Sundays with Social Sunday Heathcote Nero d’Avola

Sometimes you just need a wine that you don’t feel the least bit guilty about cracking open. Those wines that are simply tasty, don’t need to be cellared to enjoy and don’t break the bank. Personally, I’d love to be sipping on Grange every night, but I sadly haven’t won the lottery yet, so in its place I need delicious and exciting drinking wines. The  Social Sunday Heathcote Nero d’Avola 2016 is one of those wines.

Do you know those evenings where you’re gearing up to sit on the couch in front of a good (or very cheezy and oh-so-good) Netflix show? Your takeout pizza has been ordered, and all that’s left to do is open a bottle of wine to go with it. When I have these lazy nights in I just want to cozy up with a decent bottle of wine without having to think too much about it, or worry about whether I should have let it cellar for a little longer. This is where great drinking wines come to the rescue! Having a good stock of these makes sure you always have something on hand for those lazy nights in, so you aren’t tempted by the bottles you’re saving.

Sundays brought to you by Social Sunday Heathcote Nero d’Avola

I love easy drinking wines, especially when they taste as good as the Social Sunday Heathcote Nero d’Avola 2016. We have picked this one up from Naked Wines a couple of times, as it’s a great price for a delicious drop. For under $20 a bottle, you don’t need to feel the slightest bit guilty about cracking it open, and you’ll want to once you know how delicious it is!

The winery is from Heathcote in Victoria, which is not a wine region I’ve had much from. Wines from this region are defined by dark colours and intense flavours from small, concentrated grapes caused by rich soils. There are about 60 wineries there, so if you are a fan of this one I suggest checking out some more of them – I know I will be!

Really it’s all in the name. What other wine does one enjoy on a Sunday other than the Social Sunday Heathcote Nero d’Avola 2016? I mean sure I wasn’t being that social this Sunday, but this is the sort of wine that’s good for sharing too. If you want to that is…sitting on the couch and watching Netflix with your favourite pizza is a mighty tempting way to spend a Sunday!

Why I loved it

I’ll start with the first thing I noticed about this wine because I am a shameless wine label lover. The label on the Social Sunday Heathcote Nero d’Avola 2016 is so cute and eye-catching! It definitely stands out amongst some of the other drinking wines we have which are sometimes not that exciting. It screams “drink me and you’ll have a good time” with its bright pop of colour.

But for those of you who want to know more beyond the skin-deep beauty of the wine bottle, the flavours of the Social Sunday Heathcote Nero d’Avola 2016 are great too! If you haven’t tried Nero D’Avola before, it is a medium-bodied red that is famous in Sicily. It grows quite well in warmer climates. If you are a fan of bolder wines with rich flavours such as Cabernet and Shiraz, this wine will be your new best friend.

The flavours in this wine are so complex. It has a deep ruby colour and blackberry aromas, but a really fruity palate with plum and blueberries. This fruit flavour is balanced out by a good hit of acidity and tannin that really lingers on the tongue. It leaves you wanting more as it isn’t too overpowering but sits there long enough for you to enjoy it before your next sip.

I’d recommend giving this wine a bit of time to breath either in a decanter or using an aerator. It needs to open up a little for full enjoyment!

What to enjoy it with

So we enjoyed this wine with some delicious tomato based pizza, and I have to say it was really good. I mean it may have been a little too heavy for something like this, but I really still enjoyed it. I think however if you want the full experience it would be best to pair the Social Sunday Heathcote Nero d’Avola 2016 with meat. Think a good BBQ with friends or slow cooked beef ribs. Anything that is a little heavier and meaty would be a fantastic pair to this bold wine.

Although you could enjoy this wine without food, it really is a food wine best enjoyed with a delicious meal. But it would be the perfect accompaniment to a casual BBQ or even a midweek steak night.

The final word on the Social Sunday Heathcote Nero d’Avola 2016

The Social Sunday Heathcote Nero d’Avola 2016 is simply delicious wine. It doesn’t need any cellaring to enjoy, and at under $20 a bottle, you’ll be able to open up a bottle without the slightest hesitation. The flavours are fruity without being too sweet and balanced by a good hit of tannin. It makes for an absolutely delicious food wine that you could keep for yourself or enjoy with friends if you’re feeling nice.

It can be hard to find drinking wines that are this enjoyable to drink, as sometimes I find they could do with a bit of ageing to balance out the flavours. But drinking wine should be able to be enjoyed now, and for a medium-bodied wine, the Social Sunday Heathcote Nero d’Avola 2016 is absolutely perfect! So get cosy on the couch, order in and crack open this delicious bottle of Nero D’Avola.