FEUDO MACCARI NERO D'AVOLA 2011
SICILY, ITALY
By: Ed "The Wine Guy"
Believe it or not, there are over 10,000 varieties of wine grapes in the world. 10,000! And the average wine consumer may be familiar with and have tasted, perhaps, at most 10: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio (Gris), Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah (Shiraz), Zinfandel, Malbec, and Sangiovese (Chianti). How many more varieties can you add to this list? From its inception, the purpose of this Wine of the Week column was to present not only familiar varieties of wines, but also to introduce new varieties, such as Carmemere, from Chile, similar to Merlot, but with a layer of satisfying spice; Albarino, Spain's most popular and distinctively aromatic white wine; Torrontes, a white wine from Argentina, with subtle spice notes and floral bouquet; and Nero D'Avola, Sicily's most important and widely planted red grape. Feudo Maccari is rich, zesty, velvety, with aromas and flavors of cherry, raspberry, plum, black pepper, spice, smoke, and clove. It pairs well with puttanesca sauce (tomato sauce with anchovies, capers, and olives).