There is a small pink ribbon printed in the corner of every Bosco del Merlo rosé label. It is not decoration. It is the mark of Life in Rosé, a project running since 2018 that supports breast cancer prevention and early detection.
Bosco del Merlo, the family estate run by the Paladin family in Veneto, started it that year. The mechanism is simple. A share of the sales of Prosecco Rosé DOC and Pinot Grigio Rosé DOC is donated every year to Nastro Rosa (the pink ribbon), the awareness campaign of LILT, the Italian League Against Cancer. They have done exactly that, without a break, for eight years.
LILT is an Italian non-profit that works across primary prevention (lifestyle and daily habits), secondary prevention (building a culture of early diagnosis), and support for patients and their families through treatment and rehabilitation. Bosco del Merlo was the first winery to support the LILT branches of Treviso and of Milan, Monza and Brianza. Total donations to date stand at 43,700 euro.
From donations to daily life
Life in Rosé did not stop at writing cheques. It now extends to sporting events built around women's health and prevention, and to activities that encourage a healthier way of living: taking part in Treviso in Rosa, the run through the streets of Treviso, and wellness gatherings timed to Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. This was never a campaign built to sell wine. It is work the winery has been doing locally, which happens to be visible on a rosé label.
That is also why we at Swirl keep importing these two bottles. You buy a wine because it tastes good. Then a second reason lands on top of it: what the producer actually cares about. Choosing wine gets a little richer when both are true at once.
Rosé is not a summer-only wine
In Japan, rosé still reads as a summer drink. Veneto rosé, though, comes into its own from autumn into winter. The sparkling Prosecco Rosé is excellent as the glass before a hot pot, or as the one that cuts straight through fried food. The deeper-coloured Pinot Grigio Rosé sits comfortably next to mushrooms, root vegetables, and slightly sweet Japanese flavours like chicken teriyaki.
The two Life in Rosé wines
Look for the pink ribbon on the label. Both are vegan friendly, and both want to be served properly chilled.
Prosecco Rosé Millesimato 2024
Bosco del Merlo / Veneto
Glera + Pinot Noir / 11.5% abv
A bright, pale pink single vintage (millesimato) Prosecco Rosé, fresh and floral. Serve well chilled at 6 to 9C.
View product
Pinot Grigio Rosé 2024
Bosco del Merlo / Veneto
Pinot Grigio / 13% abv
A vivid bronze-toned pink. Pear with dried flowers and wild strawberry, dry and beautifully balanced on the palate.
View productLooking ahead to October
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month worldwide. We are preparing a Swirl Life in Rosé campaign built around these two bottles. As soon as the details are set, we will announce them here, in our newsletter, and on social. Start your October with the bottle that carries the pink ribbon.
If you want to know more about the producer, see the Bosco del Merlo winery page.
For upcoming events, see our events page.
Drinking under the age of 20 is prohibited by law in Japan.
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