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

Rosè from Northern to Southern Italy with the Rosautoctono Movement

I attended a virtual tasting last month as part of the newer Rosautoctono movement.  The aim is to promote Italian rosè wines, always known as rosato or now termed rosa, across Italy from north to south.  Led by Italy’s Studio Cru PR agency and sponsored by the Consorzio di Tutela Prosecco DOC and the Istituto del Vino Rosautoctono Italiano that was founded in 2019 in Roma by Luigi Catardi Madonna, Franco Cristoforetti and Angelo Peretti.  It’s a collaboration of 6 different denominations. Here are the appellations from north to south: 

• Valtenesi Chiaretto 
• Chiaretto di Bardolino 
• Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo 
• Castel del Monte Bombino Nero 
• Salice Salentino Rosato 
• Ciro Rosato 

It was stated that Italy produced 10% of the world’s rosè.  Rosè may be increasing in presence in the market, but Italy has been producing “rosa” wines since the Paleolithic era about 8,000 years ago.   

I sampled 6 different rosa wines from 6 different appellations in a variety of styles and native Italian grapes. 

Prosecco Rosè DOC 

The newly approved Prosecco Rosè DOC in August of 2020 covers both the regions of the Veneto and Friuli.  The regulations of the Prosecco Rosè DOC will be that up to 15% of the grapes will be vinified pinot noir grapes.  The red and white grapes will be blended prior to the secondary fermentation and will spend at least 60 days in tank via the Martinotti method, also known as the charmat method.   

They presented some eye catching facts stating that in 2020, 500 million Prosecco bottles were produced with only 17 million rosè bottles.  In 2021, the projection is estimated to increase to a whooping 60 million rosè bottles!  The USA is on tap to be the largest importer of these wines so be prepared!   

The Consorzio Tutela Prosecco Rosè DOC Brut Millesimato 2020 was a pale peach color with fresh strawberries and citrus on the nose.  Crisp with citrus and wild strawberries on the palette.  Some minerality on the finish with moderate bubbles.  ABV 11.5% 

Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG 

Castel del Monte is located in the region of Puglia in the southern region of Italy.  Named after the castle located on the hills of the eastern side of Puglia closer to Bari and the Adriatic Sea.  This area has a hot Mediterranean climate, but with cold winters.  Castel del Monte exclusively produces rosa wines made from the Bombino Nero grape and was the first rosè in Italy to receive DOCG status.  This grape is a late ripening grape that is low in sugar and high in acidity.   

The 2020 Torrevento Veritas Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG I have to say this was my favorite wine from the tasting.  A pale peach/coral color in the glass with fresh strawberries on the nose.  It was just an overall pleasant and refreshing rosè with beautiful purity of fruit, mostly strawberries, good body with tingly sapidity on the finish.  ABV 12% SRP $10-15  

Chiaretto di Bardolino DOC Classico  

The area of Bardolino is situated on Lago di Garda, Lake Garda, set at the foothills of the Dolomites with Monte Baldo nearby.  Such a beautiful area if you have never been.  Chiaretto comes from the latin for “vinum clarum”.  Along with Castel del Monte in Puglia, Bardolino Chiaretto is another appellation only producing rosa wines.  Wine has been made in this area since before the Middle Ages so although rosè may be the “hot topic”, some of these regions have a rich history in rosè production.   

The climate of this area is rather mild in the winter with warm and sunny summers moderated by Monte Baldo and the lake breezes.  The soils of the area are rich in magnesium and sodium rich limestone left behind by ancient glaciers.   

I tasted a Chiaretto Classico from Marchesini Marcello and was happy to see this wine as part of the tasting.  I just happened to stumble across this winery years ago in my travels and they weren’t even open when I pulled up, but they had seen my car outside and invited me in for a personal tour and tasting in their cellar.  This is what I love about the Italian culture and people.  They are located in Lazise off of Lake Garda in the Veneto region.    The winery was started by the late grandfather of Marcello whom runs the winery with his 2 daughters.   

2020 Marchesini Marcello Coralin Chiaretto Classico DOC is a blend of the classic native grapes to this area including 30% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 20% Molinara and 20% Rondinella.  A pretty pale salmon color with a greenness to the nose that reminded me of Sauvignon Blanc.  Dry on the palette, light bodied- and well balanced showing mostly citrus notes and a little tartness.  ABV 13%  

I have really enjoyed the Chiaretto di Barolino wines no matter how many times I have tried them.  I sampled and enjoyed the 2020 Villabella Chiaretto di Bardolino DOC Classico as well, but need to locate my notes from my tasting and will update once I do.  SRP $15 

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC 

We find ourselves in another designation that is a Rosa only DOC.  The name Cerasuolo that these wines are named after comes from the dialect of “cerasa” and the latin word cerasum pertaining to the ripe cherry color in the glass along with the fruit profile.  The production of these wines is larger than some of the prior ones at 6 million bottles.  These are some of the darkest rosè wines in Italy with richer profiles of cherries and strawberries which providing high acidity.   

The 2020 Poderi Costantini Antonio Febe Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC was a beautiful rich pink color with aromas of ripe red fruits including cherry, raspberry and even some hints of orange peel.  Medium bodied and round on the palette with good acidity, cherry flavors. These wines are always heftier in body and depth and I find great when you want a red, but it may be too warm.   ABV 13.5% 

Although I didn’t get to sample some of the other appellations as part of the Rosautoctono movement including those from the Valtenesi Chiaretto, Salice Salentino Rosato and Ciro Rosato I hope to feature them in the future.   

What are your favorite rosa wines from Italy? 

The Italian Consortium led by Chiaretto di Bardolino submitted the new pink emoji to be approved for rosè lovers to share amongst the world.  You can vote to have it added!

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*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own.