Winemaker Notes
From pork to lamb, the wine expresses itself best with all grilled meats. To be tried with a traditional recipe such as ‘salsiccia sul coppo’ or in a playful pairing with sweet and sour sauces.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
There’s some good freshness on the nose of this Sicilian red, which offers aromas of raspberries, citrus and boysenberries. Some cloves, too. Full body, plenty of textured fruit and a bright, compote-laden finish. Drink now. A blend of nero d’avola and merlot.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made predominantly with Nero d'Avola and a touch of Merlot, this offers aromas of black-skinned berry, Mediterranean scrub and cooking spice. The juicy plate offers black-cherry jam, white pepper and vanilla alongside polished tannins.
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Wine Spectator
A minerally red, showing tar and graphite notes that underscore the flavors of crushed black cherry, cured tobacco, pomegranate and citrus. Fresh and well-knit, with sleek acidity and lightly chalky tannins providing fine definition. Nero d'Avola and Merlot. Drink now through 2026.
Boldly opulent and robust, Nero d’Avola is Sicily’s most widely planted red grape. Nero d’Avola performs well both as a single varietal bottling and in blends. It loves hot, arid climates and Sicily's old vines are aptly head-trained close to the ground, making them resistant to strong winds. A few pioneering producers in California as well as Australia farm Nero d’Avola in the same way. Somm Secret—Nero d’Avola's other name, Calabrese, suggests origins from the mainland region of Calabria.
A large, geographically and climatically diverse island, just off the toe of Italy, Sicily has long been recognized for its fortified Marsala wines. But it is also a wonderful source of diverse, high quality red and white wines. Steadily increasing in popularity over the past few decades, Italy’s fourth largest wine-producing region is finally receiving the accolades it deserves and shining in today's global market.
Though most think of the climate here as simply hot and dry, variations on this sun-drenched island range from cool Mediterranean along the coastlines to more extreme in its inland zones. Of particular note are the various microclimates of Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on drastically steep hillsides and varying aspects to the Ionian Sea. The more noteworthy red and white Sicilian wines that come from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna include Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (whites). All share a racy streak of minerality and, at their best, bear resemblance to their respective red and white Burgundies.
Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red variety, and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones. For example, Nero d'Avola is blended with the lighter and floral, Frappato grape, to create the elegant, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of the more traditional and respected Sicilian wines of the island.
Grillo and Inzolia, the grapes of Marsala, are also used to produce aromatic, crisp dry Sicilian white. Pantelleria, a subtropical island belonging to the province of Sicily, specializes in Moscato di Pantelleria, made from the variety locally known as Zibibbo.