The village folk still call it Niuru Maru: Negroamaro, meaning bitter black (red).

In another era, Negroamaro was grown solely to ship to the north of Italy where the colder climate made it challenging to obtain the desired color and alcohol levels in the wines they produced. But in recent decades, more and more Salento wineries have looked to the variety as one of the most noble expressions of Pugliese viticulture.

Cantele’s rosé wines are made from a selection of top Negroamaro grapes that are used to make our flagship wines, Salice Salentino and Teresa Manara Negroamaro. Winemaker Gianni Cantele, to achieve their deep rose hue and their rich aroma and flavor, employs the Italian salasso method (known in English and French as saignée): as the Negroamaro grapes are macerating on their skins to extract the variety’s naturally dark color, he racks off — in other words, he “bleeds” off (hence the name) — some of the must to another tank. After vinification, the resulting wine is aged and bottled as our Rosato di Negroamaro (rosé from Negroamaro) and our Rohesia.

Our Rohesia gets its name from an ancient form of the name “Rose.” Thanks to extended maceration times, this elegant expression of Negroamaro has coral rose color and rich aromas and flavors that evoke the flowers and fruits of spring. With velvety texture and a lingering finish, it’s an excellent pairing for dishes like steamed or grilled lobster, meaty fish like salmon and grouper, and even grilled or roast white meat like chicken or pork. When we are at home in Lecce, it’s a favorite accompaniment for sashimi.