Unico Zelo Fresh A.F. is exactly what the name suggests

The Unico Zelo Fresh A.F. is the perfect red wine for Summer. It’s vibrant, lively and zippy, with a great hit of acidity that makes it oh so refreshing. The fruity aroma and spicy flavours make for a wine that is gone all too quickly. You’ll be knocking this one back all throughout Summer! 

Over the weekend I had a few friends over for a wine night. I gathered some of my girlfriends and we each brought a bottle of wine to try, along with a snack of course! I’ve held one of these nights before and it was great fun! It’s interesting seeing everyone’s different tastes in wine, and working out what everyone likes and doesn’t like. Not many of my friends were drinking, so it also meant I ended up with a few leftover bottles!

The wine I decided to bring to the party was one that I have wanted to try for a while: the Unico Zelo Fresh A.F.. I have had a few of the Unico Zelo wines over the years (I even tried last year’s Nero and don’t get me started on the Fiano). They do so many interesting and delicious wines, and so when I saw this new one I knew I had to give it a go. I mean with a name like that, it is dying to be bought at the bottle shop! Better yet, it was on sale at my local, so it was truly meant to be. I figured where better to enjoy this great bottle than with friends?

The Unico Zelo Fresh A.F. lives up to its name

The Unico Zelo Fresh A.F. is a Nero d’Avola with a hint of Zibbibo. What do you mean you haven’t heard of Zibbibo? Me neither, don’t worry! Zibbibo is an ancient grape variety that is used in muscat and is also called the Muscat of Alexandria. It has been added to the Nero d’Avola to lift the aromas and truly up the ante when it comes to freshness.

As with most of the Unico Zelo wines, Fresh A.F. comes from Riverland in South Australia. This region is becoming quite well known for its craft wine, having once been the home of many bulk, budget wineries. With sandy soils and limestone, this desert-like region is perfect for warm-climate grapes. Nero d’Avola comes from Sicily so thrives in this environment. The wine has had minimal intervention due to its water-efficiency, and there have been no additions in the vineyard or winery apart from a little SO2 at bottling.

Why I love it

The Unico Zelo Fresh A.F. is the perfect wine for Summer. It can be hard to find a red wine that you want to drink when it is 30 degrees, but being a red wine lover myself I am constantly on the hunt. The flavours and body in this wine come together to make it perfect for drinking in warmer weather.

First, let’s talk about the nose. The Zibbibo gives the wine a great aroma of red berries and a slight spice. But I didn’t find this wine fruity to drink. It had a delicious hit of spice to balance out any sweetness, and a good kick of acidity right at the end. The flavours almost dance in your mouth! It left you wanting another sip straight away because the flavour was so unusual and delicious, but it didn’t linger for a long time.

What does this mean overall? This wine will quench your thirst with its refreshing and lively flavours, but you might want to have more than one bottle on hand. It is all too easy to smash out a bottle between friends, and with a wine this delicious and refreshing you’ll want to be grabbing another when you run out!

What to enjoy it with

I tried the Unico Zelo Fresh A.F. with a couple of different things and I can tell you now it is incredibly adaptable. You could easily enjoy this wine without food, or you could pair it with some antipasto. This was how we enjoyed it and I think a few dips, cheese, crackers and cured meats go down so well with this wine. Add some friends and you’ve got the start to a perfect evening!

If you want to pair it with food, definitely don’t drink it with anything too heavy. Think lighter summer foods such as grilled meat and salads, or a light pasta dish and pizza. I had this wine with some lamb and a salad and it was delicious!

The final word on the Unico Zelo Fresh A.F.

In short, the Unico Zelo Fresh A.F. is the perfect wine to enjoy coming into Summer. With a name as bold as this, the wine needed to stand out, and it certainly did! Refreshing, zippy and juicy all in one, this wine will quench your thirst but is so delicious you’ll want another glass. It’s the sort of wine I can see myself coming back to over and over again as the nights get warmer!