The Rosé that Dethroned Whispering Angel

I never thought I’d be saying that it’s the end of my Whispering Angel era, but alas – here we are.

A couple of years ago, I went to Puglia for the first time to meet Mauro’s family. I’ll set the scene for you: 45 folks at the family bar waiting to meet the new girlfriend, a bad hair day, tons of translation, and plenty of food on constant rotation. It was intense, but such a fun way to start my first few weeks in the south of Italy.

We’d gone to a festival in Bisceglie that evening (a small city near Bari – the primary airport in Puglia), and of course, the rosé was flowing. And let me tell you, I tried a wine that night that immediately had me in its grasp and never let go.

It’s called Calafuria. And it should be the next bottle of wine you buy.

Let me tell you about rosé, the Italian way.

It’s not an easy feat to create an amazing rosé. Good, yes. Okay, even more common. But amazing?Good luck. Granted, this is coming from someone who’s drank a lot of rosé, and we all know that I’m not above the unsolicited opinions on wine and spirits over here.

But get this.

Calafuria has stricken the perfect balance between bright fruity notes and delicate floral aromas. In my mind, it tastes like the sea air, just as the sun begins to dive beneath the surface and lights the sky on fire. It’s based on a longstanding winemaking tradition, but you can feel the innovation with every sip that crosses your lips and dances across your tastebuds.

Here’s a couple of notes on Calafuria that you should know about:

It’s made from Negroamaro grapes – so you’ll get the hearty flavor that Apulian wines are known for. But here’s my favorite part:

The crisp notes of grapefruit and pomegranate that are SUPER refreshing in the summertime
A little hint of lavender on the nose
To me, a slight edge of cedar in the bouquet too – which grounds it really well and gives you a full experience without feeling like it’s missing that little *something*
It’s incredibly crisp and light, easy to drink from aperitivo to dinner

Tormaresca – the winery behind Calafuria

As you may already know – I’m a big fan of Antinori wines. A personal favorite is Tignanello, but it was a nice surprise to learn about Tormaresca a few years back. Antinori invested in the Apulian region in the late 90’s, but the minds of the winemaking folks in Puglia were already creating magic with their native Primitvo, Negroamaro and Fiano Pugliese grapes.

It’s the tradition combined with innovation that makes for an incredible wine list from not only the region, but Tormaresca itself. They’re able to showcase the unique stories of Puglia and share them with the world – something that I think is long overdue.

Have you ever tried a southern Italian rosé before? It’s an experience like no other – you don’t often get to taste the sea and sun together in a single sip. I think you should buy a case now and thank me later. You’ll be glad you did.