Nero d'Avola red wine variety in Australia
Nero d'Avola is a red wine variety from Sicily. It makes up most of that island's red wine vineyard.
The Nero in the name obviously refers to the colour of the grapes. d'Avola refers to the region of Avola
on the southern part of Sicily where the variety produces some fine wines.
Although Nero d'Avola has an alternative
name of Calabrese suggesting its origin on the neighboring mainland region it is doubtful if the variety was ever grown there.
Nero d'Avola in Australia
The variety is one of several from Southern Italy that are of interest to winemakers in
warm to hot conditions. As more grapegrowers and winemakers become concerned about climate change they are increasingly
looking for wine varieties from Southern Italian Regions rather than the cooler North.
Australian varietal pioneers Brown Brothers have released a Nero d'Avola 2006. They describe the wine thus
In the glass the wine shows a deep red brick colour. This savoury wine is full of dried
herbs, spice and dark berry fruit flavours. On the palate the dark berry flavours are
immediately recognizable and quickly combine with the earth savoury characters that
define good Nero D’Avola
Australian Wineries with Nero d'Avola include
- Beach Road (McLaren Vale)
- Brown Brothers (King Valley)
- Chalmers (Murray Darling)
Nero d'Avola and Food
Nero d'Avola wines tend to be savory with firm tannins. The Sicilian origin of this variety suggests some obvious food matches. A
spaghetti puttanesca with a spicy tomato based sauce might be one
match you could try, or perhaps grilled Italian sausages...