Roscato Rosso Dolce

Rosso Dolce from Roscato is a lightly sweet Lombardy red bottled at 7.0% ABV, which puts it well below a standard table wine and closer to the weight of a frizzante-style dessert red. At that strength, expect a soft, easy-drinking body with very little tannic grip. The sweetness is the main feature, and styles like this typically lean on ripe red and dark berry fruit, such as cherry, raspberry and blackberry, with a touch of plum jam. Acidity is what keeps it from feeling heavy: a bright, fresh lift on the mid-palate tends to balance the residual sugar and produce a clean, fruit-forward finish rather than a syrupy one. Oak is not a factor in wines of this kind, so expect pure fruit rather than vanilla, spice or toast. Serve it chilled, around 8 to 10°C (46 to 50°F), which is cooler than most reds. Colder service tightens the sweetness and brings out the acidity, while a bottle left at room temperature will taste flabby and cloying. Decanting is unnecessary, since there is no tannic structure to soften. A pour straight from the bottle into a standard white-wine glass or a small all-purpose tulip works well, because the narrower bowl keeps the berry aromatics concentrated and holds the chill longer than a large red-wine goblet. At the table, sweet red wines like this suit foods that carry salt, fat or mild heat. Prosciutto, salami and aged hard cheeses such as Grana Padano set off the fruit nicely, and the sweetness also works against spicy sausage or a pizza with cured meats. It is equally at home beside desserts that are less sugary than the wine itself, such as fresh strawberries, berry tarts, almond biscuits or a plain cheesecake. A sweeter dessert would make the wine taste thin by comparison. This is a drink-now bottle. It has no tannic backbone or structure designed for cellaring, and its appeal is the fresh fruit and lively acidity, which fade with time. Keep it in a cool place, chill it before opening, and finish it within a day or two of opening, ideally with the bottle recorked and refrigerated.