Shrimp Scampi Pizza Paired with Masciarelli Montepulciano Rosé

If you haven’t discovered Italy’s many styles of rosé wines what are you waiting for?  If you have yet to jump on the rosé bus then there is no better time than the present.  You can find many Italian rosé wines from northern to southern Italy utilizing a variety of native grapes.  Today’s rosé feature will be based on the Montepulciano grape, Abruzzo’s signature red grape, from Tenuta Agricole Masciarelli.   With Valentine’s Day right around the corner the enticing pink hues and flavor profile of Abruzzo’s rosé will be sure to please yourself or that special loved one in your life.

Montepulciano rosé 

For those of us that are regular rosé drinkers or Italian wine lovers at that, if you’ve had the opportunity to drink rosé in Abruzzo you’ve probably had Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo.  Although, this wine I’m sharing today doesn’t fall under the Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC.  It Is part of the Colline Teatine IGT.  Per winesearcher, the name Teatine is believed to be named after Teate, which was the name for Chieti in Roman times.   The Colline Teatine IGT was created in 1995 and covers the hilly terroir around Chieti.  Here the hills meet the foothills of the Central Apennines as well as the Maiella Mountains.  The cooling breezes from the mountain range along with its close proximity to the Adriatic Sea is what creates ideal conditions with its Mediterranean climate. 

Montepulciano not only makes great red wines, but rosé wines as well.  Even though Montepulciano I think really claims its home in the Abruzzo region, you can also find Montepulciano produced throughout several other regions in Italy.  It tops the charts for Italian grapes produced throughout the country.   The Montepulciano grape has thick skins that creates wines with deep colors and concentration and is part of the reason it does well as a rosé.  This grape needs a long growing season to reach its full maturity.  You’ll see a variety of colors in rosé wines made from Montepulciano based on the producer and how long they choose to macerate the skins with the juice, although not much time is really needed before it imparts its rich colors and flavors. 

The Wine

I’m not going to dig into the Masciarelli estate much today as I have featured them previously as I shared Montepulciano wines from around Abruzzo .  The 2022 Masciarelli Rosato Colline Teatine IGT that I’m featuring today is made from 85% Montepulciano grapes and up to 15% other red grapes.  Masciarelli has been making this wine along with their Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo since 1981 from the owner, Gianni Masciarelli’s, original 12 acres at his home vineyard.

The free-run must is fermented in stainless steel to preserve the freshness in this wine along with its acidity.  The grapes are sourced from 3 of Masciarelli’s vineyard sites around the area of Chieti in the Bucchianico, Martino sull Marrucina and Ripa Teatina vineyards mostly made up of calcareous clay. 

The 2022 Masciarelli Rosato Colline Teatine IGT was a beautiful salmon color in the glass.  Fresh on the nose with aromas of wild strawberries.  Simple and delicate on the palate, but refreshing acidity with notes of slightly tart strawberries. 

If you’re looking for an introduction to Italian rosé without dropping too much on a bottle, this is a satisfying and easy-drinking wine priced at $15 a bottle.  Plus, it has a screw cap for easy accessibility. 

Montepulciano Wine Pairing

After tasting this wine I could see its versatility with a variety of dishes, but I chose to make a white pizza of shrimp scampi.  It’s been a long time since I’ve made a white pizza.  As a child, I grew up with my mom making pizzas on Friday nights, usually your typical cheese, but as I grew I got to appreciate a white pizza as well. Although, my two young boys looked at me funny when I took this one out of the oven and then proceeded to tell them it had shrimp on it.  They’ll learn.

It was rather simple to put together.  I cooked the shrimp first in oil, garlic, butter, and salt making sure there was enough use as the sauce in prepping the pizza.  I put the dough into the oven first for about 4-5 minutes before putting the toppings on.   I brushed the garlic butter sauce from cooking the shrimp on top of the pizza with some parsley and topped it with shrimp I chopped up along with mozzarella cheese.  I cooked it an additional 8-10 minutes and it came out perfect!  Plus, the Masciarelli Rosato pairing couldn’t have balanced any better with the flavors in the pizza.  It had a nicely matched body of the wine in comparison with the shrimp scampi pizza and complimentary flavors. 

If you’re looking for casual and easy preparation this Valentine’s Day without skimping on satisfaction this may be the pairing to try.

This month I'm joining the Wine Pairing Weekend group as we chat about rosé wines and suggested pairings.  Follow my fellow wine writer friends as they share a wide variety of pairings.

• A Dozen Rosés for Valentines and Galentines Part 1: 6 Old World Wines + Croque Monsieur and Part 2: 6 CA Wines + Monte Cristo Sandwiches by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
• Is Pink Wine the New Winter White? by My Full Wine Glass
• Kimchi Spaghetti with Black Girl Magic Rosé by Cooking Chat
• Marry Me Chicken and Cantina Zaccagnini Il Vino Dal Tralcetto Rose; A Perfect Pairing for your Valentine by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pink Pét-Nats from Around the World with Some Loved Up Bites by Culinary Cam
• Please Be Vine, Rosé Bubbles! by The Quirky Cork
• Rose-shaped pasta and Rosé! by Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Salmon en Papillote with Coopers Hawk Katie Lee Biegel Rosé by Our Good Life

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*This wine was provided as a sample, but opinions are always my own.

 

Importer on the label: Vintus

Around Abruzzo with Montepulciano

As we wrap up May I wanted to cover probably the most recognizable grapes when it comes to Abruzzo, which is the Montepulciano grape. Montepulciano is the 2nd most planted grape throughout Italy following Sangiovese. It is found mostly in central Italy in the regions of Abruzzo, Marche, Puglia and Molise.  

Montepulciano Territory 

In Puglia you can discover Montepulciano in the San Severo DOC and in the Biferno DOC of the Molise region. In the Marche region you will find this grape in the Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno DOC’s where it is also blended with Sangiovese as well as the Offida Rosso DOCG. For today we are focusing on Montepulciano in Abruzzo where there is over 42,000 acres planted between a 30-mile distance between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. In Abruzzo the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC covers the largest territory and volume within the region, but there is also the Colline Teramane DOCG. You can also find Montepulciano in Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo that I shared earlier this month.  

The Montepulciano Grape 

The Montepulciano grape is thick-skinned, late ripening grape that produces in high yields. The wines are dry, medium to full-bodied that are deep in color. The wines tend to be high in acidity with a moderate amount of alcohol. Depending on the territory and producer the wines can be easy and approachable or have more depth.  

The Wines 

I tried several Montepulciano wines this week to share.  

The Agriverde winery is deeply rooted in Abruzzo’s history with the Di Carlo family since the 19th century. The winery is located near the village of Caldari in the Ortona province. The winery has a strong focus on a sustainability model that respects the environment and protects consumer health through their organic farming methods without using synthetic chemical fertilizers. In the 1980’s, Giannicola Di Carlo took over the winery and in 1988 converted over about 160 acres to organic. In 1991 they became certified by the ICEA, Institue for Environmental Ethics, and were one of the first in the Italy to become certified organic through the EU’s farming regulations. They also because bio vegan certified as well eliminating the use of animal origins. 

Their 2018 Agriverde Solarea Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC was deep ruby in color with a nose of ripe cherry and black cherry aromas. Medium bodied with notes of blackberries, ripe cherries with juicy acidity and moderate tannin with some spice through the finish. Importer: Narduzzi Imports. ABV 14.5% SRP $38  

I’ve shared recently the wines of Cantina Tollo and today wanted to share their 2018 Cantina Tollo “Mo” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva DOC. This wine is vinified in stainless steel and spends 9 months in oak. A deeper ruby color with a nose that caught me off guard of asparagus and cherries. It’s not quite often I can pinpoint something so precise. A medium-bodied wine with bright acidity and mostly blackberries on the palate along with cherry notes. I enjoyed the rustic character in this wine with some oak present on the finish with spice that smooths out. ABV 13.5% 

Lastly, are a couple wines from Tenute Agricole Masciarelli. The winery and headquarters are located in San Martina sulla Marruccina in the Chieti province with additional wineries in Loreto in the Pescara province and Controguerra in the Teramo province. Masciarelli is the only producer in Abruzzo with vineyards in all 4 provinces including Chieti, Pescara, Teramo and l’Aquila. 

The first wines of Masciarelli were produced in 1981 by Gianni Masciarelli with their Montepulciano and Trebbiano grapes from their original 5 acres vineyards. Gianni was the first to introduce the guyot vine training system in Abruzzo and the use of French oak with Montepulciano and Trebbiano grapes. In 2008 the Masciarelli family planted more vines totaling over 740 acres across 60 parcels of land made of grapes and olives. Today the winery produces about 2.2 million bottles all from estate grown grapes. 

I’d personally love to attend this estate someday, especially since they started a hotel in 2009 from a 17th century Castello di Semivicoli that they bought in 2004.

Their 2020 Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC is from their “Linea Classica” line and is a Montepulciano to be enjoyed in its youth. Fresh, bright and a perfect every day wine to enjoy. SRP $15.

Their flagship wine is the one I really want to share, which is the 2018 Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva DOC.  This wine is named after Gianni’s wife, Marina Cvetic, and made its debut in 1997. Made from 100% Montepulciano grapes sourced from their top “cru” estates with altitudes between 435-1,200 feet. The soils are mostly calcareous clay with live and alluvial sediments. The juice is fermented and macerated separately and then aged 12-18 months in new French barrique. Per Vintus this wine is the only Italian wine that has won the coveted Tre Bicchieri 14 times.  SRP $30

 

Food pairing with Montepulciano 

You can pair these wines with pasta dishes, especially those in tomato-based sauces. The acidity and tannins also do well in fatty based meats.  

If you're interested in taking a look at these and other Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wines try a search on Wine.com. 

*I may receive commissions if any wines are purchased directly from this buyer to support the operations of Vino Travels.

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*These wines were received as samples, but opinions are all my own.