Nero d’Avola is a dry, red table wine from the primary red grape of Sicily, grown in Central California.

The Vineyard and the Grapes
Grower Ron Silva's grapes are planted on 101-14 and 1103 Paulsen rootstocks, and are planted on a quadrilateral, t-bar trellising system, with 11x6 spacing, resulting in 660 plants per acre. The vines are planted in a North-South row orientation for even sun exposure. The shoots are heavily thinned to improve air flow, keeping mildew under control. The vineyard is farmed with sustainable methods, with natural composting, pomace and potassium additions, and treated with hybrid mustard to control bugs. Each row is individually watered as needed. The valley's heat is tempered by the afternoon winds that keep the area seven to eight degrees cooler than the surrounding Sacramento and Stockton regions.

The Vintage
Ron's farm in Lodi saw a growing season with normal temperatures and rainfall, but he harvested the grapes a bit earlier than usual. The yield was smaller than a normal harvest and arrived at optimum maturity, with clear varietal expression and sugar-acid balance.

Vinification and Aging
Fermentation is in open-top fermenters with manual punch down. The must is transferred to one year old Burgundy barrels for malo-lactic fermentation and 11 months of aging. The wine was bottled, unfined, in August 2008.

Aromas, Flavors & Palate Impressions
The wine shows a deep brick-red color with purple highlights. On the nose, the wine shows black cherry, black plums, mineral, and a touch of leather on a medium to full-bodied framework with firm acid and tannin structure, in a hearty, rustic style.