Wine of the week: Cantina Cellaro Luma 2019

Does this Sicilian red herald a return to the island’s history of quality and value?

One of the first regions to suffer from the evils of premiumization was Sicily. First, the hipsters got hold of it and bounced up the prices of the best wines, from the Mt. Etna region. Second, importers followed suit with many of the not so best wines, riding on the hipster wave, and value slowly disappeared.

I wrote this in 2010, and it’s almost universally no longer true – and not just because the post is 12 years old. Rather, it’s because Scilian wine has gone In such a different direction.

So imagine my shock when I saw this bottle, from a long-time favorite producer, at a local retailer. I practically dropped it on the floor, I was so excited.

And my excitement was deserved. The Cantina Cellaro Luma 2019 ($12, purchased, 13%) is Sicilian red wine that speaks to what cheap wine should be. It’s easily one of the best Sicilian nero d’avolas I’ve tasted in years — varietally correct, with dark, fresh and almost plummy fruit, a bit of spice, some substance and body. In this, it’s an an honest wine. No one has tarted it up or smoothed it out or boosted the alcohol to appeal to the so-called American palate.

Highly recommended, and a candidate for next year’s Hall of Fame. And yes, serve it with red sauce, sausages, and pasta as the weather cools.

Imported by Gonzalez Byass