The devil wears Prada… or ruby red? It doesn’t make much difference, considering that the shoe on the movie poster is actually red. A red that doesn’t go unnoticed but rather captures the viewer’s attention and, even after 15 years, remains a symbol.
The color red, imbued with deep meaning, can also make a difference in wine. It has a thousand shades, but the favorite among Italians is undoubtedly ruby red—not to be confused with purple or garnet, synonymous with a young, well-preserved, and balanced wine.
Ruby red in the Land of the Savoy: the sparkling Freisa di Chieri DOC
The ruby preferred by the Piedmontese is the sparkling Freisa di Chieri DOC, with its delicate and fruity taste, and its harmonious and pleasant flavor. It has an alcohol content of 11% and an acidity of 4.5 g/l.
It’s one of those wines that, in past generations, was used to make the so-called “bùta stùpa”, the “corked bottle”, the sparkling one, with a pop. A widespread rural custom that is still remembered today not only by winemakers but also by various local establishments that have adopted that name to emphasize the “Piedmontese” nature of the wines and cuisine you can enjoy there.
The ruby red that stands out among the trulli: the Nero di Troia Puglia IGP
The Nero di Troia, the red of Puglia par excellence, boasts prestigious awards, including 98 points in Luca Maroni’s annual of the best wines awarded to the Grifone Nero di Troia Puglia IGP, is undoubtedly an Oscar-worthy wine.
It presents with its ruby red with vermilion hues, almost tending towards black, impenetrable like ink, thus managing to captivate those who receive it, confirming itself as an excellent gift for the most important occasions. A true must-have, in all seasons of the year, thanks also to the attractive packaging of the various labels.
Considered among the best tannic wines in Italy, it is recognized for its taste of ripe red fruits, including sour cherries and cherries. The alcohol content is 13% while the acidity is 5.3 g/l. And it is simply perfect in terms of quality/price ratio because the ancient Nero di Troia vine grows abundantly in sunny Puglia.
Ruby red in the Kingdom of the Bourbons: the Etna DOC
The third prestigious ruby red wine can only be the Etna DOC, with its shades deriving from the peculiarities of the land where the vines are cultivated: the steep slopes of the volcano from which it takes its name. The wine “a Muntagna”, “of the mountain”, as the people of Catania call it, referring to that mountain from which lava stone emerges, a fundamental component of the local wine.
Intense on the nose, it presents itself as harmonious, full-bodied, and dry on the palate, with an alcohol content of 12.5% and an acidity of 5 g/l. More alcoholic than Freisa, less acidic than Nero di Troia.
Three wines, three different stories, one color: that of the passion for one’s land, also synonymous with the work of winemakers and producers who, from generation to generation, have sought to pass down the true values hidden behind the most prestigious labels.
