So last week Lena Dunham and Katie Holmes had dinner at Osteria Morini. I find this an incredibly odd pairing, as did pretty much everyone else. People are speculating all over the place about why these two completely opposite end of the cool spectrum girls would be eating together. Grapefriend has some questions too!
1) what did they drink???
They reportedly sipped on rosé, and Osteria Morini only has one by the glass: Rosato di Carmignano, Sardi Giustiniani 2013. (They have one other rosato from Sicily by the bottle, and it’s possible they got a whole bottle since they were also with the Girls showrunner, but let’s stick with the by the glass option.) Usually, you call rosé in Italy rosato but I’ll let the Page Six error slip because it’s better thank calling it “pink wine” which is what The Cut did.
2) what is ciliegiolo?
Italy has 1000’s of grapes (although only 350 have been given “authorized” status) so it’s not weird if you don’t recognize all of them. This Sardi Giustiniani rosato is from Tuscany and is a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and Ciliegiolo. Sangiovese is the typical Tuscan grape, and Ciliegiolo is related to it (though it’s disputed if it’s the parent or offspring of it). Either way, it comes from the Italian word for cherry (ciliegia) and is added to blends for structure.
3) so what does the wine taste like?
The Morini menu describes it as such: “Smoked apple wood on the nose offset by soft fruits and melon. On the palate, light and crisp with a smooth finish.” I don’t think “smoked apple wood” is a helpful description. What the hell is that? Also “soft fruits” – which fruits? There are a lot of fruits in the world.
The winery itself says it has “notes of wild roses, raspberries and melon with a fading aroma of cream” Much more helpful. They also say it’s “Extremely tasty, refreshing and pleasant with well-balanced acidity and minerality.” Yum!
$19 here if you want to be one of the Girls and try it.