Nero d'Avola Archives - Hungry Travelers

The generational turnaround in Sicily's wine culture is almost enough to give a wine lover whiplash. Long known as a region of overcropped bulk wines that were shipped north for blending, Sicily has done a 180-degree turn. It's become a region that takes pride in its indigenous grapes, a region where small, often experimental winemakers are pushing the limits with natural yeasts and extended skin contact. And while many larger operations have also embraced varietals best known in Bordeaux and the Rhône valley, the number of winemakers focusing on natural wines made from old-vine Sicilian grapes took us entirely by surprise. The rise of an aspirational wine culture has also led to a spread of enotecas, or wine bars, where curious drinkers can taste a...Read More

“Nero d'Avola is the most important grape in Sicilian wine-making,” announced Alessio Planeta at the outset of a two-hour seminar on the subject. Planeta has all the bona fides to make that claim. He's the nephew of Diego Planeta, who pioneered quality winemaking with the Settesoli cooperative in Menfi and co-founded Planeta winery (planeta.it/en/) in Sambuca. Alessio and his cousin Francesca now run Planeta, one of the biggest exporters of Sicilian table wine to the U.S. Nero d'Avola is the noblest of the many native Sicilian red grapes. With abundant warmth, sunlight, and dry conditions at harvest, it reaches peak ripeness in Sicily with rounded phenols and a sugar of about 22 brix. (It ferments dry to 13.5% alcohol.) Historically, Sicilian red wines were known...Read More

Nero d’Avola

Enotecas offer insights into Sicily’s wine renaissance

Planeta champions Nero d’Avola wines