Nero d'Avola

The Cerasuolo di Vittoria production rules published by MASAF state that Nero d'Avola and Frappato are traditionally grown in the appellation's geographic area, and that both varieties are cited and described by P. Balsamo (1808) and D. Sestini (1812) in their descriptions of the wines and vineyards of the Vittoria area. jancisrobinson.com notes that Sicily was a key supplier to northern blenders, and that the island's chief viticultural research station, just outside Palermo, is working to harness the potential of local varieties including Nero d'Avola. The same source credits Tasca d'Almerita's Rosso del Conte, made from Perricone and Nero d'Avola, with providing the first signs of Sicily's modern revival as a producer of table wines, and says the Planeta family firm has since concentrated most on Sicilian, or at least Italian, grapes such as Nero d'Avola and Fiano from Campania.

• MASAF production rules: Nero d'Avola and Frappato are cited and described by P. Balsamo (1808) and D. Sestini (1812) for the Vittoria area
• jancisrobinson.com: Sicily was a key supplier to northern blenders
• Tasca d'Almerita's Rosso del Conte (Perricone and Nero d'Avola) is credited by jancisrobinson.com with the first signs of Sicily's modern table-wine revival

According to VIVC (the Vitis International Variety Catalogue, variety number 1986), the prime name of this variety is CALABRESE and its country of origin is Italy. VIVC records the berry skin colour as noir. VIVC records no known parents for the variety: both parent fields in its passport are empty and its full-pedigree field reads NO, so the parentage of Nero d'Avola is unknown.

• Parents: unknown; VIVC records no known parents (full pedigree: NO)
• Country of origin, according to VIVC: Italy
• VIVC prime name CALABRESE, variety number 1986; berry skin colour noir

Decanter reports that Nero d'Avola is the most cultivated red grape in Sicily and calls it a symbol of the region's viticulture. jancisrobinson.com describes it as increasingly recognised as western Sicily's trump card, and, naming the Elorina co-op as specializing in Pachino, calls Pachino historically the finest Nero d'Avola. The same source says vineyards at an altitude of more than 500 m (1600 ft) are generally the key to producing high-quality table wines on the island. In the southeast, Nero d'Avola is one of the two varieties of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, which Decanter says is obtained in a large area between the provinces of Ragusa, Caltanissetta and Catania, with Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico reserved for vineyards in the historical triangle formed by Vittoria, Acate and Chiaramonte Gulfi.Decanter says the Vittoria district's dry climate, with the sea very close and the Hyblaean mountains inland offering protection from humid winds, guarantees optimal ripening of the bunches. Decanter also reports that Frappato is more resilient than other Sicilian varieties such as Nero d'Avola, adding that drought is an increasingly common occurrence and producers may need to support their vines with irrigation.

• Most cultivated red grape in Sicily, according to Decanter
• Pachino: historically the finest Nero d'Avola, per jancisrobinson.com
• Cerasuolo di Vittoria: obtained in a large area between the provinces of Ragusa, Caltanissetta and Catania; Classico from the Vittoria, Acate and Chiaramonte Gulfi triangle (Decanter)
• Decanter reports Frappato as more resilient than Nero d'Avola, with drought increasingly common

jancisrobinson.com calls Nero d'Avola very fruity, adding that barrel maturation can work well, and elsewhere describes it as deep-coloured, crisp and cherry-bright. Decanter says the vine gives deep, dark and characterful wines. According to jancisrobinson.com, it blends well with other local red grapes such as Nerello and Frappato, as well as with international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Tasting the COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 2016, a red blend of 60% Nero d'Avola and 40% Frappato, jancisrobinson.com wrote that the Nero d'Avola component provides "beautifully bitter black fruit".

• Very fruity; barrel maturation can work well (jancisrobinson.com)
• Deep-coloured, crisp and cherry-bright (jancisrobinson.com)
• Deep, dark and characterful wines (Decanter)
• Blends well with Nerello, Frappato, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah (jancisrobinson.com)

jancisrobinson.com says barrel maturation can work well with Nero d'Avola, and reports that Sicily has seen considerable progress with cooler and more sophisticated fermentations and with the use of small oak barrels. For Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Decanter reports minimum maturation times of nine months, or 18 months for the Classico, with ageing usually in wood, though steel or amphorae are also used by some winemakers. Decanter also describes the traditional viti ad alberello (head-trained bush vines) of the Vittoria countryside.

• Considerable progress in Sicily with cooler and more sophisticated fermentations and the use of small oak barrels (jancisrobinson.com)
• Cerasuolo di Vittoria: minimum maturation of nine months, 18 months for Classico (Decanter)
• Cerasuolo di Vittoria ageing is usually in wood; some winemakers use steel or amphorae (Decanter)
• Traditional alberello (head-trained bush vines) in the Vittoria countryside (Decanter)

COS, an acronym of its founders Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Cirino Strano, makes a Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico that jancisrobinson.com describes as a red blend of 60% Nero d'Avola and 40% Frappato, from grapes organically grown since the first vintage, with fermentation allowed to start by ambient yeast. jancisrobinson.com names Tasca d'Almerita's Rosso del Conte, made from Perricone and Nero d'Avola, says Planeta has concentrated most on Sicilian, or at least Italian, grapes such as Nero d'Avola, and lists Donnafugata and Duca di Salaparuta among Sicily's particularly quality-conscious producers of unfortified wines from both local and imported grape varieties. Decanter describes Tenute Navarra's Maribu, an unoaked Cerasuolo di Vittoria, as giving Frappato and Nero d'Avola equal billing.

• COS: Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico, 60% Nero d'Avola and 40% Frappato (jancisrobinson.com)
• Tasca d'Almerita: Rosso del Conte, from Perricone and Nero d'Avola (jancisrobinson.com)
• Planeta: concentrated most on Sicilian, or at least Italian, grapes such as Nero d'Avola (jancisrobinson.com)
• Tenute Navarra: Maribu, an unoaked Cerasuolo di Vittoria giving Frappato and Nero d'Avola equal billing (Decanter)

Primary sources: https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=1986, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/d%252Fc%252Fe%252FD.65605fbb70345bcee4a3/P/BLOB%3AID%3D15124/E/pdf?mode=download. Secondary sources: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/red/nero-davola, https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/wine-regions/italy/sicily, https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/cos-classico-2016-cerasuolo-di-vittoria, https://www.decanter.com/premium/cerasuolo-di-vittoria-50-years-of-sicilys-only-docg-wine-495020/, https://www.decanter.com/premium/experts-choice-frappato-561254/. Last verified 2026-09-29