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Nero D'Avola

Nero d'Avola (also known as Calabrese) is the most important and widely planted red wine grape variety in Sicily. Vast volumes of Nero d'Avola are produced on the island every year, and have been for centuries. The dark skinned grape is of great historical importance to Sicily and takes its present-day name from the town of Avola on the island's south eastern coast. The area was a hotbed of trade and population movement during the Middle Ages and Nero d'Avola was frequently used to add colour and body to lesser wines in mainland Italy.

Translated, Nero d'Avola means "Black of Avola", a reference to the grape's distinctive dark colouring, but its exact origins are the subject of debate. The region of Calabria can lay claim to the variety via its synonym Calabrese (meaning "of Calabria"), though this term may be a derivation of Calaurisi, an ancient name for someone from Avola.

For most of the 20th century, Nero d'Avola was used as a blending grape and the name very rarely appeared on wine labels. By the turn of the 21st century, however, the grape's fortunes had changed considerably, and it is now common to find Nero d'Avola produced as a single varietal wine as well. It is often compared to Syrah because it likes similar growing conditions (Sicily has a hot, Mediterranean climate) and exhibits many similar characteristics.

Depending on production methods, Nero d'Avola can be made into dense and dark wine that is stored in oak barrels and suitable for ageing, or young and fresh wines. Younger wines show plum and juicy, red fruit flavours, while more complex examples offer chocolate and dark raspberry flavours.

Nero d'Avola typically has high tannins, medium acid and a strong body. However, it can also be very smooth if grown at higher elevations where cooler temperatures restrict the alcohol levels. It thrives on the eastern part of Sicily and is being trialled in Australia and California. Because of its generous colour, Nero d'Avola is sometimes produced as rosé wine.

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