Food & Wine Word of the Week: Cerasuolo
Food & Wine Word of the Week: Cerasuolo
Cerasuolo can be a sticky term in Italian wine as it has a few different uses.  In general it means "cherry red" in color and can be used to describe the overall color of any rosato (rosé) wine. However, it has some more specific applications as well
Cerasuolo - Cherry Red Cerasuolo can be a sticky term in Italian wine as it has a few different uses.  In general it means "cherry red" in color and can be used to describe the overall color of any rosato (rosé) wine. However, it has some more specific applications as well. First, there is a DOC Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo where the term is applied as part of the DOC to mean rosato that comes from Abruzzo. The Denomination of Origin "Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo" is reserved for wines from vineyards in the region composed of at least 85% Montepulciano. Blending grapes/other non-aromatic red grapes suitable for cultivation in the region of Abruzzo alone or together are permitted up to a maximum of 15%.(2)  There are standards for color and for character in the DOC Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo as well: - Color: cherry pink, more or less; - Odor: pleasant, fine wine, fruity and intense, with hints of spice; - Taste: dry, smooth, harmonious, delicate with a pleasant almond aftertaste; - Minimum total alcoholic strength: 12.50% vol; - Minimum total acidity: 4.5 g / l; (2) Cerasuolo is also a DOCG in Sicily as in Cerasuolo di Vittoria a RED wine predominantly Nero d'Avola wine often blended with the fragrant cherry/strawberry qualities of the Frappato grape. "Much less is known of Frappato, which must comprise at least 40% of the blend of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, the balance being Nero d'Avola, and most producers stick exactly to that." 3 One of the most celebrated producers of Cerasuolo di Vittoria is COS
touring information:
Vineyard Adventures is happy to arrange tours to discover Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo in Abruzzo and Cerasuolo di Vittoria in Sicily.
Sources: 1. Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy by Joseph Bastianich & David Lynch 2. http://www.consorzio-viniabruzzo.it/Disciplinare_Cerasuolo.htm 3. http://www.haidu.net/magazine/cerasuolo-di-vittoria-sicilys-only-docg http://vetivresse.blogspot.com/2009/10/cherry-ripe-sicilian-vespers-perfect.html