Italy is home to more native wine grape varieties than any other nation, with over 350 in commercial production. Since so many of these grapes tend to be grown only in a few small regions and are often blended together, American wine drinkers don’t see their names on wine labels often enough to get familiar with them. Take, for instance, the Nero d’Avola grape — the basis for this dry and lightweight red from Sicily, which is far too good to miss out on simply due to its lack of name recognition.
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In Italian, the name of this grape variety translates as the “black grape of Avola,” which has been cultivated near Sicily’s southern tip for centuries. The grape is quite dark-skinned — to survive extreme sun exposure without shriveling — and makes flavorful wines that are both tangy and spicy.
More expensive Nero d’Avola wines are often made in a heavier style by aging the young wine in barrels before bottling, but this version is bottled without extensive maturation and tastes vibrantly fresh as a result, like ripe blackberries topped with black pepper and balsamic vinegar. This approach is common in Mediterranean regions like Sicily, where heavier red wines don’t flatter the local cuisine. Wherever seafood and vegetables dominate a region’s diet, their red wines tend to be made in a lighter, brighter style. Younger red wines with lower alcohol — like this one at only 13% alcohol by volume — are ideally suited for partnering with grilled seafood, lighter meats, and even salads, and taste particularly good with tomato sauces and roasted peppers.
Planeta “La Segreta” Nero d’Avola
Sicily, Italy; 13% ABV
PLCB Item #100036121 — on sale for $15.99 through Nov. 1 (regularly $17.99)
Also available at: WineWorks in Marlton, N.J. ($17.98; wineworksonline.com), Total Wine & More in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Claymont, Del. ($18.99 and $19.99, respectively; totalwine.com)
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