Famiglia Tasca shares its love for Nero d’Avola (#ItalianFWT)

Tasca is a well-known and prodigious name in Sicily.

Since establishing Tenuta Regaliali (the Regaliali estate) in 1830, the Tasca d’Almerita family has been mining the sun-drenched island’s potential for producing quality wine. Now the family owns almost 1,500 acres of land on five different estates throughout Sicily – Regaleali, Capofaro, Tascante, Whitaker and Sallier de La Tour – each with its own characteristics. Next to the vineyards grow olive trees, wheat fields and almond trees. Sounds amazing, right?

Perhaps no one has more love for this land than the Tascas. Why, they’ve even put “love” (l’amore in Italian, lamùri in the Sicilian dialect) into the title of their native red wine.

The Italian Food, Wine and Travel (#ItalianFWT) blogging group is taking a whirlwind tour of Italy in 2023, starting in the county’s southernmost wine region and winding our way north. That means Sicily is up first, and I couldn’t be happier because I’ve loved, loved, loved the recent Sicilian wines I’ve tasted. You can join the group for a chat this Saturday, 1/7, starting at 8 am PT/11 am ET on Facebook live. Yes, that’s Facebook. We’re moving around the chat this year.

Sourced from four vineyards on the Regaliali estate, this red wine is produced from grapes grown at high elevation, approximately 1,800 feet above sea level, and in predominately loamy clay soil. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel and aged in a combination of new and seasoned French oak barrels for 12 months. Medium-bodied, mellow and earthy, this wine begs for pasta in tomato sauce. I say, give it what it wants.

Source: binendswine

Location, location, location

Viticulturally speaking, Sicily is lucky. This triangular-shaped island is blessed with a classic, warm and dry Mediterranean climate that, when combined with coastal breezes, keeps moldy fungi and mildew at bay. Low disease pressure means that chemical sprays are hardly needed. The default treatment is organic. Some compare these growing conditions to those that are also ideal for Syrah.

Unfortunately, consistent sunshine and low disease pressure made it easy for Sicilian farmers to push their vineyards into generating high yields. In the late 20^th century, many of these farmers took tempting government subsidies to “upgrade” from traditional bush vines to pergola and cane-pruning training methods. The higher yields caused a drop in quality and ultimately low prices and loss of market share. This trend is now being reversed, and Sicily is on its way to realizing the potential it always had.

Source: wine-searcher

Always a bridesmaid, until recently

Translated, Nero d’Avola means “Black of Avola,” a reference to the grape’s dark color. Nero d’Avola’s exact origins are a matter of debate, though the present-day name hails from the town of Avola on Sicily’s southeast coast.

Nero d’Avola has been produced on Sicily for ages. During the Middle Ages, when Sicily was a crossroads and center of trade, Nero d’Avola was used frequently to add color and body to lesser wines. It remained a blending grape for most of the 20^th century. By the turn of the 21st century, however, producers started to bottle Nero d’Avola as a single-varietal wine.

Source: wine-searcher

2018 Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Lamùri Nero D’Avola, Sicilia DOC
100% Nero D’Avola

My tasting notes: Deep ruby with purplish hue in color, partially translucent. Earthy plum and black cherry aromas. Palate of black cherry and plum with medium acidity and a spicy note. A touch of vanilla at the end of a medium finish. Alcohol: 13.5%. Soft, not weighty. A steal at $20.

The pairing: There are some main dishes I feel every cook should master. One of those is spaghetti and meatballs. Over time, I’ve developed my own meatballs recipe. A tablespoon of pepper adobo seasoning and a tablespoon of ketchup are the secrets to mine. Together, these two ingredients give the meatballs some zing but not enough to overwhelm the wine. And here’s a secret for making spaghetti sauce: Whether its your own sauce or from a bottle, a couple of cooked, pureed carrots will add sweetness and extra nutrition. This is especially helpful when serving picky young eaters.

Hope you enjoy the posts and pairing ideas this month. Here they are:

• Aeris Etna Bianco Superiore + Seafood Pasta by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• A Journey Across Sicily with Donnafugata by Vino Travels
• An Enchanting Sweet Wine: Donnafugata Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria DOC Sicilia by Grape Experiences
• An Introduction to Sicily’s Wines and Cuisine by Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley
• Capodanno: Ending 2022 with an Indigenous Sicilian Grape + Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare by Culinary Cam
• Cortese – Organic Wines from Sicily Championing Biodiversity by Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Easy Air Fryer Salmon with Chardonnay from Sicily by Cooking Chat
• Famiglia Tasca shares its love for Nero d’Avola by My Full Wine Glass
• Frappato and Biodiversity at Santa Tresa Winery by Savor the Harvest
• Sicilian Stuffed Artichokes and an Organic Grillo Wine by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sicily, in a Single Glass by Life at Table
• Sicily’s Frappato, a Good Match With Seafood and Pasta Pomodoro by The Wine Chef
• Tasca- A Sicilian Icon by Avvinare