Nero d’Avola, also known as Calabrese, is a Sicilian grape with origins thought to lie in the Calabra region. Its characteristics include body, deep garnet coloring, and cherry notes. It is well paired with full flavored proteins, such as beef and venison, or shiitake mushrooms for the vegetarian set. The grape is comparable to Syrah, not just in it’s robust nature but also it’s ability for barrel maturation. The Nero d’Avola I had with dinner Tuesday night was produced by Caruso & Minini. The company’s history dates back to the 1800’s, when Antonio Caruso started the business to grow grapes for others. In the mid-1900’s the company began producing their own wines, and in 2004 Mario Minini joined to create the current winery. They focus on grapes native to the region. This Nero d’Avola grows in clay and soil, then has 15-20 days of maceration and 30 days resting on the lees. In total it is aged 8 months, all stainless steel. I tasted the wine first before dinner, with an entirely clean palette. The nose is deep, with violet, bramble, and cherries high in the nose. It’s medium-plus to full bodied, 13.5% alcohol. Bits of bitterness, fresh fruit, and spice. The finish includes more spices, and the sense that I had been sucking on a grape popsicle maybe 30 minute ago. Not a sweet sensation, but the mark of a deep, black fruit flavor. The terroir isn’t running through this wine, but I definitely can sense the setting sun on the volcanic soil. I paired the wine with lamb shoulder, shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale and onions. The lamb was gamey, and as expected, it complimented the wine well. I had read that this would bring out the fruit tones, and I experienced that, but also more exuberance in the wine. The mushrooms especially brought out juiciness. What struck me most, however, was the spices and tannins. Not to draw too many parallels to Syrah, but I did think of cowboys, and how can one not think of Sergio Leone? The geography is all wrong, Leone being from Rome and his films mostly shot in Spain, but this wine represents to me the confident, wild, sexy, and rough around the edges style of his films and their characters.