Summertime calls with this Val delle Rose Vermentino

When I first start getting into wine I had the luxury of meeting Andrea Cecchi at a couple of local events here and was impressed by him and the wines that the Cecchi family have established in their 125+ history in the wine industry. In my search to always seek out wines and grapes on the lesser explored path, when I saw this label that screamed summertime and was a Vermentino from the Cecchi family under their Val delle Rose winery I knew this was one to try.

The Cecchi family founded the Famiglia Cecchi brand in 1893 and since have purchased a number of wineries growing their reputable portfolio to include those from Villa Cerna, Villa Rosa, Castello Montauto, Tenuta Alzatura and the one I’m featuring today from Val delle Rose. The Cecchi family purchased Val delle Rose in 1996. Located in the village of Poggio la Mozza, this winery is located in the western part of Tuscany in the Morellino di Scansano appellation. Only kilometers from the sea and a 2 hour ride west out of Florence.

 

What started as an initial purchase of about 60 acres has grown to close to 250 acres due to experimentation and studies of the soil and its potential. Although Sangiovese is the leading grape of this estate, Vermentino also takes the stage along with some other international varieties. The soils of this area are sandy, but also rich in stony pebbles.    

Copyright of Val delle Rose

The 2018 Val delle Rose Litorale Vermentino is from the Maremma Toscana DOC. Made from 100% Vermentino, this wine went through a cold maceration and was fermented in stainless steel for 15 days. Although I suggest drinking this wine in it’s youth, I was surprised by the acidity still holding. A slightly deeper straw color the aromas were of tropical melon and a hint of orange. Good weight leaning toward more medium-body, notes of grapefruit, pear and lemon pith lingered on the palate with a slight bitterness and mouthwatering acidity lasting through the finish. SRP $15.99 ABV 13% 

I could see this pairing going wonderfully with many seafood based dishes. My family tends to liked fried cod so that is what we enjoyed with the bottle along with some roasted eggplant and zucchini.

It was also a signed bottled by what looks like Giulia Cecchi whom I can only assume is part of the family.

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Overview of the Langhe Wines

As we creep into the 4th of July holiday weekend our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group (#ItalianFWT) is covering the area of the Langhe in the Piedmont, or Piemonte, region of northern Italy hosted by Cindy of Grape Experiences. I only had a couple bottles from the Langhe in my inventory and I just wasn’t ready to part with them being Barolo, especially with these warm summer days. With my oldest son turning 6 and the 4th of July weekend there was just too much going on to get it together to go shopping for a bottle. Today I’m providing an overview of the Langhe region, which is just as important to understand what you’re looking at when you’re considering wines from the Langhe.  

The Langhe, pronounced “lahn-gay”, area of Piedmont is tucked in the southern part of Piedmont in the Cuneo province tucked between the Alps and not too distant from the Mediterranean Sea. Location is key in understanding where grapes are grown due to the influences created by the geography and climate, in this case, where the Alpine and Mediterranean air breezes meet. It is also bordered by the Tanaro River. The Langhe area is also very hilly so there are various microclimates between the hills and valleys where these vineyards are located. 

The Langhe in Celtic translates to “tongues of land”, which helps describe the shape in the way the hills and valleys run parallel to each other. It also translates in local dialect to the plural form of langa, which translates to long, low hills. With the town of Alba standing as the main capital of this area it’s a mesmerizing area in Piedmont with picturesque castles, villages and vineyards galore including some of Italy’s most notable wines including Barolo and Barbaresco.  The below picture is the Langhe as a whole with other DOC and DOCG appellations broken down within the territory.

Copyright of Langhevini.it

As you may be familiar that Barolo and Barbaresco are produced from the Nebbiolo grape, but this area of the Langhe is rich in other native grapes that are much more approachable than our ageworthy friends and that don’t break the bank. Other red grapes from the Langhe include Dolcetto, Barbera, Pelaverga and Freisa. Pelaverga and Freisa may be more of a challenge to locate, but are great summer reds to enjoy on those warm days with a slight chill. Dolcetto is a great all-around balanced wine with fruit, acidity and tannin and Barbera is a grape high in acidity making it very food friendly. Some of the whites of the Langhe include Arneis and Favorite along with other international grapes as well.  

If one has yet to experience Barolo and Barbaresco, but cannot afford the higher price tag that goes along with them, you can still try great Langhe Nebbiolo wines that don’t qualify for whatever reason under the DOCG of Barolo and Barbaresco. It will still give you an understanding of what the Nebbiolo grape is all about and many of the producers of Barolo and Barbaresco are also growing Nebbiolo that won’t be bottled under the DOCG allowing you to still drink great wine from respected producers.  

Here is a look back at some Langhe wines and a variety of the Langhe native grapes I've shared over time:

• Nebbiolo Wines of the Langhe with Demarie
• The Land and Soul of Ceretto
• The Abundance of Barbara in Piedmont with Fontanafredda
• The Respect of Dolcetto d'Alba and Bruno Giacosa
• Starting the New Year with the Big Boys: Barolo and Barbaresco of Tenuta Carretta
• Tasting with Matteo Ascheri of Ascheri Winery in Piedmont

What are your favorite grapes of the Langhe? 

Map by Jeff Quinn copyright of Seven Fifty

Join the rest of my Italian food and wine loving friends as they explore the many facets of the wines from Langhe.  Due to the holiday we will not be having a live chat on Twitter this week.  Happy 4th of July to all!

• Wendy Klik highlights “Beef and Pork Ravioli, A Book Review and a Nebbiolo from Langhe” on A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Camilla Mann pairs “Spicy Mussels Chorizo + 2017 Villadoria Bricco Magno Langhe Nebbiolo” at Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Nicole Ruiz Hudson takes “A Deep Dive into Nebbiolo at the Culinary Cabin" on Somm's Table 
• Linda Whipple entices with “Of Nebbiolo, Salami and a Langhe Farmer's Dream" at My Full Wine Glass 
• Cindy Rynning entices us to “Explore a New-to-You Wine - Nas-Cëtta from the Langhe in Piemonte” at Grape Experiences
• Gwendolyn Alley introduces us to the "Queens of Langhe: Mother Daughter Duo Anna and Valentina Abbona of Marchesi di Barolo" on Wine Predator.

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Happy International Rosé Day with Perlino Prosecco Rosato DOC

On the fourth Friday of June annually is International Rosé Day to celebrate rosé from all around the world. Around a year ago at this time I wrote a piece about the newer Prosecco Rosato DOC wines to hit the market with the 2019 vintage for the Rosautoctono movement. I’ve recently had an opportunity to sample some more and it makes me wonder what took so long for these wines to become a thing. With as much Prosecco that is in in demand on the market and with the growing interest for rosé wines, rosé based Prosecco seems like a no brainer to me.  

Prosecco under the Prosecco DOC designation could never be produced in a pink, or rosato, style at least branded under the Prosecco DOC rules and regulations. The idea was broached in 2019, 10 years after the original Prosecco DOC was founded, and on August 11, 2020 the Prosecco DOC Rosato Millesimato was established with the newest wines hitting the market that in October in 2020. 

The wines produced under the Prosecco DOC designation come from 4 provinces in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, or FVG, including Trieste, Udine, Gorizia and Pordenone. They also are grown within 5 provinces in the Veneto region including Venice, Treviso, Belluno, Padua and Vicenza.  

As with all designations come the laws that a winery must follow in order to be bottled and carry the designation on the label. With the Prosecco DOC Rosato wines they must be made of at least 85-90% Glera and 10-15% Pinot Noir/Pinot Nero. In order to carry the Millesimato on the label, which represents the actual vintage that the wine was produced from, the wine has to have used 85% of the grapes from that particular vintage.

 

As with all Prosecco these wines are produced with a secondary natural fermentation called the Martinotti or Charmat method. The wine must undergo this fermentation for a minimum of 60 days.  

Last night I sampled the 2020 Perlino Prosecco Rosato DOC Millesimato Extra Dry. This wine is made of 90% Glera with 10% Pinot Nero. I’m including the sugar levels found in Prosecco sourced from the Prosecco DOC Consorzio. Extra Dry may not be what you think as it actually has higher level between 12-17 grams of sugar per liter. This wine was pale salmon in color. When I poured the wine in the glass I felt like I was standing in a strawberry patch. It was refreshing on the palette with juicy strawberry notes and mouthwatering acidity. A perfect end to the day! ABV 11% 

Have you tried to Prosecco Rosato DOC and what are your thoughts? 

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