Funaro Rosato,Rosé

Every year in recent memory, I find myself drinking more and more pink wines from Sicily. Why? Because, for my money, in all the Mediterranean, there's no more diversely exciting destination for bone-dry, thirst-quenching, mood-lifting rosé. The island's relentless sunshine is balanced by cooling maritime influences,an astonishing diversity of soils and microclimates, allowing talented growers to pack epic levels of refreshing minerality and bold varietal character into modestly priced, certified organic, truly handmade wines. My current favorite “house” rosé, today’s 2025 Funaro, delivers the vibrant fruit, saline freshness, and effortless drinkability that makes great Sicilian rosé one of my favorite —and best value— summer wine categories.

The Funaro family farms in the rolling hills surrounding Santa Ninfa, in Sicily's western interior about 2 hours south of Palermo, where vineyards sit at moderate elevations that benefit from warm daytime temperatures and cool evening breezes flowing inland from the Mediterranean. Farming here has always been a family affair, but over the past several decades the Funaro has quietly established themselves among Sicily's most diversely skilled (while always remaining fairly priced) ambassadors of organic viticulture. Long before organic certification became fashionable, they recognized that healthy soils, biodiversity, and careful farming practices were essential to expressing the distinctive personality of western Sicily. Today, every vineyard is certified organic, harvesting is carried out entirely by hand, and the family's philosophy remains refreshingly straightforward: let the vineyards speak with as little interference as possible.

The wine itself is crafted from organically grown Nero d'Avola, Sicily's great native red grape and, in many respects, one of Italy's finest varieties for serious rosé. Rather than pursuing excessive ripeness or deep extraction, the grapes receive only brief skin contact before being gently pressed and fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel to preserve freshness and aromatic precision. No oak obscures the fruit or the vineyard. Instead, the wine emphasizes purity, energy, and clarity, allowing Nero d'Avola's naturally vibrant red fruit, citrus nuances, and subtle Mediterranean herbal character to take center stage. The result is a memorable rosé with substance and character, but without heaviness or high alcohol that sometimes mars Sicilian pink wines.

In the glass, the 2025 Funaro Rosato shimmers with a brilliant pale salmon hue. Aromas of rind, wild strawberry, blood orange pith, underripe white peach, watermelon rind, and fresh Mediterranean herbs emerge alongside delicate mineral notes that recall warm coastal stone and sea spray. The palate is crisp, beautifully textured, and wonderfully balanced, combining juicy red berry fruit with bright citrus acidity and a distinctly saline finish that seems to grow more refreshing with every sip. Serve chilled, around 52°F, in a medium Bordeaux stem. While this is an ideal aperitivo wine, it truly comes alive at the table alongside spaghetti con le sarde, where the sweetness of fresh sardines, wild fennel, raisins, pine nuts, and saffron finds a perfect counterpoint in the wine's vibrant acidity and mineral freshness.