2024 Nero d'Avola 'Vitese', Colomba Bianca

Sicily after sunset.

This is Nero d’Avola with all the warmth and generosity you want from the island, but with just enough polish to keep it feeling seriously well turned out. Packed with ripe plum and black cherry, the 2024 is juicy, smooth and sun-soaked, with subtle sweet spice, a touch of coffee and a gently savoury kick on the finish. There is plenty of fruit here, but it is not all sweetness and swagger. Soft, ripe tannins give it shape, while a darker, spicier edge keeps the wine grounded and grown-up. Plush, approachable and full of Mediterranean charm, this is one of those reds that disappears very easily once the cork is out. 

For when: there is a big bowl of pasta, music in the kitchen, and no one is checking the time.

Pairs with: aubergine parmigiana, meatballs in tomato sauce, grilled sausages, pizza with fennel salami, or hard Sicilian cheeses.

If this wine were a person: warm, flirtatious, a little dramatic, and excellent company from the first glass.

Colomba Bianca has become one of the defining names in modern Sicilian organic winemaking, farming across a remarkable range of sites and using a more detailed, parcel-conscious approach than its scale might suggest. The organically certified vineyards for Vitese span varied terroirs across Sicily, from sea level up to around 700 metres, allowing the team to build layers of fruit, freshness and character into the final wine. That breadth of sourcing, combined with careful harvesting and a clear focus on varietal expression, helps give this Nero d’Avola its inviting mix of ripeness, softness and spicy depth.