Isola D'Oro 2007 Nero D'Avola

It's been a while since I grabbed a random bottle off the shelf and just went for it. Last night I was duped into buying this red from Sicily. It was "marked down" from $15 to $8 at Superfresh, and my inner bargain-hunter could not resist. Adi was cooking me an Indian dinner (and I wasn't much in the mood for a white), so I thought a Syrah might be a good match for the spice. I guess we will never know, because I accidentally grabbed this one... same winemaker, same price, identical bottle. Through my research, I've learned that Nero D'Avola is often compared to Syrah, so perhaps it didn't matter.

Nero D'Avola, indigenous to Sicily, means "Black of Avola," the southern town where the original vines were. Now Nero D'Avola is the mostly widely grown varietal in the country and Sicily's most popular wine. It is used to fortify weaker reds (which just means it gives them more body and color), but recently has grown in popularity as a solo varietal. This particular red is made by the Cantina Corbera winery in northwest Sicily, started in 1971 as a coop of farmers who survived a 6.4 quake that killed 236 and drove many others away from the area. Although Nero D'Avola has an affinity for oak, this one is aged in stainless steel. When a wine has an "affinity for oak," it means that aging it in oak barrels softens the tannins and complements the natural flavors of that particular varietal.

Perhaps this wine should have been aged in oak, because it tasted kind of like battery acid. Even the smell was harsh. On impact with my tongue, it was thin and tart, and even after a moment to get comfortable, there was no warmth or softness. The center was hollow and it even burned a little going down. This wine reminded me of the occasional sour green grape that everyone dreads biting into; I can't imagine choosing it, and I contemplated throwing the bottle out. But with a little air and most of my taste buds destroyed by the first few sips, the Nero D'Avola was eventually drinkable.

Luckily, the food was amazing (see photo for sev puri appetizer).