Juicy and fragrant, the cherry-colored wines of Abruzzo, known as Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, are enchanting the wine world. It’s a serious rosé, in vivid color and lightly tannic body, made from Abruzzo’s signature grape, Montepulciano. These are fascinating wines, with flavors of cherry and pomegranate, that swirl around an acidic backbone. When young, they are more berry-like, but as they age, they become more savory, with herbal and preserved citrus notes. Mostly fermented and aged in stainless steel, some producers are using concrete and terra-cotta amphorae, adding a new level of intrigue to the wine.
Gambero Rosso, Italy’s leading food and wine authority, is betting that 2024 will be the year of Cerasuolo. As they compile their annual Italian wine guide, "Vini d’Italia", or "Italian Wines" it seems that the tasting panels are smitten with these wines, choosing to linger over them even after the tasting duties are done
Earlier this year, Gambero Rosso brought its 2023 Tre Bicchieri Showcase to Los Angeles, and conducted a masterclass, “Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, the Power in a Name”, hosted by the Consorzio Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo. Presented by Gambero Rosso’s Editor of the Vini d’Italia guide, Giuseppe Carrus, and wine industry advisor Mark Newman, seven wines were explored, in shades from light pink to transparent red. It seems that the differences in color are determined by the amount of skin contact, traditionally less than 24 hours. Because the Montepulciano grape has a higher level of anthocyanins in the skins, not only color but tannin is transferred to the fledgling wine. The deep cherry hue tells the tale, more like a red wine in body with the freshness and acidity of a white. Mesmerizing in color and structure, these are great food wines as well.
Tenuta Terraviva Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC Giusi 2021 was the Tre Bicchieri award winner for best value, less floral and more spicy, with a strong palate of pomegranate, watermelon, flint, and herbs, higher acidity, and firmer tannins. Personally, I also liked the Terzini Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOP Terzini 2022, which was bigger and rounder, with good weight and more structure, and the “old-style” Rosarubra Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC Rosarubra 2021, defined as a “young wine with older thinking”, an explosive nose of strawberry and ripe sour cherry, and floral notes of cherry blossoms, elegant, vibrant and fragrant.
Gambero Rosso is Italy’s leading food and wine authority, an integral source for discovering which Italian wines are best for you. Italy has 20 wine regions, over 2,000 varietals and thousands of producers in play, and finding those special wines isn’t easy. Relying on wine ratings can be tricky, depending on who you align your palate with. Gambero Rosso’s annual Italian wine guide, Vini d’Italia or “Italian Wines”, is considered the Italian wine bible, based on a simple Three Glass ratings system, or Tre Bicchieri. More than 70 expert tasters blind-taste over 45,000 wines every year, and only include those that they feel are above average, with less than 1% granted the top prize. These expert tasters travel throughout Italy, visiting wineries and interviewing producers. The guide winnows down their research, in 2023, it details 2,628 wineries and 25,421 wines, with 455 winning the Tre Bicchieri, or top award.
The annual Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri global tour showcases these award-winners to the wine trade, including importers, buyers, retailers, restaurants, educators and the press. The Master Classes portray current and future trends in Italian wines, and are a good barometer of what to look for in the coming year. Eighty-eight producers attended the Los Angeles event in March, with two special tasting corners pouring Abruzzo and Sannio DOC/DOCG wines, presented by the respective Consorzios. The Italian Wines 2023 guide is available for purchase on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to Gambero Rosso, a multi-media fountain of current information and trends about Italian Wine, Travel and Food, complete with recipes, restaurant recommendations, wine reviews, culinary products and news.
Sparkling Falanghina, anyone?!