Sicily is know more for than it’s beautiful scenery and the Godfather. This island also produces tons of a wine. In fact, it’s the three largest producer of wine behind the Veneto and Emilia Romagna regions. In terms of red wine, Nero d’Avola is Sicily’s crown jewel of dry, food friendly wines. Brought over over by the ancient Greeks, “Black of Avola” has been a staple of Sicilian wine for centuries and the subject of this episode.
The “Black of Avola” grape via Wiki Commons
In this week’s episode we discuss:
- History of Nero d’Avola and Sicilian Wine
- Geography and Climate of Sicily
- Nero d’Avola wine and it’s flavor characteristics
- Food Pairings
Wine Recommendations:
Our wine recommendations from left to right: d’Alessandro Azienda Agricola Nero d’Avola 2009 and Terre di Giumara Nero d’Avola 2013
Terre di Giumara 2013 Nero d’Avola – priced at around $10. With a nose of violets and black plum – it smells like fruity candy. This wine is dry with flavors of dark fruit, dried herbs and baking spices and it’s fruitiness tricks you into believing it’s a little sweet. It has medium soft and dusty tannins with medium acidity but a full body wine. This wine is youth, rustic with a smoothness to it.
d’Alessandro Azienda Agricola Nero d’Avola 2009 – Priced around $20. A nose Black plum, licorice, leather and wood with medium acidity and tannins. A well balanced wine with flavors of cooked dark fruit, wood, and chili peppers. It’s Savory, rustic and less fruity than the first wine due to it’s aged.
If you are near the Twin Cities area on February 18th, Join us for the Winter Wine Fest at the DoubleTree in Bloomington. Tickets are $40 and include wine tastings, food tastings and live jazz entertainment. You can buy tickets by checking out the Minnesota Grape Grower’s Association’s website. We hope to see you there!
Sources:
- Wikipedia
- Wine Folly
- Wine-Searcher on Nero d’Avola and Sicily
- Best of Sicily
- Nerodavola.com
- Ultimate Guide to the Sicily Wine Region
- The Wine Bible
- The Oxford Companion to Wine (Oxford Companions)
