A friend and I were planning a dinner. I was bringing a spinach lasagna. He was choosing the wine. I thought for sure he’d suggest a red. After all, it was mid February, dark by 6:15 pm, cold outside – and he typically drinks red. It was the obvious (and maybe ideal) pairing with the lasagna. But lo and behold, he asked how I felt about a rose to go with the lasagna. Oh, my! The wine yahoo in me screamed, “WHAT?” but the friend who wanted to be polite and nice checked that impulse and replied (by text thankfully so my voice didn’t give me away), “Whatever you’d like.”
When the lasagna was hot and on the table, he took the bottle out of the fridge. It was an Italian rose – Casata Monfort’s Pinot Grigio Vignetti delle Domomiti. The first thing I noticed was the color. A soft, beautiful shade of pink. My mouth began to water. It had a twist top  (which I love!), and the glasses were poured. With a toast to our shared meal, the first sip was on its way. Lo and behold, the wine was delicious! There was a bright acidity with the characteristic layer of softness that contact with red wine grape skins can give a rose. It was clean and bright with a subtle berry note. And lo and behold – again! – it paired wonderfully with the lasagna. It was refreshing and fun.
The winery’s website says the wine hails from plantings in Trentino (northeastern Italy) that came from the French grape Pinot Gris by way of Germany. The vineyard is at the foot of the hills near Trento and Lavis, where there’s sandy soil and good ventilation. Sounds lovely, and if you can’t be in this idyllic setting yourself, you might as well enjoy its fruits.
This is a wine to stock up on so there’s always a bottle of it in your refrigerator. Roses are popular for a reason – good ones taste, well, really good. And they’re pretty to boot. And affordable.
This one comes in at about $16/bottle. Cin Cin!