The second rosé I grabbed off the wine rack for this week’s last summer beach trip was from our June trip to Puglia, Italy (Italy’s largest wine producer). I was so impressed with Puglia’s wines, especially their rosés made from local varietals like Primitivo and Negroamaro.

This rosé is from the Cantina del Locorotondo just outside the gorgeous little town of Locorotondo, the City of White Wine. The 2010 Cummerse Rosato di Puglia (rosé also called rosato in Italy) is made from 100% Pinot Nero grapes grown just northwest of town. When I opened it on the beach Tuesday at sunset, you could smell the red fruits. The nose is also a bit tart but the taste is BURSTING with strawberries and raspberries. It was perfect with our little cheese assortment. And I love the label which has an illustration of the typical white houses of Locorotondo.

We had a great visit to this winery during our trip and thanks to welcoming Oronzo and Mariella, we tasted 10 of their 21 wines. In addition to the Cummerse Rosato we brought home a white, a red and a sparkling. The winery is owned by a cooperative of 700 farmers who produce 18 wines, 3 sparkling wines and one grappa, one million bottles per year in total. The Cantina Sociale of Locortondo was formed by a group of farmers back in 1930, the first of its kind in Puglia, to promote their wines. Their great work was rewarded in 1969 when Locorotondo was made a DOC.

Cheers to summer’s last rosés…as this weekend back home is looking and feeling like Autumn!