W3 Wine School

Nerello Mascalese (Italy)

Nerello Mascalese is a red wine grape from the Etna region in Sicily.

Nerello Mascalese Flavors

Strawberry
Strawberry
Cherry
Red
Cherry
Cherry
Cherry
Plum
Plum
Licorice
Licorice
Spices
Spices
Leather
Leather
Volcanic
Volcanic

Wild Strawberry flavors are typical for Nerello Mascalese, with hints of Cinnamon.

Nerello Mascalese Profile

Nerello Mascalese is light in color and tannins but big on flavor and acid.

BODY:Light
TANNINS:Low
FRUIT:Medium - High
ACIDITY:High
Temperature Serving temperature:
16-17°C (61-63°F)

Nerello Mascalese Food Pairing

Antipasti
Antipasti
Salami
Salami
Ham
Ham
Soup
Soups
Pasta
Pasta
Mushroom
Mushroom
Risotto
Risotto
Truffle
Truffle
Pizza
Pizza
Sandwitch
Sandwitch
Hamburger
Hamburger
Chili
Chili
Goose
Goose
Duck
Duck
Rabbit
Rabbit
Pork
Pork

Nerello Mascalese is very food friendly, much like Pinot Noir.

It can be paired with a wide variety of dishes, especially grilled or roasted white meat.

Excellent Pairings

Antipasti. Charcuterie.
Pasta. Sicilian Pesto.
Mushroom. Truffle.
Roasted Mushrooms. Mushroom Risotto.
Grilled or Roasted White Meat.
Poultry. Duck. Goose. Rabbit.
Grilled Pork. Ham. Bacon. Veal.
Salmon. Tuna. Swordfish.

Spices:
Basil. Cilantro. Coriander. Mint.

Cheeses

Comté. Brie. Camembert. Jarlsberg. Goat.
Ragusano. Pecorino. Caciocavallo.

Sicilian Specialities:
Caponata (Coocked Veggies).
Pasta con Sarde (Sardines).
Anelletti al Forno (Baked Pasta).
Involtini alla Siciliana (Veal Rolls).

If You Like Nerello Mascalese

You Will Also Like:

Bardolino (Italy)
Beaujolais (France)
Beaujolais Nouveau (France)
Blauburgunder (Austria)
Brachetto (Italy)
Cinsault (France)
Counoise (France)
Dornfelder (Germany)
Gamay (France)
Lambrusco (Italy)
Pinot Nero (Italy)
Rondinella (Italy)
Schiava (Italy)
Spätburgunder (Germany)
St. Magdalener (Italy)
Tauberschwarz (Germany)
Trollinger (Germany)
Valpolicella (Italy)
Vernatch (Austria)
Vernatch (Italy)
Vinho Verde Tinto (Portugal)
Zweigelt (Austria)

The Ideal Glass for Nerello Mascalese

Pick a Burgundy Glass for swirling & releasing the wine aromas.

The shape of the glass captures and directs the delicate aromas to your nose and leads the wine to the tip of your tongue for a better reception of the tastes.

The Burgundy glass was designed for the delicate and aromatic red wine Bourgogne Rouge, made from Pinot Noir grapes in Bougogne (Burgundy).

Nerello Mascalese Flavors

Wild Strawberry flavors are typical for Nerello Mascalese, with hints of Cinnamon.

Strawberry
Strawberry
Cherry
Red
Cherry
Cherry
Cherry
Plum
Plum
Licorice
Licorice
Spices
Spices
Leather
Leather
Volcanic
Volcanic

Nerello Mascalese Profile

Nerello Mascalese is light in color and tannins but big on flavor and acid.

BODY:Light
TANNINS:Low
FRUIT:Medium - High
ACIDITY:High
ALCOHOL:13-15% ABV
Temperature Serving temperature:
16-17°C (61-63°F)

Nerello Mascalese Food Pairing

Nerello Mascalese is very food friendly, much like Pinot Noir. It can be paired with a wide variety of dishes, especially grilled or roasted white meat.

Antipasti
Antipasti
Salami
Salami
Ham
Ham
Soup
Soups
Pasta
Pasta
Mushroom
Mushroom
Risotto
Risotto
Truffle
Truffle
Pizza
Pizza
Sandwitch
Sandwitch
Hamburger
Hamburger
Chili
Chili
Goose
Goose
Duck
Duck
Rabbit
Rabbit
Pork
Pork

Excellent Pairings

Antipasti. Charcuterie.
Pasta. Sicilian Pesto.
Mushroom. Truffle.
Roasted Mushrooms. Mushroom Risotto.
Grilled or Roasted White Meat.
Poultry. Duck. Goose. Rabbit.
Grilled Pork. Ham. Bacon. Veal.
Salmon. Tuna. Swordfish.

Spices: Basil. Cilantro. Coriander. Mint.

Cheeses

Comté. Brie. Camembert. Jarlsberg. Goat.
Ragusano. Pecorino. Caciocavallo.

Sicilian Specialities:

Caponata (Coocked Veggies).
Pasta con Sarde (Sardines).
Anelletti al Forno (Baked Pasta).
Involtini alla Siciliana (Veal Rolls).

The Ideal Glass for Nerello Mascalese

Pick a Burgundy Glass for swirling & releasing the wine aromas.

The shape of the glass captures and directs the delicate aromas to your nose and leads the wine to the tip of your tongue for a better reception of the tastes.

The Burgundy glass was designed for the delicate and aromatic red wine Bourgogne Rouge, made from Pinot Noir grapes in Bougogne (Burgundy).

Nerello Mascalese Cheese Pairing

If You Like Nerello Mascalese

You Will Also Like:

Bardolino (Italy)
Beaujolais (France)
Blauburgunder (Austria)
Cinsault (France)
Lambrusco (Italy)
Pinot Nero (Italy)
Schiava (Italy)
Trollinger (Germany)
Valpolicella (Italy)
Vernatch (Italy)
Zweigelt (Austria)

About Etna DOC Rosso

Nerello Mascalese is the main grape in the Etna DOC Rosso (1968):

NameAlcoholGrapes
Rose
Rosato
12.5%Min 80% Nerello Mascalese.
Max 20% Nerello Cappuccio.
Red
Rosso
12.5%Min 80% Nerello Mascalese.
Max 20% Nerello Cappuccio.
Red
Riserva
13.0%Min 80% Nerello Mascalese.
Max 20% Nerello Cappuccio.

Lately, Etna Rosso has ben known as "Burgundy of the Mediterranean".

The wine is produced on the belt that covers the slopes of Etna, in Sicily.

The vineyards grow on volcanic soils, giving the characteristic aromas, while the steady stream of smoke provides nutrients for the terroir.

Low rainfall, well-drained soils, Mediterranean climate, high elevation, and cooler nights are ideal conditions.

Etna D.O.C. territory is closely tied to the biggest active volcano in Europe - Etna. Much of it is covered with crops and natural vegetation. Among the cultivated species the grape vine has always played a major role.

Etna DOC

Wine Region Sicilia (Sicily)

Etna and Catania

Etna with the city of Catania in the foreground

Black Grapes

White Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon

35% Cataratto
15% Nero d'Avola

Sauvignon

13% Chardonnay


Red Wines

White Wines

Red Wine

Cerasuolo
Etna Rosso
Frappato
Nerello Mascalese
Nero d'Avola
Perricone

White Wine

Carricante
Cataratto
Etna Bianco
Fiano
Grillo
Inzolia
Malvasia Secco
Sicilia Bianco
Zibibbo


Rosè Wines

Dessert Wines

Rosè

Cerasuolo di Vittoria
Nero d'Avola Rosato

Sparkling Wine

Marsala

Soil

Soil

Volcanic mountains, volcanic hills and dark volcanic soil is covering most of Sicily, but is most significant around the Volcano Mount Etna.

Climate

Soil

Sicily is excellent for high-quality winemaking. With Mediterranean influences as well as lots of sunshine, the overall climate is warm and dry.

But, the island has mountains, and the benefit of altitude helps to moderate heat, preserve acidity, and even out ripening.

Winds from the oceans protect grapes from frost and mildew, and the harvest is one of the longest in Italy (90 days).

Sicilia has 1 DOCG and 23 DOC regions:

Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG

Alcamo DOC
Contea di Sclafani
Contessa Entellina DOC
Delia Nivolelli DOC
Eloro DOC
Erice DOC
Etna DOC
Faro DOC
Malvasia delle Lipari DOC
Mamertino di Milazzo
Marsala DOC
Menfi DOC
Monreale DOC
Noto DOC
Pantelleria DOC
Riesi DOC
Salaparuta DOC
Sambuca di Sicilia DOC
Santa Margherita di Belice DOC
Sciacca DOC
Sicilia DOC
Siracusa DOC
Vittoria DOC


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