Nero d'Avola
Classic aromas of Nero d'Avola are: Red Currant, Red Plum, Raspberry, Black Plum, Chocolate and Olives
Nero d’Avola is a red grape variety found in the island of Sicily in Italy. A botanist first described it here in 1696. It is the most planted red grape in Sicilia and is found all over the island. It needs a warm climate and strives at altitude plantings. In total there are 19,304ha in Sicily.
Before the 1980s it was used purely as a red grape to add colour to other grapes, usually international grapes such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. In recent decades it has started to come into its own thanks to many dedicated wine makers who are proving the high quality potential of Nero d’Avola.
Though predominately an Italian grape variety, there are very small plantings in Australia and California.
Nero d’Avola makes wines that have high tannins and acidity – wines that are made to be drunk fresh will tend to have medium tannins that are soft. The best examples have aromas of black plum, dried red currants, raspberry, red plums and dark chocolate. With maturity they develop into savoury and herbal notes like Oregano and olives.