Wine of the week: Lamura Rosso 2013

Years ago, before the hipsters discovered Sicily, Lamura was about the only Sicilian producer with any kind of distribution. And even Lamura hedged its bets, marketing the wine as organic as much as where it was from. Who knew about nero d’avola back then?

Still, the wine (as well as a Lamura white) was an excellent example of what Sicily could do. And nothing has changed since — the Lamura Rosso ($10, purchased, 13.2%), a red blend made with nero, remains focused on value and quality when so many others are more concerned with raising prices and making the wine taste like it came from some massive fruity and oaky barrel.

Look for cherry and black plum fruit (more than I expected, actually), but where the fruit is balanced by the Sicilian earthiness that I so enjoy. And, despite its age, the wine remains fresh and interesting, without any of the cloying fruit or ashy-tasting middle that shows up in red wines at this price.

Drink this on its own, and don’t be afraid to chill it slightly; it’s made for a warm summer days on the back porch And, of course, if you want to pair the Lamura Rosso, it will match with anything from burgers to bratwurst to red sauce.