Brindisi Rosso is a red DOC (
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:
* ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”),
* ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...
)
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
from the Southern
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
province of
Brindisi, in the region of
Apulia. The official
appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...
was granted on November 22, 1979, when a presidential decree was published in the ''Gazzetta Ufficiale'' dated April 23, 1980, after lobbying by the firm of Pasquale Medico & Sons and other producers. In recent years the production of this variety of wine has declined considerably (up to 50%), due to the uprooting of vines as a result of incentives from the
EU, which has favoured other products. The province of Brindisi has a very long tradition of wine making, largely because Brindisi was the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
gateway to the East and sold its wine to Rome along with salt and olive oil imported from the empire's Mediterranean provinces.
Production
The production zone is limited to the areas of
Brindisi and
Mesagne
Mesagne ( Mesagnese: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brindisi and region of Apulia, on the south-east Italy coast. Its main economic activities are tourism and the growing of olives and grapes. It is the fifth most-populous town of the provin ...
, both being
communes
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, relig ...
within the province of Brindisi. Brindisi Rosso is produced in small quantities and exported all over the world. Brindisi Rosso is made mainly from dark
Negroamaro
Negroamaro (seldom Negro amaro; meaning "black ndbitter") is a red wine grape variety native to southern Italy. It is grown almost exclusively in Apulia and particularly in Salento, the peninsula which can be visualised as the "heel" of Italy. T ...
grapes (at least 70%) and
Malvasia nera di Brindisi
Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. I ...
; it can also contain smaller quantities of
Sussumaniello,
Montepulciano
Montepulciano () is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a limestone ridge, east of Pienza, southeast of Siena, southeast of Florence, and north of Rome b ...
and
Sangiovese
Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grape ...
.
Characteristics
Brindisi Rosso wine appears intense ruby red, with light orange tones when aged; the taste is intense, dry, harmonious, with a lightly bitter aftertaste, velvety and appropriately
tannic. Minimum alcohol percentage by volume to qualify for the appellation is 12%. The best vintages, however, contain between 13 and 14% ABV. The best recent vintages are 2000 and 2003. Wines classed as Brindisi Rosso Riserva must have a minimum alcohol content of 12.5% ABV, and must have been aged for at least 24 months.
Rosato
Brindisi Rosato is a
rosé Denominazione di Origine Controllata
The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:
* ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”),
* ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...
(DOC)
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
from the Southern
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
province of
Brindisi, in the region of
Apulia. The official DOC appellation was granted on November 22, 1979 by a presidential decree published in the ''Gazzetta Ufficiale'' of April 23, 1980. The Brindisi region has a very old tradition of wine making, because Brindisi was the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
gateway to the East and thus provided its own wine to Rome, along with salt and olive oil imported from the empire's Mediterranean provinces, especially Hispania.
Production
The production zone is limited to the areas of
Brindisi and
Mesagne
Mesagne ( Mesagnese: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brindisi and region of Apulia, on the south-east Italy coast. Its main economic activities are tourism and the growing of olives and grapes. It is the fifth most-populous town of the provin ...
, both being
communes
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, relig ...
within the province of Brindisi. Brindisi Rosso is made mainly from
Negroamaro
Negroamaro (seldom Negro amaro; meaning "black ndbitter") is a red wine grape variety native to southern Italy. It is grown almost exclusively in Apulia and particularly in Salento, the peninsula which can be visualised as the "heel" of Italy. T ...
grapes (at least 70%) and
Malvasia nera di Brindisi
Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. I ...
; it can also contain smaller quantities of
Sussumaniello,
Montepulciano
Montepulciano () is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a limestone ridge, east of Pienza, southeast of Siena, southeast of Florence, and north of Rome b ...
and
Sangiovese
Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grape ...
.
Characteristics
Brindisi Rosato wine is coral-pink in colour, tending towards pale cherry-red; the smell is delicately fruity; the flavour is dry, harmonious, with a mild and agreeable bitterness. Minimum alcohol percentage by volume to qualify for the appellation is 12%. The minimum dry extract is 18%: by comparison, the red Brindisi Rosso must have a minimum dry extract of 24%.
References
{{reflist
External links
* MiPAAF
Banca Dati Vini DOC, DOCG e IGT :: Puglia* Vinealia
Brindisi Italian DOC
Wines of Apulia