Italy may trail France when it comes to rose production, but demand is on the rise and producers are responding by producing more and more rosato across Italy from different grape varieties.

Calabrian wines have recently seen increased attention thanks to producers like Librandi's Ciro rosati made with Gaglioppo grapes from Calabria.

Chiaretto di Bardolino

Chiaretto is an elegant style of rose wine produced in Bardolino, Italy. Crafted with Corvina grapes blended with small amounts of Rondinella and Molinara grapes, its light color displays orange to red hues while providing fresh, fruity flavors that have lasting appeal.

Provencal-inspired style wine that features notes of ripe pink fruits balanced by minerality. Remarkably expressive wine that highlights the captivating geography and lifestyle of its region.

Lake Garda is to Italy what Provence is to France; its climate moderates extremes and produces wines with remarkable character. Bardolino's unique terroir, created by glaciers into 66 types of morainic soils, contributes to both its savory freshness.

Cerasoulo

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo wines are known for their deep rose hue, bordering on light red. Their hue comes from being macerated for less than 24 hours in pigment-rich Montepulciano skins which impart both color and tannin into their juice. With an unforgettable freshness, these wines pair beautifully with lighter foods.

"Cerasulo" in Italian translates to cherry red, and these wines perfectly balance lightheartedness and substance. Tannic and fruitier than typical rose wines but less tannic and more fruity than your average red.

Established in 2010, this DOC encompasses ruby-red, intensely flavored wines previously included within Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC. Wine educator Filippo Bartolotta recently noted on a visit to Abruzzo that more efforts should be made in honoring single vineyard Cerasuolo; thereby helping disprove any notion that Cerasuolo is just another pseudo rosato, an add-on for classic reds of Abruzzo.

Negroamaro

Negroamaro is one of the most widely used grape varieties for rose wines, known for being moderately tannic and slightly bitter. Wine made from this grape has great potential to age and can even be consumed years after harvesting! Negroamaro blends well with cheese souffles, vegetable pies, and fish dishes, making an excellent combination!

Puglia, Italy has long been home to this dark-skinned grape, known by many as negroamaro or amaro in Latin - dating back 1500 years! Primitivo (Zinfandel), Montepulciano and Sangiovese wines contain this grape variety as part of their blends, but its single varietal wines also make an outstanding showing. Its name derives from Italian translation "negro" meaning black, and Latin translation 'amaro' meaning bitter; wine historians believe its name has something to do with its deep color and bitter taste as its roots in Latin - possibly due to wine historians being uncertain of its exact etymology but many wine historians believe its connection is related to deep black grape's deep color and bitter taste as part of its name's origins! Resistant against diseases it produces high yields, particularly within Salento DOC and Salice Salentino DOC.

Malvasia

As rose wine becomes increasingly popular, Italian wine regions have taken note. Our favorite is Chiaretto di Bardolino from Lake Garda's eastern shore in Veneto; its delicate floral character and fruity notes of strawberry and summer herbs make this pale pink wine the ideal complement to light salads, bruschetta or simply as an aperitivo drink.

Malvasia is an extremely versatile grape, capable of creating wines ranging from sparkling to barrel or lees aged styles, with numerous aroma and flavor profiles depending on where it is grown. Malvasia has been used extensively throughout Italy's Friuli Venezia Giulia DOCs of Collio and Isonzo where its minerality shows through with light stone fruit characteristics as it ages, as well as aromas reminiscent of wisteria or apricot blossoming as time goes on. Furthermore, it makes up many inexpensive table wines made across mainland Italy as it blends well with Trebbiano to form high percentage of inexpensive table wines produced each year.