Le Fraghe Bardolino Chiaretto Rosato

The Bardolino growing area is between the base of Lake Garda and the hills where Valpolicella is grown, not far from Verona in North-East Italy. Le Fraghe has been bottling their wines since 1984, but the family of Matilde Poggi, the owner, has been growing grapes in the region since 1881. There are very few traditional Italian rosés, despite being such useful wines when the weather's warm, but Garda ‘Chiaretto' is one of the few. A saignée* of her red Bardolino, pale pink in color and redolent of wild strawberries with hints of bitter herbs. We drink it with salmon and other substantial fish dishes, and it's very good with grilled chicken or pork. Bottled under screwcap, to retain freshness.

* a portion of the pink juice is bled off from the red wine during fermentation, resulting in a more concentrated red wine (because the remaining fermentation has a higher solid-to-liquid ratio), and a separate pink wine. Grapes: Corvina (80%), Rondinella (20%)