Banfi began in 1978 as an attempt to show the world some of the highest quality wines that Italy, and specifically Montalcino, could offer.
John and Harry Mariani were well-established, reputable wine importers and arrived in Montalcino in the mid-1970s, initially looking for a Brunello to add to their portfolio.
At the time, only a handful of estates were established enough and capable of producing enough wine to supply an international market.
The brothers then decided to take matters into their own hands in order to ramp up production and started by buying a handful of vineyards and wineries with a keen focus on high quality and mass-marketability.
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Banfi Rosa Regale Review
The Rosa Regale label offered by Banfi is a sweet, sparkling, easy-to-drink red wine that is custom-tailored to the modern market, which has developed quite a demand for this style of wine.
The wine is produced from the Brachetto grape, which is a prominent grape in the Northern Piedmont region of Italy, known for producing this style of sweet sparkling wine, which is known for its candied fruit characteristics.
Banfi Rosa Regale Summary
- Brand: Banfi
- Country: Italy
- Region: Piedmont
- Wine Type: Sparkling Red Dessert Wine
- Varietal: Brachetto
- ABV: 7%
Appearance
The wine is a bright, brilliant ruby color in the glass, and there are plentiful fine bubbles that are apparent immediately.
Smell
The wine smells of intensely sweet candied fruit. The standouts are rich cherries, candied raspberries, sweet strawberries, and juicy blackberries.
The aromatics are pretty powerful here, uplifted by the carbonation and the relatively high amount of sugar in the bottle.
Taste
The flavors of the wine are much more complex than I had initially anticipated.
There are similar notes initially to the smells of the wine. Black cherries, wild juicy berries, plums, and strawberries come out initially. But these flavors have a solid backbone of secondary notes to help them push forward.
The secondary notes in this bottle come across as slightly creamy and chocolatey, with notes of vanilla, candied citrus fruits, and cocoa powder.
The finish is quite long for a sparkling wine and sits on the tongue for quite some time after you take a sip.
What Does Banfi Rosa Regale Pair With?
Heavier fish such as salmon, veal, and pork chops are all good calls to make here, as the richness of the meats will stand up nicely against the richness of the wine.
You could also go for one of my all-time favorite pairings for sweet wines, which is to take blue cheese and go nuts.
The sweetness and carbonation present here will help blunt the funkiness of the cheese, allowing you to thoroughly enjoy the flavors which are present.
I also enjoy using this wine as a dessert pairing. New York-style cheesecake topped with fresh cherries or raspberries will work absolutely wonderfully with this bottle, as will dishes that heavily feature dark chocolate or mocha flavors.
What Are Wines That Are Similar to Banfi Rosa Regale?
If you are a fan of this bad boy, there are plenty of opportunities out there to try something similar. I would say start with other sweet Italian reds.
Play with Brachetto a bit, but branch out and try some Lambrusco as an option. I would personally recommend Riunite, as it is widely available and falls into this same style.
If you are looking for fun, sweet, flavourful options outside of that, try some of the offerings from Stella Rosa and the like.
There is a whole wave of modern producers making sweet, effervescent, flavored wines that have really taken off over the last few years.
The flavor options here range from black cherry to honeyed peaches!
Final Thoughts
This bottle may not be for everyone, but I recommend giving it a try.
It is sweet, complex, and thoroughly enjoyable, especially when the weather is nice and you can have a glass outside.