Wine of the week: Cusumano Nero d’Avola 2019

This vintage of the Italian red is much closer to being the great cheap wine that it once was

Cusumano’s two Sicilian wines – the white, made with insolia, and the red, made with nero d’avola – were once some of the greatest cheap wines in the world. Then, the brand got a new importer, and each became softer, more focus-grouped, and less Sicilian.

But there is good news with the 2019 version of the nero d’avola ($11, purchased, 13%). If it’s still not the dark, interesting, earthy, and almost plummy red it once was, it’s much closer to that than it has been in years. In other words, one step at a time.

This vintage is more fruit forward than I would like, but it’s also much more Italian – and Sicilian – in style than previous vintages. That means more earth, a bit of juiciness among the cherry fruit, more tannic (and in a good way), and, as one review suggests, almost chewy. Those are vast improvements over the New World knockoff the wine has been for the past several years.

Pair this with barbecue, including bratwurst, as well as most red sauces and even smoked pork shoulder.

Imported by Terlato Wines International