude of 250 metres in the midst of the majestic Dolomite landscape comes this charming Rosato, which embodies the carefree lightness of the South Tyrolean summer. The composition of carefully selected regional red grape varieties – mainly Lagrein – thrives in the warm, well-ventilated vineyards around Bolzano, where the mild climate and mineral-rich soils create ideal conditions for fresh, elegant rosé wines.

Classic rosato with character: Terre Lontane is made from Gaglioppo and Cabernet Sauvignon – an unusual but extremely successful combination that creates depth and tension. The vines grow on chalky and clayey soils near the Ionian coast, whose proximity to the sea favours ripeness while retaining freshness. Brilliant raspberry pink with salmon-coloured shimmer. The bouquet is inviting and fragrant, with notes of redcurrants, pink grapefruit, wild roses and a hint of Mediterranean herbs. Lively, dry and precise on the palate, with a delicate tannic grip, good juiciness and a fine fruity finish.

This organic Rosato by Umani Ronchi was born at the Centovie winery in Roseto degli Abruzzi. A project defined after several years of experimentation, with the aim of producing a wine that combines the expressive power of the Montepulciano grape with a soft and delicate vinification to emphasise its fresh and fruity nuances. Delicate pink colour with shiny reflections. Floral and fresh on the nose with delicate citrus notes, crisp on the palate with beautiful acidity and notes of red cherry, strawberry, blood orange and pink grapefruit. Complex and long on the finish – a serious wine with a great drinking flow! SUPERIORE.DE

Belvento – the favourable wind. That is the name of Petra's maritime wine project, born of that narrow stretch of landscape where the metal-coloured hills of the Val di Cornia meet the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Velarosa is its rosé, and the name itself evokes both an image and a promise: a pink sail catching the wind. 100% Grenache, hand-harvested in early September, briefly macerated, and fermented at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks.