April 1, 2024
Certain wine regions and grapes often grab all the attention when it comes to Italian wine.
Think places like Tuscany and Barolo.
Or grapes like sangiovese and nebbiolo.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg – or rather the icing on the tiramisu.
There are so many more amazing places in Italy making great wines with many less well-known grapes.
And right near the top of that list is Sicily and its iconic nero d’avola grape.
This week, you can learn more about both.
In addition, I’ve also included some information about another often overlooked Italian white wine grape – arneis.
Let me add that all four Italian wines recommended this week each cost less than $25 a bottle. Hope you enjoy.
History of Sicilian wine
Sicily has a long, rich history of creating great wines. Long before Sicily became part of Italy in 1861, people have been making wine on this island just off the coast of Southern Italy for more than 4,000 years. And because Sicily has long been a crossroads for many countries over the centuries, winemaking traditions from Greece, Ancient Rome, Phoenicia and Spain have all left their mark on this unique Italian island.
Nero D’Avola grape
Nero d’avola is the most popular and most widely grown wine grape in Sicily. Named after the Sicilian town of Avola and cultivated on this island since the 1600s, this versatile, red wine grape often thrives in hot, dry places like Sicily. In the past, many Sicilian winemakers blended nero d’avola with other grapes when making wine. However, in recent decades, some winemakers have started making wine entirely with this grape, which often produces earthy yet elegant wines with bold, ripe fruit flavors.
Arneis grape
Cultivated in Italy’s Piedmont region since the 1400s, arneis grapes produce distinct, dry white wines that have light, bright, refreshing flavors. Few winemakers in Italy were growing this relatively-unknown grape in the 1970s. However, winemakers in Piedmont saved the grape from extinction in the 1980s and have slowly expanded production of arneis grapes since then, according to “Wine Grapes” by Jancis Robinson, Julia Hardin and Jose Vouillamoz.
Wine Tasting Notes
2021 Di Giovanna, Vurria Nero D’Avola Sicilia DOC 2021 ($25 SRP)
Region – Sicily, Italy
Grapes – 100% nero d’avola
Tasting Notes – Another high-altitude wine (the vineyard used to grow these grapes is located 1,600 feet above sea level), this flinty, elegant red wine has intense, powerful flavors straight out of the barrel. Give this wine time (roughly 30 minutes) as well to open up. That’s when you’ll discover this wine’s bright, intense fruit flavors, which include hints of blackberry, plum, pepper and cherry.
Cheers!
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