17 Aug Amato Vino & Some Nero Love

Max Allen, wine-scribe for The Australian, is a big fan of the Sicilian variety Nero d’Avola. We knew that. So he was top of the invite list for a tasting hosted by Amato Vino winemaker, Brad Wehr, in Melbourne recently to benchmark the variety. Twenty odd Sicilians were pitched against a dozen or so Australian versions of this new and hip grape variety, including our own 2013 Amato Vino.

The results were fascinating. And while individual wines were argued over all night, there was majority support for the soft, light-to-medium-bodied, juicy and savoury styles produced by the Australian producers, and those of the Sicilian winemakers (interestingly at the cheaper end).

Brad Wehr made the observation, “Pleasingly our Amato Vino was rated in the top 5 for many of those present and we think this is an acknowledgement that we’re on the right track with the development of this style.”

Although Nero d’Avola has been in Australia for a decade now, many plantings are very young. And although it has many fans already, only time will see this variety improve further in the glass, and be more widely known by the public and embraced. Along with our Riverland grower, Ricca Terra Farms, we’re pleased to be at the forefront of development of Nero d’Avola in Australia.

Read more about our Amato Vino wines.

Here’s what Max Allen had to say…

Max Allen – The Australian – August 16 2014

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