A glass of wine overlooking a vineyard
FOOD NEWS
Sicilian Wine Is So Flavorful Because Of One Celebrated Red Grape
BY Nancy Parode
Sicily's famed red wine grape, Nero d'Avola, is finally being celebrated for its bold, fruit-forward flavor, which pairs so wonderfully with Sicilian cuisine.
The ancient Greeks introduced winemaking and Nero d'Avola grapes to the island in the eighth century B.C. The grapes likely came from Calabria, a southern region of Italy.
The official name of the Nero d'Avola grape is Calabrese, but Sicilians were cultivating it by the mid-15th century near the town of Avola, from which it gets its common name.
Today, Sicilian winemakers turn to Nero d'Avola grapes to produce full-bodied, robust wines that can be bottled young or stand up to oak barrel aging.
Modern Sicilian winemakers from wineries such as Donnafugata, Feudo Montoni, Planeta, Cortese, and COS are winning awards and accolades for their Nero d'Avola wines.