Roscato Rosso Dolce: what it is and where to buy it

Roscato Rosso Dolce is a sweet, light-bodied Italian red wine, and you can find it at CBC Liquors, 142 Littleton Rd in Westford. Below: how it tastes, how to serve it, what to eat with it, and how to get a bottle by pickup, delivery or walking in.

What is Roscato Rosso Dolce?

ROSCATO Rosso Dolce is a sweet red wine from the Roscato line, an Italian producer. Dolce is the Italian word for sweet, and that is the whole idea: a red that leans soft and fruity instead of dry and tannic.

It is a good fit for someone who finds most reds too sharp or too heavy. If you usually reach for a moscato or a sweeter rosé, this is the red that sits closest to that taste.

All the Roscato bottles we carry are collected on the Roscato brand page, so you can see what is in stock today before you drive over.

How does Rosso Dolce taste?

Expect ripe red berry fruit, cherry and strawberry notes, and a clear sweetness up front. Sweet reds in this style are usually low in tannin, which means you do not get that dry, grippy feeling on the gums that a cabernet can leave.

Styles like this are often a little lively on the tongue, with a slight spritz in some bottlings. Check the label on the bottle in your hand for how it presents.

Because it is sweet and soft, it works as an easy sipping wine. It does not ask you to know anything about wine to enjoy it.

How should you serve it?

Slightly chilled is the usual advice for a sweet red. About thirty minutes in the fridge before pouring takes the edge off the sweetness and makes the fruit taste fresher. Straight from a warm shelf, it can come across heavier and sweeter than it should.

A standard wine glass is fine. Pour a modest amount, enjoy it slowly, and keep the rest of the bottle recorked in the fridge.

Once opened, sweet wines are best finished within a few days, since they lose their freshness the longer they sit.

What food goes with a sweet red?

Sweetness pairs well with salt and spice. Think charcuterie, salty hard cheeses, prosciutto, or a plate of cured meats at a get-together. The salt balances the sugar in the glass.

It also works with pizza, pasta in a tomato sauce, and mildly spicy dishes, where a touch of sweetness cools the heat. For dessert, try it with dark chocolate or berries, or just on its own after dinner.

Avoid pairing it with something sweeter than the wine itself. A very sweet dessert will make a sweet red taste thin.

What else does Roscato make?

If Rosso Dolce is close to what you want but not exactly right, the rest of the line gives you options. ROSCATO Rosso is the sibling people often compare it to, so check the label and the shelf tag to see how the two differ.

For something sparkling, there is ROSCATO Sparkling Moscato, and for a still white, ROSCATO Moscato. If you prefer pink, look at ROSCATO Rose Dolce.

There is also ROSCATO Gold Docle in the range. Having several of these together makes it easy to put together a small tasting for friends who like sweeter wines.

What if you want a different kind of red?

Sweet is a taste, not a rule. If you try Rosso Dolce and want to move toward drier wines, a red blend is a natural next step, since blends tend to be smooth and fruit-forward. A Pinot Noir is lighter in body, and an Italian red lets you stay in the same country with a drier style.

For fuller bodied wines, there is Cabernet Sauvignon. Browse all of our red wine to see the range.

If you are not sure where to go next, ask at the counter. We also wrote about how we help with wine choices in which Westford liquor store helps with wine choices.

How do you get a bottle from CBC Liquors in Westford?

You can walk in at 142 Littleton Rd, Westford, MA 01886. We are open Sunday 10 AM to 8 PM, Monday to Thursday 10 AM to 9 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10 AM to 10 PM.

Pickup runs on the same hours as the store. Delivery runs a little shorter: Sunday 10 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday to Thursday 10 AM to 8:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10 AM to 9:30 PM. We also offer shipping.

We serve Chelmsford, Carlisle, Littleton, Acton, Tyngsborough, Lowell, Billerica, Boxborough and Dunstable. See the delivery areas for your town, or read about alcohol delivered from CBC Liquors in Westford.

Our Google rating is 4.7 out of 5 from 339 reviews. The shop has 4,588 products in stock across 1,883 brands, so a bottle of Roscato can go in the same order as the rest of your party shopping. A bottle of sparkling wine or a few mixers can go in the same trip.