Grignolino (pronounced, grin Yoh leano) is a red grape variety from the Monferrato DOC wine region in the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy. It is a light colored red grape that produces light colored wines that look more like rosés. Indeed, it was the dark rosé color that got my attention on the shelf at a local shop that specializes in Italian food and wine. It was when I saw Grignolino on the label that I realized it was red. Don’t let light color fool you, this is an intense, structured, bone dry, light bodied wine with savory cranberry, pomegranate, red cherry flavors with a touch of white pepper, fresh, lively acidity and palate-cleansing tannins. Try it with grilled salmon, veal piccata or pasta with a red sauce. The Incisa family have been making wines for centuries in Monferrato. Today the company is in the hands of siblings Filiberto and Francesca Massone Incisa della Rocchetta.
Marchesi Incisa Della Rocchetta, Grignolino d’Asti DOC (Piedmont, Italy) 2020
By Rebecca Murphy