Stemmari
Nero d’Avola, a Sicilian classic.
Light, punchy, invigorating.
What: Red. 2020 Nero d’Avola from Stemmari.
Where: DABS Utah State Liquor Store #31 Draper (possibly in other stores)
How Much: $11 / bottle
Rating: 3 out of 5
Who’s It For: Someone chilling with friends on a sunny summer afternoon in the shade. This person doesn’t want to think about complexity in their wine, they just want a tasty drink. Finger foods are a must with this one — it’s too powerful to sip on its own.
Review: Nero d’Avola is a red grape native to Sicily, so this wine offers not only the unique characteristics of Sicily’s terroir, but also those of the grape. Where is Sicily, you say? Think Mediterranean Sea. Sicily is a large, volcanic island off the coast of Italy that, map-wise, looks like it just got drop kicked by the mainland.
In the glass, this is a lighter red wine, think more Pinot Noir than Cabernet. It’s a gorgeous ruby that had me yearning for warm summer afternoons on the back patio, especially with all of the snow we’ve had this year. It’s not an indoorsy wine at all.
On the nose, this was fairly innocuous, with subtle hints of red fruit and very little else.
On the palate, it’s a punch in the mouth of acidic red fruit and tannin (from six months aged in French oak), a distinct cranberry character, bright red, with a quick, bitter finish. This wine is thirst quenching, and needs food to help balance it out. We tried it with a fresh brick of Kerry Gold Reserve cheddar and Sicilian Castelvetrano olives, and I’m happy we did. Both helped to mellow out the wine, making it all the more easy to sip on.
All in all, this particularly simple wine could be a bit of a let down for someone looking for complexity. Of course, that means on the flip side it could be a good choice for someone who wants a simple, refreshing drink without having to think about it. If I were to purchase this wine again, I’d let it mellow out in the cellar for another year or two before trying it again.
