White wine remains by far the favorite among Italians for a summer meal, but rose' continues to gain ground, according to a new study. A poll taken by the Italy's WineNews website, in collaboration with the Vinitaly trade fair, found that a 'perfect summer day' for Italians would include an aperitif of domestic white sparkling wine from the northeast, a meal accompanied by a crisp dry white wine and then again sparkling wine, both Italian and French, at parties our in a disco.
While white Italian wine was by far the first choice for a summer meal, preferred by almost 70% of those interviewed, those opting for a chilled rose' are now up to 18% and producers have begun to take notice, with many leading vineyards offering pink wines.
Rose' is made by removing red grape skins before the winemaking process is finished. Almost all European rose' wine is dry, while in America it tends to be sweet. The 68% of those who chose sparking wine as their evening party or disco favorite were split between 36% who preferred Italian Franciacorta while 32% stuck with traditional French champagne.
