We were introduced to Sicily through wines of Arianna and looking back, think it spoilt us rotten.
Arianna, doesn't just make a Sicilian Nero d'avola, she makes 'the' Nero d'Avola. She has set the standards that, to us have become a benchmark for how good and how incredibly exciting a bottle of red can be.
Looking back, I think it was a bit like starting your wine journey from a first growth Bordeux and then constantly comparing why the others you try are not matching upto it. It can sometimes, take years, especially if no one tells you. In less than two decades, Arianna and Occhipinti have become a household name and most people won't talk about exciting Sicilian reds without mentioning Occhipinti, in their first few sentences.
Her Nero d'Avola, made from vines with an average age of 35 years and aged in big slovanian 25hl oak barrels for 22 months followed by 2 months of bottle ageing is class defining.
As Arianna puts it, Nero is the grape that unites Sicily from end to end. If you still haven't ever tried their Nero d'avola or her Il Frappato, you have been truly living under a rock!
Tasting Notes & Reviews
"Deep red. Juicy aromas and flavors of red berries, medicinal herbs, licorice and earth tones. Long and lively on the juicy, vibrant back end." 90/100 Ian D'Agata/Vinous Aug 2019
Arianna, doesn't just make a Sicilian Nero d'avola, she makes 'the' Nero d'Avola. She has set the standards that, to us have become a benchmark for how good and how incredibly exciting a bottle of red can be.
Looking back, I think it was a bit like starting your wine journey from a first growth Bordeux and then constantly comparing why the others you try are not matching upto it. It can sometimes, take years, especially if no one tells you. In less than two decades, Arianna and Occhipinti have become a household name and most people won't talk about exciting Sicilian reds without mentioning Occhipinti, in their first few sentences.
Her Nero d'Avola, made from vines with an average age of 35 years and aged in big slovanian 25hl oak barrels for 22 months followed by 2 months of bottle ageing is class defining.
As Arianna puts it, Nero is the grape that unites Sicily from end to end. If you still haven't ever tried their Nero d'avola or her Il Frappato, you have been truly living under a rock!
Tasting Notes & Reviews
"Deep red. Juicy aromas and flavors of red berries, medicinal herbs, licorice and earth tones. Long and lively on the juicy, vibrant back end." 90/100 Ian D'Agata/Vinous Aug 2019