As a Roscato lover, you know what you like. The blend of sweet red wine with a slightly effervescent finish is hard to beat. Luckily, there are lots of other wines out there made in a similar way if you’re looking to expand your horizons and try something new.
Roscato is such an easy-drinking, feel-good wine. It is very approachable because it is flavorful and sweet, without being overpowering. Check out these wines to try that might just give your favorite Roscato a run for its money as your favorite wine.
ReLusso Rosso Frizzante
This Rosso Frizzante is another Italian sparkling red wine that is heavy on the sweetness, which will win over any Roscato lover from the very first sip. It is similarly light-bodied, very sweet, and has little to no alcohol taste.
ReLusso Rosso Frizzante is a very fruit-forward wine as it is bursting with ripe red fruit flavors like cherries and raspberries. It is juicy, sweet, and refreshing on the palate. Much like Roscato, the fruit notes have that overripe, hot summer day sweetness with a touch of bubbles.
Sweet red wines like ReLusso Rosso Frizzante are often described as tasting more like the fruit in a pie filling than fruit picked fresh off the vine. Because of the higher sugar and lower alcohol content, you will taste that sweet, almost caramelized fruit flavor that stays on your palate.
Just like Roscato, be sure to slightly chill your ReLusso Rosso Frizzante for the best drinking experience. It is so refreshing on a warm afternoon or with your favorite dinner dish. This versatile wine is so drinkable and good for any occasion!
Il Duca Rosa Imperiale
Another Italian entry on this list is Il Duca Rosa Imperiale. This wine is very similar in structure and style to Roscato as well. It is light-bodied and sweet with a natural fizz to it.
Il Duca Rosa Imperiale is crafted from the Brachetto grape that is grown in Piedmont, Italy. This wine has very distinct strawberry notes with a slightly crisp finish that balances out the sweetness of the red fruit.
Although most wines that are made from Brachetto grapes are most hailed as dessert wines, Il Duca Rosa Imperiale can be enjoyed with anything from a charcuterie board to your favorite chocolate cake.
This refreshing and sweet red sparkling wine is a great option to have on hand for your next party. It makes a great hostess gift as well because it is so versatile and widely loved by both red and white wine drinkers.
Rivata Casa Rossa
It’s clear that Italy has the sweet, sparkling red wine market cornered, and Rivata Casa Rossa is no exception. This wine would be another great one to taste alongside Roscato because it is so similar. It is light on the palate, has low alcohol, and has that same beautiful ruby red color.
Rivata Casa Rossa follows the similar profile of the other sweet, Italian red wines on this list. With a diverse mix of blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, and raspberry notes, this wine drinks like a delicious mixed berry pie with a touch of bubbles.
The best part of this wine style is that while the rich berry flavors make the wine very sweet, the addition of the bubbles also makes it refreshing. There is a crispness to it that makes it a favorite of so many.
Rivata Casa Rossa is as much a dessert wine as it is a brunch wine, and everything in between. It can be enjoyed any time of day with any meal, or with no meal at all. It is flavorful and fun to drink at any event.
Riunite Lambrusco
We couldn’t complete a list of sweet, Italian red wines without mentioning a Lambrusco. This is perhaps one of the most recognizable in this category other than Roscato. The Riunite Lambrusco is a lovely one with its medium-bodied fruity profile.
Riunite Lambrusco is a delicious wine to try if you like Roscato, but you’re ready to amp things up a bit. Lambrusco is notably a bit fuller in the body than a Roscato and is not quite as sweet, but it still serves up a good bit of sweetness and effervescence.
This wine is also bursting with red fruits and berries, most notably cherries and strawberries. It goes well with most cheeses, as an accompaniment to a fruit salad, or alongside a creamy, rich pasta dish.
You can likely find this particular Lambrusco or one that is very similar, at most Italian restaurants or in a wine shop near you. It is a favorite because it is relatively easy to find and affordable, while still providing a great drinking experience.
Forbidden Kiss
Veering away from the Italian wines, Forbidden Kiss enters the list from France. This wine is unique and delicious. It is a great option for Roscato lovers to try when you want to mix things up. It is full-bodied but sweet and bubbly, with lots of the red fruit notes you love.
Forbidden Kiss is made from the Gamay grape from Beaujolais, France. While it still has the lower alcohol content that is characteristic of this style of wine, it does come in a bit higher in alcohol than the other wines on this list at 7.5%.
Forbidden Kiss is such a fun wine to drink and provides a great contrast to Roscato because while they are very similar, they are also very different. They share the same strong red fruit flavors but where Roscato is light, Forbidden Kiss packs much more of a flavor punch.
Because Forbidden Kiss is a full-bodied wine, the fruit notes in it are much stronger and more forward on the palate. You will taste notes of wild strawberry, red currant, raspberry, and blackberry.
This vibrant red wine has a rich, beautiful crimson color and is loaded with bubbles, which makes it a great celebration wine. Forbidden Kiss is much more of a traditional bubbly sparkling wine in the champagne style than the light natural effervescence of Roscato.
