By Rick Riozza

With the above title in mind, some of you wine folk may come to realize that they really haven’t seen an Italian rosé that comes to mind on the market shelves.  And to be fair, one big reason is that the Italians say rosé in their language: rosato.  Ahh—now you may recollect seeing that word on Italian labels.

Or maybe not! Most of the local Italian rosato produced in Bardolino, Puglia, Abruzzo doesn’t make it here to the states—and some of those wines would not be considered a “true rosé”, especially in provincial Provence. French rosé we all know; ditto that American rosé.  But with Italian rosato, we may be scratching our head to come up with an exemplary example of a pretty-in-pink Italian-style wine.

So as we begin to embrace our awesome autumn season, we thought we’d do the right thing and present our first report of fall by way of a delicious true Italian rosé.

Enter now: 2024 San Greg Campania Rosato IGT  ($23) So let’s leave the introduction of this rosato to the Italians (we’ll translate the Italian into English)  “In the early 20th Century, the cultural phenomenon of the “aperitif ” (or “aperitivo“in Italian) emerged in Italy, transcending its significance to embody the essence of “La Dolce Vita” –a celebration of pleasure, simplicity, beauty, and elegance.

“San Greg aspires to resurrect the allure of the “aperitif ” moments, reintroducing its original charm that has captivated crowds worldwide. ‘San Greg’ is an invitation to the golden hour: light-hearted & dreamy.” San Greg Rosato represents a new chapter for Feudi di San Gregorio, operating as a stand alone lifestyle brand rooted in the winery’s southern Italian heritage. Packaged in a distinctive, grooved bottle design, San Greg evokes the glamour of classic Italian holiday destinations.”

This rosato is produced by the world famous Feudi di San Gregoria winery in Campania, Italy—you know the region that Naples and the Amalfi Coast is situated.  We’ve covered—as we should!—many of the wines from this winery: https://coachellavalleyweekly.com/vini-bianchi-ditalia, and, https://coachellavalleyweekly.com/an-august-line-of-awesome-whites

And by the way—no stuffiness here, you’ve got to love the simple ‘San Greg’, which is informal with an immediate appeal, like meeting a friend.

Sorry folks—we got carried away with all the PR.  Here’s how the San Greg Rosato tastes! Clear pink with vibrant reflections. Floral nose with notes of blood orange, hibiscus, and red berries. Fresh and savory with notes of just-picked red fruits and cherry nuances. And there is a long elegant finish. This is the rosé lover’s rosé—oops, rather, rosato.

The wine’s elegant and refreshing profile derives from its origins as a mountain rosé grown at 2,300 feet above sea level, where optimal sun exposure, cool mountain air, and dramatic diurnal temperature shifts give it vibrant acidity and expressive aromatics. Made from 100% Aglianico, the iconic red grape of Campania, San Greg Rosato benefits from the grape’s naturally high acidity, robust but not excessive color when gently pressed, and restrained tannins when carefully vinified. These elements come together to produce a world-class rosé with Italian flair.

If you wish to dig deeper into the amazing Aglianico grape, check out our https://coachellavalleyweekly.com/all-in-on-aglianico/

A classic aperitivo for certain, however for the fall festivities, San Greg is excellent with shellfish and seafood and good for tasting of salami and cheeses. Everyone suggests enjoying the rosato with pizza. But c’mon!—so what’s the perfect pairing to the perfect San Greg rosato whose approach is fresh, clean, and crisp?

It’s the perfect inquiry for which we have the perfect response: Chloë’s Lasagna Soup.  Chloë is my granddaughter and a kick in the kitchen.  Her concoction is the bomb!  And the San Greg with all of it’s fresh pin-point cleansing qualities and flavors matches up magnificently with the soup (that borders on a stew-like quality).

She’s a sport and she’s letting us in on her culinary secret—one can use any type of small-style pasta, but the soup itself tastes like comforting lasagna, hence the name:

  • 1 lb ground sausage
  • 16 oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • ½ large white onion—diced small
  • 6 small green zucchini—diced a little larger
  • 16 oz chopped white mushrooms
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 32 oz chicken broth
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 lb dry pasta

Brown the meat and onions and then deglaze with the wine—adding the mushrooms and garlic.  Add tomatoes and the chicken broth and season to taste with salt, pepper, sage, oregano and thyme.  Simmer for one hour.

Cook the pasta separately al dente.

After simmering add the diced zucchini and serve over the pasta.  Garnish with a heaping spoonful of ricotta cheese. Delizioso!!

Of course, our autumn season really can’t hold you to only enjoying the San Greg rosato at this time of year.  La dolce vita actually applies to the sweet life all year long. O dio mio! La vita e bella!

Buon Appetitio & Saluti!