[ro-SAY-say ]

A pale and rosy red, Rossese di Dolceacqua is bright, aromatic and lively with acidity as steep as the hillsides it hails from. All that acid gushes with red fruit juiciness like cranberries, sour cherries, and pomegranate pith. There are other Rosseses out there, including Grillos and Biancos, but they only share their name with Rossese di Dolceacqua. However, the Rossese from the Riviera was recently discovered to be identical to the obscure (but well loved) Tibouren grape from Saint Tropez in Provence, proving it as one grape that just loves dramatic Mediterranean coastlines. This is the only real debate about this grape – which side of the French/ Italian border it is native to. Being that neither Rossese nor its French counterpart Tibouren, are likely to become the next Pinot Noir, we don’t think too many people really care much. What’s important is that the small sampling of these distinctively maritime Mediterranean reds are made of great quality and stand up to the expectations of such an exclusive coastline.

Maccario Dringenberg / Terre Bianche / Tenuta Anfusso