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Nair-Oh Davo-La
Nero d’Avola also goes by the name Calabrese. It’s a hot climate varietal, planted mostly in Sicily, though there are some Nero d’Avola vineyards in Australia and the United States too. It was originally brought to Sicily by the Ancient Greeks and has been cultivated for centuries, becoming one of Italy’s most important red wine varietals.
It is a strikingly dark and thick-skinned grape, historically used to add color to blends, though in recent years it has become more popular as a single-varietal. Its name comes from the grape’s dark color and the town of Avola, in the Siracusa province. Over the centuries, it has gradually spread outwards from there.
Nero d’Avola Tasting Notes
Nero d’Avola is a full-bodied, high-acid dry wine, with an abundance of tannins – though slightly less than the likes of Barolo or Petite Sirah. It’s a vivid ruby-red color with purple hues and develops towards garnet as it ages. Nero d’Avola usually contains between 13.5% and 14.5% ABV. Nero d’Avola is driven by black fruit flavors, with some elements of herbs and earth. Look out for dominant flavors of black cherry, plum, blackberry and raspberry, supported by chilli pepper, licorice, tobacco smoke, and chocolate. Its profile can contain a lot of ripe fruit flavors and slightly sweet tannins, somewhat similar to an Australian Shiraz.Nero d’Avola Styles
Wine-makers produce Nero d’Avola in two different styles. The classic version of the wine is full-bodied, dark and driven by dense black fruits. It is often aged in oak, picking up notes of cocoa and coffee. This is the more common style in Italy, and is associated with older vines. However, with younger plants, Nero d’Avola can also be made in a medium-bodied, lightly-oaked style. This is more common among the few producers in Australia but it can be found in Italy too. It is much lighter in color and body and leans more towards red fruit flavors. Nero d’Avola is also used to produce Rosé, utilizing its intense, dark color. Blends Made From Nero d’Avola Nero d’Avola was used as a blending wine for most of the previous century. Recently it has become more recognised and is used for single-varietals frequently. It is often used in Sicily’s sweet fortified Marsala wines, more specifically Marsala Rubino, which is made exclusively from red wine grapes. The Marsala DOC’s regulations allow Nero D’Avola to be blended with Nerello Mascalese and Perricone.Nero d’Avola Classifications (if applicable)
As the grape is indigenous to Italy, you’ll find that most Nero d’Avola’s are ranked under the Italian classification system. Sicily is home to 22 DOC wines, though they only make up 2-3% of wine produced. The island is dominated by IGT wines and the Nero d’Avola grape. However, there is one DOCG wine in Sicily, the top tier of Italy’s classification system. This is the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, which produces an off-dry red wine. It must be composed of 50-70% Nero d’Avola and 30-50% of the lighter Frappato grape. It also must contain at least 13% alcohol.When To Drink Nero d’Avola
Nero d’Avola is great for an Italian night, whether you’re cooking pizza, pasta or polenta. It’s a high-acid wine, so it’s great when paired with tomato dishes. Medium-bodied styles are more versatile and can be paired with a variety of dishes, while classic Sicilian full-bodied versions will be better when matched with something dense and meaty. It is recommended that you decant full-bodied Nero d’Avola for an hour or so before serving. It’s a highly tannic wine and needs a little bit of air before its flavors open up completely. It’s best served at approximately room temperature, 60-80ºF (16-20 ºC).Best Years To Drink Nero d’Avola
How long Nero d’Avola can age depends on which style you have. Medium-bodied examples can age for up to 10 years, but any longer and they will likely start losing some quality. Full-bodied versions will comfortably age for 10 years, and some are worth holding for over 20. As they age, you can look for enhanced notes of overripe raspberry and chocolate.Nero d’Avola Average Prices
With Nero d’Avola, you can get fantastic quality at a reasonable price. You can easily find something top-rated, including Sicily’s only DOCG wine, for just $15-20. The most expensive bottles of Nero d’Avola will set you back $100+ but you can also find single-varietals for as little as $2.50.Nero d’Avola Nutrition Facts
A glass of single-varietal Nero d’Avola will contain approximately:- 121 calories
- 2.4 grams of carbohydrates
- 0 grams of protein
