This week I had to share another cracking wine from the folks at Unico Zelo. I shared the Fiano a few weeks ago which was absolutely incredible, and now I took a trip over the border to try my hand at the Unico Zelo ‘The River’ Nero D’avola 2018.

I bought this bottle because I was perusing our local wine store and was excited to find that all of the Unico Zelo wine was on sale. Normally it retails for about $22-$23 per bottle, but it was down to $17! What a bargain! So despite having many bottles of red to choose from at home, I once again bought another bottle of wine just because. One can never have too much wine after all!

I was going to open this with friends but we didn’t end up drinking it. This was a happy accident indeed because it meant that I got to enjoy it with my partner and trust me when I say this is one you won’t want to share. Unless, you know, you really love them.

What to drink when you just want a good wine

Unico Zelo is all about the Riverland region, which has a bit of a reputation for producing bulk, average wines. The soil and conditions in the region make it quite challenging to produce great wines, but the winemakers at Unico Zelo are taking on all of that and producing incredible things. They’ve done this by experimenting with grape varieties that thrive in hot climates, particularly Italian grapes. These grapes tend to be able to handle the hot, arid climate of the Riverland region, and so Unico Zelo is bringing incredible Italian style wines right from South Australia!

I’ve had a few Unico Zelo wines before, mainly because I love their labels and packaging. I’ll be honest, it is a drawcard with me. You can seriously win me over pretty easily with a pretty label, but the fact that Unico Zelo wines have a matching cork is something that I am obsessed with. Firstly, Australian wines with corks are few and far between, but to have something fun and interesting pop out of your bottle of wine is something that makes drinking Unico Zelo wines even more enjoyable!

The Unico Zelo ‘The River’ Nero D’Avola 2018 is so much more than its beautiful exterior. I don’t usually drink too much Nero D’Avola, usually leaning more towards Sangiovese, but this wine makes me think I should be seeking them out. The wine is a perfect balance between light and heavy that makes it excellent drinking wine. Something you polish off before you even finish dinner because it’s that delicious. These wines are the sorts of wines that you need on hand for those times that you just want to drink a good bottle and aren’t going anywhere for the evening.

The Unico Zelo ‘The River’ Nero D’Avola 2018 is the sort of wine that lends itself to most occasions. Netflix and pizza? Yep, this wine will do it. Dinner with friends? Yep, bring it along. Had a bad day? This wine will make it better.

Why I love it

The reason I love the Unico Zelo ‘The River’ Nero D’Avola 2018 is that it is so drinkable without being too flat. It definitely has a punch of acidity to it that keeps it interesting, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming. This means although it is easy drinking, it is stilled packed full of interesting flavours. So you won’t get bored with this one, and you’ll definitely be after more when the bottle is finished.

The Unico Zelo ‘The River’ Nero D’Avola 2018 has a real berry front and a juicy taste. It’s the sort of wine that you smell and think it’s going to hit you in the face, but it actually goes down very easy. It is juicy and moreish, but not so heavy that you can only have a glass.

I love wines like this as sometimes I find heavy wines a bit much on my palate, but I really enjoy the flavour. This is why I often lean towards lighter style wines. But the Unico Zelo ‘The River’ Nero D’Avola 2018 is different. It has such a good balance which results in it being all too drinkable. So much so I was left wishing I had another bottle or 5.

What to enjoy it with

Although this wine is medium bodied, it is best enjoyed with food. I mean I definitely enjoyed a glass and a half before our takeout arrived, but I think I enjoyed it a lot more once I had some food. The flavours in the wine lend themselves to hearty meat dishes. Think slow cooked beef or a ragu. We had a nice curry with ours and it was really delicious.

The final word

The Unico Zelo ‘The River’ Nero D’Avola 2018 could be aged for a few years, or you could enjoy it right now. I really don’t think you need to cellar this one to get the best out of it. It is just great drinking wine. Perfect for enjoying on the couch in front of the TV, or equally over a nice meal. It will come along to the party no matter the occasion.

I think what Unico Zelo are doing is a great thing for Australian wine. Experimenting with new grapes to breathe life into a less well-known region. It’s all about shining a light on the underdog, and Australian’s love a good underdog story! If the wines from the Riverland region continue being this good, who knows where it will go!