Cantine Colosi Nero d'Avola: A Sicilian Classic Grape

Fall has settled itself here in New England and my mindset on wines and what dishes to cook have shifted.  I’m looking for more of those warm me up reds and home style dishes.  This week I’m featuring the Nero d’Avola grape from Cantina Colosi in Sicily with a delightful pairing.  Come check it out! 

What is Nero d’Avola? 

Nero d’Avola is a native grape of Sicily that is widely planted throughout the island and is one of the Sicily’s top red grapes.  The name derives from “black grape of Avola”, which is on the southeastern portion of the island and is believed to be where the grape originates from.   

The Nero d’Avola grape result in wines that are dark in color and rich in dark, ripe fruits.  They are fuller in body, dry and along with the ripe fruits, tend to show either pepper, herbal or licorice notes.  The tannins are these wines are soft. The wines are lush, but hold nice acidity despite the intensity of the sun.  They actually thrive in those conditions.  This can result in these though have a higher alcohol content. 

All about Cantina Colosi 

The winery began back in 1987 and is led today by the 3rd generation including the winemaker, Pietro Colosi, and his father Piero and mother Lidia.  The winery owns about 24 acres of vineyards that are situated in Salina on the Sicilian Aeolian Archipelago.   

Father and son Pietro Colosi- sourced from Cantine Colosi

Cantina Colosi is mostly known for their Malvasia Della Lipari grapes that are grown in the terraced vineyards overlooking the sea grown on volcanic soil. They also produce native Sicilian grapes including Nero d’Avola, Corinto Nero, Nerello Cappuccio and Nerello Mascalese, Catarratto and Inzolio.  

The main production facilities are on the mainland near Messina with the wine cellar that was completed in 2004 that is underground.  This follows the strict preservation rules of the archipelago in order to protect the landscape and also allows a constant temperature for the wines. 

vineyards of Cantine Colosi

The Cantine Colosi Wine 

This week I’m sharing the 2018 Cantine Colosi Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC made from 100% Nero d’Avola.  It states that these grapes do come from leased vineyards in central Sicily.  On the label it shows that this wine is certified vegan.   This wine was aged in stainless steel for 6 months to show the expression of the fruit. 

Deeper ruby red in color with aromas of ripe cherries, blackberries and raspberries.  Full-bodied showing those ripe, dark fruit with softer tannins and nice acidity.  14% ABV 

Nero d’Avola pairing with sesame ground chicken 

My neighbor and I swap pairings from time to time, and she shared recently a sesame ground chicken dish for those nights we are always on the run.  I wish I had made this sooner because it was so easy to put together, but so flavorful and definitely won this house over.  I wasn’t sure how the Nero d’Avola would stand up to a ground chicken dish, but I think because of the richness of the sauce it actually went together well.    

I sautéed some oil and garlic to start and after a few minutes added and chopped up the ground chicken in the pan seasoning it with salt and pepper.  In a separate bowl I blended together soy sauce, brown sugar, chicken broth and sesame oil and poured it over the ground chicken while it was cooking.  Once browned,  I added a cornstarch mixture to help thicken the sauce.  That’s all folks! 

I poured the chicken over jasmine rice and I would recommend topping it with possibly with some scallions, but in this house other than myself that wouldn’t have been pleasing to many.   

What’s your favorite dish to enjoy with Nero d’Avola? Drop a note in the comments. 

You can find plenty of Nero d'Avola wines to try at Wine.com. I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of Vino Travels. 

Don't miss out on our upcoming 2nd newsletter coming out in October featuring the Collio wine territory in northeastern Italy bordering Slovenia.  This is exclusive to email subscribers so be sure to not miss out and sign up now below! 

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Lake Garda in a Glass: Zeni's Bardolino and a Chicken Sausage Pasta

Fall is my most favorite time of the year, especially hear in New England near the mountains of New Hampshire. The foliage here is outstanding!  When our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm, wanted to feature fall Italian wine and food pairings for this month's theme for Italian Food, Wine and Travel (#ItalianFWT) how could I not join despite my lack of free time these days.  I decided to feature a Bardolino wine even though I do tend to recommend these wines as one of those Italian red wines that you very easily can enjoy even in the warmer days.  Let’s take a look at this wine further and how I chose to pair Bardolino with food. 

All about Bardolino 

If you’ve been fortunate enough to visit the Lake Garda territory that sits between the regions of the Veneto and Lombardy wine regions, you may have stumbled across where Bardolino wines come.  The town of Bardolino is located on the southeastern side of Lake Garda and is situated between Peschiera del Garda and Garda.   

Copyright of Consorzio Vini Bardolino

The proximity of this wine territory in Bardolino is rather mild and Mediterranean moderated by Lake Garda and the mountains to the north creating a perfect microclimate for these wines to grow.  The vineyards are set in the hills outside the shoreline made up of ancient glacial morainic soils that are gravelly and full of clay and limestone.  

The Bardolino DOC was established in 1968 and became a Superiore DOCG later in 2001.  You will find a couple of styles of wines grown here.  The Bardolino DOC classic style like the one I’m sharing today and a Chiaretto di Bardolino DOC, which is produced with the same grapes used to make Bardolino, but in a rose style with minimal skin contact.   

Today we’ll focus on the Bardolino DOC wines in particular which can be comprised of three grapes: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. These grapes may sound very familiar to you if you’re used to drinking the wines of the Valpolicella wine region since they are the same grapes used in varying degrees to make the wines that hail from the Valpolicella wine territory.  

Although, when these grapes are used to produce Bardolino wines, they tend to be lighter in body, more fresh on the palate with soft tannins, high acidity and red fruits (cherry and red currants).  They are very food friendly as well.  I even recommend giving these wines a slight chill and that is why for red wine drinkers that still want a red wine in the summer, but something that isn’t too heavy, Bardolino is perfect for you! 

This Weeks Wine Selection 

This week I’m sharing the 2024 Zeni Bardolino Classic DOC “Mr. Lake”.  This wine is made from 60% Rondinella and 40% Corvina.  I’m not sure what the “Mr. Lake” represents, but maybe it’s to catch the consumer’s eye representing Lake Garda.  It’s an easy open with a screw cap.  The wine is aged in stainless steel.  A transparent pale ruby color with aromas of bright cherry. This wine is lighter in body, fresh and easy drinking.  Smooth with juicy red fruit with a touch of pepper.  ABV 12.5%, SRP $14 

Food pairing with Bardolino 

As much as I wanted to cook an authentic dish typical of the region to pair with this Bardolino, my schedule had something different in mind.   We‘re on the football field 4-5 nights a week so the fact that we could even enjoy this dish was a pleasure.  No rest for the weary! 

I had some chicken sausage that I wanted to grill up while also utilizing some of the zucchini from my garden.  I decided to make a simple marinara sauce along with pasta to eventually combine all the ingredients together to pair with the Bardolino.  The chicken sausage had a little bit of pepper in it, but complemented the Bardolino just fine.  Bardolino is a wine that I wouldn’t pair with too heavy of a dish, but has the versatility to go with many dishes.   

What’s your experience with Bardolino and do you have a favorite pairing? 

Catch the Italian food and wine writers share their personal picks for this fall. 

• Our Good Life: Apple Picking in Italy: An Easy Fall Apple Cake Recipe  
• Wineivore: Coda di Volpe Paired with Chicken Under a Brick
• Day in the Life on the Farm: Dreaming of Fall in Piedmont 
• Culinary Cam: Embracing Autumn: A Mediterranean Noir, Spaghetti all'Assassina, and Two Bottles of Negroamaro 

You can find Bardolino wines to sample for yourelf at Wine.com. I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of Vino Travels. 

Don't miss out on our upcoming 2nd newsletter coming out in October featuring the Collio wine territory in northeastern Italy bordering Slovenia.  This is exclusive to email subscribers so be sure to not miss out and sign up now! 

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Where the Towers Meet the Vines: Panizzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Vernaccia di San Gimignano was one of my first white wines of Italy that I came to enjoy.  It also was Italy‘s first DOC in 1966 and is still Tuscany’s only white wine with the DOCG designation.  Let’s take a look at this quaint Tuscan town and the Panizzi winery, which is the focus of today’s tasting.  

All About San Gimignano 

I find It's easier to relate to something when you have visited the area from which something originates from.   I have always loved the medieval tower driven, walled town of San Gimignano set in the Siena province of northwest Tuscany.  It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site with its 14 medieval towers that still remain that were once built by 13th century rival noble families where height ruled.  

It’s such a great town to explore whether you stay over or make it one of your stops while you’re touring the Tuscan countryside.  Just make sure to sit back and have a glass of their Vernaccia di San Gimignano in one of the many cellars open for tasting in the town center or just grab a gelato and take in the daily living of the locals. 

Copyright of Consorzio del Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Here are some of the top sights to visit when making a stop in San Gimignano. 

• Stroll down Via San Matteo and Via San Giovanni making pit stops at the local shops eventually arriving at the center of it all, Piazza della Cisterna. 
• Climb the tallest tower of San Gimignano, Torre Grossa, for sweeping views over the hills of the Val d’Elsa. 
• Take in sunset at Rocca di Montestaffoli with views over the towers and the rest of the countryside. 
• Visit San Gimignano’s main church, Collegiata di San Gimignano, and admire the Renaissance frescoes. 
• Enjoy the local specialties including saffron and wild boar, called cinghiale (my all time favorite).  

The Panizzi Winery 

Founded in 1979 by Giovani Panizzi, he moved to this area to ”discover his best self convinced at the ago of 50 he could reinvent help”, per the winery’s site.  He bought the Santa Marguerite estate on the outskirts of the walls of San Gimignano, occupying only a few hectares.  The vineyards and their olive groves are surrounded by forests, which help to moderate the temperature. 

Giovanni was a visionary and it took him 10 years of experimentation until he released with first wine in 1989, which is the wine I’m sharing with you today, the green label Vernaccia di Sam Gimignano DOCG.  Five years following that harvest he released his Riserva and also came out with Sangiovese wines.  The winery practices organic farming without the use of chemical fertilizers and the vineyards are hand harvested for the best care and selection of grapes.   

In 2005, Giovanni sold off the winery to the Nicolas family where it is run today by Simone whom takes an innovative approaching to winemaking and has added Pinot Noir to the collection of wines produced. 

See a video of the winery for yourself on their site.

The Panizzi Wine 

Today I’m sharing the 2023 Panizzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG which is made up of 95% Vernaccia and 5% Incrocio Manzoni.  The grapes are sourced from 4 of their vineyard sites of 30-year-old vines and re grown on tufaceous, sandy soil with yellow clay.  The wine is vinified and aged on the lees in stainless for 5 months.   

This wine was light-bodied and fresh on the palate with crisp, mouthwatering acidity.  Bright citrus of lemon and grapefruit with some tart green apple.  A slight bitterness on the finish along with some nice minerality ending with nice length.  ABV 13.5%, SRP $18-20.  This wine should be enjoyed within the next 5 years.   

Pairing with Vernaccia di San Gimignano

With the summer nights and a busy schedule now that we are back into football season in my household I wanted something easy on the grill, but flavorful.  In my selection of food pairing with this Vernaccia di San Gimignano I decided to go with some zucchini from our garden, homemade pesto also from our garden and marinated Tuscan chicken.  

The garlic and herb Tuscan marinade I used consisted of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic and your choice of fresh spices (oregano, rosemany, basil).  Make sure you let it sit overnight if you have the time or at least a couple hours to absorb the flavors.  Every element of this dish paired just right with the crisp, freshness of this Vernaccia di San Gimignano.  A perfect summertime pairing!

The best way to reach San Gimignano 

If you find yourself in Florence, or even Siena, and are looking to explore the Tuscan countryside, San Gimignano can be reached by car, my preferred style for flexibility, within an hours drive on the SR2 (Via Cassia).  If you opt out of renting a car, you can always take the bus from Florence to the town of Poggibonsi, which is about an hour, and then a local bus that is about a 20 minute ride to Porta San Giovanni.  If you’re taking the train from Siena to Poggibonsi it is only about 30 minutes. 

If you find yourself in Tuscany make sure to venture to this enchanting town that rises out of the Tuscan hills and enjoy a glass of Vernaccia di San Gimignano.  You’ll be glad you did! 

 

You can find Vernaccia di San Gimignano wines to sample on your own at Wine.com. I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of Vino Travels. 

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