There is a strange bottle of a 1981 Vincello, Tuscan sweet table
wine, red or rosé, which can be seen he

<http://img204.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pic0024hd1.jpg>

(Click on the picture to enlarge.)

The label reads "Vino da Tavola" and "Vino rosa".

I have never ever seen an Italian wine called "rosa", only "rosato".
My dictionary, however tells me, that it's possible. I know there is
a grape variety called muscato rosa.

Anyhow: Is this marketing gimmick, local dialect usage or something
else?

Michele T., do you know more?

Thanks in advance,

M.

On Aug 5, 2:38 am, Mike Tommasi > wrote:

> Gash, looks like a cross between a Bocksbeutel and Mateus! Could it
> actually BE an assemblage of Frankenwein and Vinho Verde? :-)

That is a very plain bottle compared to some of the ornate ones you
sometimes saw in the US in the bad old days. I have a bottle from that
era that is in the shape of a bunch of grapes, standing on a cone
shaped base to make it stand upright. It is labeled Orvieto wine from
Bardi Ubaldo. It is labeled net contents 1 pint( a size for the US
market, I guess, before, it started using metric measures for wine).
Alcohol 12% by volume. I have never opened it, and likely never will,
because of the very poor quality of most Orvieto in the US many years
ago. It has been good for many laughs when I show it to people and ask
them if they would like for me to open it for them.

Then I have a 1 gallon bottle of Chianti with the traditional straw
covered base. However the neck of the bottle is about 3 feet high.
Many years ago I was told that some people converted these long necked
bottles into floor lamps.

Mike Tommasi > wrote:

>> <http://img204.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pic0024hd1.jpg>

> Herrn Michael

"Herr", without n, and then Herr + first name isn't used except
when joking.

> Gash, looks like a cross between a Bocksbeutel and Mateus! Could
> it actually BE an assemblage of Frankenwein and Vinho Verde? :-)

Since it's sweet, and given the label design, it looks like a
Mateus copy.

> As table wine of course any indication of year and place or
> origin is strictly forbidden. Except un thursdays in Tuscany :-)

Dont forget that Tignanello e tutti quanti all were table wines at
the time, bearing the vintage.

> Vino rosa sounds like a marketing gimmick, any rosé would be
> called rosato in italian. The bottle shape obviously indicates a
> serious intention to cut into the Mateus market...

Of course.

> Such liberty with law continues today in Tuscany, where
> most chianti has tons of cab or merlot added. Recently at a
> restaurant of the domaine I was proposed a wine from Borgo
> Vescine that was described to me as having 10% merlot, because
> the sangiovese is too strong...

Well, that's another story (except for the fact, that the law
itself states the liberty to add non-traditional grape varieties).

M.