Nero d'Avola is Sicily's most important red grape: sun-loving, and built for dark, generous wine that doesn't apologize for itself. If you've ever ordered an Italian red that tasted like black cherry and tobacco and couldn't quite place the name on the label, there's a good chance this was it.
Where does Nero d'Avola come from?
The grape takes its name from Avola, a small town in southeastern Sicily, where growers selected it several hundred years ago. Its old Sicilian dialect name, Calavrisi, means "grape from Avola" and points straight at the place. Its other name, Calabrese, has led to speculation that the vine came from Calabria on the mainland, but Calabrese is widely accepted as an Italianization of Calavrisi (Wikipedia). Wherever it started, it didn't stay local: once confined to the southern tip of the island, it has since spread throughout Sicily.
What does Nero d'Avola taste like?
Pour a glass and the colour is the first clue: a deep, intense ruby. The flavours run black cherry, black plum, licorice, tobacco and a flick of chili pepper, carried on a medium-full body with medium-high tannin, medium acidity, and usually somewhere between 13.5% and 15% ABV. It's often compared to Cabernet Sauvignon for its full-bodied style and its black cherry and tobacco flavours (Wine Folly).
Is Nero d'Avola always a single-grape wine?
Not quite, and the rulebook is the most interesting part of this grape's story. Under Sicilia DOC, a wine labelled "Nero d'Avola" needs a minimum of 85% Nero d'Avola grapes (topped up with other authorized red varieties), a minimum alcohol of 12%, and can be grown anywhere on the island (Italian Wine Central; Quattrocalici).
Step down a tier, to the island-wide Terre Siciliane IGP, established in 2011, and the rule flips entirely. From the 2017 vintage, producers can no longer name Nero d'Avola on a Terre Siciliane IGP label; to put the grape's name on the bottle, the wine has to be a Sicilia DOC or another Sicilian DOC. An IGP red can still be made with Nero d'Avola, but without saying so on the label, and Nero d'Avola is also left out of the IGP's two-to-four-variety blend labels (Cronache di Gusto; Italian Wine Central). That's real Italian wine law, not a style choice, and it's why a Sicilian IGP red from 2017 on can have Nero d'Avola in the glass without the name on the front.
How is Nero d'Avola different from Nerello Mascalese, Sicily's other big red?
If Nero d'Avola is Sicily's power red, Nerello Mascalese is its finesse red. Its best examples grow on the volcanic soils of Mount Etna, and it makes medium-light bodied wine with medium tannin and bright acidity, closer in style to Pinot Noir: dried cherry, orange zest, dried thyme and a crushed-gravel note (Wine Folly). Nero d'Avola is the bigger, darker wine of the two: built for the grill and the Sunday roast, not quiet sipping.
What food goes with Nero d'Avola?
This is a wine that wants company on the plate. With its bold fruit and robust tannin, it suits rich braised meats, and classic pairings include oxtail soup and beef stew (Wine Folly). Think Sunday dinner, not a solo pour.
What temperature should Nero d'Avola be served at?
Serve it a little warmer than the fridge and a little cooler than the room: 60 to 68°F (15 to 20°C), in a generous glass. Give it about an hour in a decanter if you have the patience. Wine Folly gives it 10 or more years of cellaring potential (Wine Folly).
Our Nero d'Avola at Solo Cru
Both bottles below come from the same family winery in the province of Palermo: the Romano family's, making wine in Sicily since 1890. We import both directly, and you won't find them at the LCBO.
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Nero d'Avola D.O.C. Sicilia Riserva 2020: $39.10. The textbook version of everything above: a Sicilia DOC Nero d'Avola at 13.5% ABV, with the cherry, dried fig, tobacco and cocoa in our tasting notes. Pour it with the roast.
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Primeluci Rosso I.G.P. Sicilia 2016: $34.50. From the same Romano winery, under the other rulebook: an IGP red where Nero d'Avola shares the blend rather than standing alone on the label. French oak, with raspberry and dried plum in our tasting notes. Good with barbecue or a red-sauce pasta.
Looking for more where those came from? The rest of our Italian reds are chosen the same way: one bottle, one producer, one story at a time.
