Last weekend we traveled to Sherbrooke, Quebec for our second family party we have dubbed Canada, Eh? This gathering brings together both sides of our family to celebrate the birthdays of my step-daughter and mother-in-law. Activities include: water volleyball, badminton, beer pong (wine pong for me), poutine and Tim Horton’s runs, and general eating and drinking day and night! The first stop upon arrival in Quebec is to Saq Dépôt to stock up on wine for our fun filled weekend. Since we had a large group with varied preferences when it comes to wine, I tried to choose producers and varietals that I felt would please most palates. Two of the wines I purchased were from Masi, a well known producer from Northern Italy that has been making wine for over 200 years. My selections were Campofiorin, a red blend of Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes, and Rosa dei Masi, a Rosato made from the Refosco grape. Refosco is a dark skinned grape variety and is native to Northern Italy.
Since it is technically summer for a few more days I am focusing on Rosa dei Masi for this post. Prior to making this purchase, I saw this Rosato pop up several times on my Instagram feed over the past several weeks. I had the opportunity to taste Campofiorin several years ago and really enjoyed it so I was very curious to taste their version of a Rosé.
Masi Rosa dei Masi 2018 is produced in the appellation Trevenezie IGT in the Veneto. The wine is made using the Appassimento technique which involves drying a portion of the grapes on bamboo mats to concentrate the flavors and impart more body to the wine. Upon pouring, this wine is a pretty translucent salmon color in the glass. After a few swirls I perceived aromas of raspberries and dried green herbs. This Rosato is dry and medium bodied with medium plus acidity. On the palate I tasted red berry flavors of red currant and strawberry candy. I was reminded of the old fashioned strawberry candies with the liquid center that were always in my great-grandmother’s candy dishes. As I was sipping this, the words zippy and refreshing kept coming to mind. This wine is labeled as 12.5% alcohol and has savory notes on the long finish. Due to the higher acidity I think this would be a stellar food pairing with bbq meat. Rosa dei Masi Rosato is a great value at under $20 and if you are like me and drink pink all year long, it’s not too late to snap up a bottle… or two!
