It’s Rosé Season: Now You Have New Prosecco Rosé DOC To Try! – Forbes

Although the #roseallday movement has been on trend for years now, it’s taken the otherwise-fashionable Italy some time to fully catch up. There have been elegant, pink sparkling wines produced all over the country for decades, but somehow Prosecco Rosé DOC only became official in December of 2020. 

Don’t think of them as pink plonk! 

Their generally low price point might fool you. Most of the wines are offered between $12 – $20, with a few exceptions, but standards of DOC quality control heighten their value beyond many sparklers in this price range. 

• All are a blend of the native white Glera grape, the base of all Prosecco, with a smaller percentage of Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero). PN is the only red grape allowed in the blend. 
• As an interesting twist, all are vintage dated. 
• Secondary fermentation must be at least 60 days. 

Other interesting characteristics of Prosecco Rosé DOC to be aware of:

• They are available as Brut Nature (very dry) and ranging in sweetness to “extra dry”, which confusingly means they are slightly sweet. 
• Although many Italian rosé wines are a darker hue, closer to a magenta, these pink bubblies are almost uniformly a chic, pale, ballet slipper pink. 
• At such low price points, these wines are a dependably excellent value to stand in as bases for sparkling cocktails and punches. 

Pop these food-friendly Prosecco Rosés at your next brunch, cocktail hour or even just to add some dolce vita to your weekday takeout. 

Bottles to try:

Mionetto Prosecco Prestige Millesimato 2020: This bubbly has the distinction of being the first of the DOCs to land stateside last December. It joins the brand’s popular Prestige Collection. It’s a bit on the fruity side, but I found it’s really excellent as a base for a rosé twist on the Negroni Sbagliato. Just add 1 oz of Campari or another red apertivo and 1 oz red vermouth to a wine glass, top with the pink Prosecco. $15 

Tutela DOC Rosé Extra Dry 2019: Made from 90% Glera and 10% Pinot Nero in the provinces of Treviso, Padova, Pordenone and Venezia, this pink fizzy has rather exuberant bubbles, but an elegantly tart and dry finish makes it highly quaffable. $14

Riondo Prosecco Rosé 2019: Hailing from Venezia, this rosy bubbly is also a 90% Glera, but this wine comes out on the fruitier flavor spectrum of this category. Enjoy this sparkler as a stylish aperitif, or even with berries and fruit pies for dessert. $13

Bisol 1542 Jeio Prosecco DOC Rosé 2019: This producer was one of the first to plant Pinot Nero, and had been making a Champagne style bubbly with it in the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG for quite some time. However, as a better measure of labeling quality since that wine could not be officially recognized beyond a spumante, they now produce this stunning Prosecco Rosé with slightly more Pinot Nero (15%) than others. $17

Corvezzo Prosecco DOC Rosé Extra Dry Millesimato 2019: The Corvezzo family has been making wine in the Veneto since 1960, and switched to organic farming starting in 2010, completing the transition of all its vineyards in 2017. With only 12 g of residual sugar, this organic and vegan Prosecco is a wholesome bargain at $13. 

Brilla Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato 2019: The dazzling glass design on the bottle is inspired by pear-shaped diamonds. This wine has a clean, tart berry flavor with more gentle bubbles than some of the others, making it perfect as a main course pairing for spring pasta dishes, sushi or a charcuterie plate dinner. $13 

Cin! Cin!