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Bold red wines made from Nero d’Avola are Sicily’s secret weapon. This black-skinned grape is the region’s most widely planted for red wine production, thriving in the hot, dry climate throughout most of the island.
The rich fruit flavors of Nero d’Avola can be dark and moody, typically packing more of a punch than other reds found in Sicily like Frappato or the Nerello Mascalese-based wines of Etna. It thrives in many regions across the island’s hilly terrain where it can be blended, as in the wines of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, or serve as the star of the show. Most single-varietal bottlings of Nero d’Avola are labeled under the Sicilia Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC), a territory which spans the entire island, however the small Noto DOC in southeast Sicily also produces stellar examples.
Nero d’Avola performs well across the price spectrum, with value-driven pours typically showcasing the variety’s bold, fruity charm and premium bottlings delivering more warm spice and oak tones.
Explore the range of Nero d’Avola with these 10 bottles.
