Nero d'Avola
Nero d'Avola is an Italian black grape that grows predominately in Sicily and is perhaps the most important grape there. It is sometimes combined with another Italian grape called Frappato, but it gives a delightful wine when on it's own. It is named after the town Avola south on Sicily and on it's own I believe it is close to a "heavy" Pinot Noir in style.
What to expect from the colour
The colour is medium to deep dark purple or red.
What to expect from the Smell
The smell is often somewhat mixed with a ripe fresh redcurrant as one of the items and dark plums as the other. Often very fresh and attractive.
What to expect from the Taste
The style of the grape is often a refreshing one with a high acidity. This is a light bodied wine with a lovely fruity taste like home made redcurrant juice. Delightful and fresh.
Best regions for ….
The best Nero d'Avola is likely to come from Sicily, although there are some grown in California and Australia as well.
Food
Due to the apparent acidity, lamb or entrecôte would probably be a good match. Or on it's own with some cheese.
Storage, serving temperature and glasses
To get the right aromas out of the glass, Burgundy glasses should be used and the wine served at max 17c to get the right flavours. Storage, up to 5-7 years as in this wine you would be looking for the freshness.
Prices and Links:
Ca 10- 20€ depending on the producer and quality.
Occhipinti is a great young female producer from Sicily so try this Nero d'Avola:
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