Unico Zelo “Fresh AF”
Nero 2019
Wine Info
Region: Riverland, New South Wales, Australia
Grapes: Nero d’Avola 98%, Zibbibo (Muscat) 2%
ABV: 12.7%
Winemaker: Brendan Carter
Viticulture: Organic, zero artificial inputs
Winemaking: Completely chemical and manipulation free, minuscule amount of sulfur at bottling
“This wine is a basket of fruit”
Here’s a wine I knew I was going to love as soon as I saw the label. You can’t argue with FRESH AF, just like you can’t argue with homemade blackberry pie, which incidentally is a tasting note for this wine.
Brendan and Laura Carter run Unico Zelo, a small winery outside Adelaide, Australia that places an emphasis on low-input farming and hands-off, natural winemaking. Their desire is to create living wines with low intervention in the cellar.
This wine is a basket of fruit. Blackberry pie. Baked figs. Grapes. That’s right, a wine that smells like grapes. Nero d’Avola is one of the few grapes that retains super “grapey” aromas when it’s made into a wine. There’s also a pronounced light spiciness here, redolent of coriander and fresh vanilla bean. This wine just begs to be drank. It’s very refreshing and gulpable for an Australian red grown in the deserts of Riverland.
Put it in the fridge for an hour and drink it outside in the sun, preferably with a bathing suit on and some loud music blasting.
suggested pairings.
in partnership with Simply Real Health
We’ve partnered with Sarah Adler of Simply Real Health to provide recipes for all the wines in the July box. Sarah is a cookbook author, nutritional coach, and blogger who focuses on pure, natural ingredients in her cooking. We’ve been admiring her work for a long time and were so excited to collaborate on pairings with her! We hope you enjoy these summery, fresh recipes and make them alongside the wines in the July release.
Kale & Quinoa Salad
this is served with squash, apricots & bacon. I like this recipe with this wine because even though this is a red wine, it’s the kind you can serve with vegetables and fruits alike. The wine’s acidity is tangy and bright which helps with bacon and apricots too.
Further Pairings
Anything with barbecue sauce–ribs, chicken, burgers. Pair the bold fruit notes of this wine with grilled food as well, like grilled onions, zucchini, eggplant or simple pasta pomodoro.
Music: “Fresh As Fuck” by O S K I
Too on the nose? Nah. This song’s legit. Why not listen to a Belgian rapper while you sip Australian wine picked by an American sommelier? This wine doesn’t take itself too seriously, neither does this song. Have fun. Drink wine. Relax.
Learn with the Circle
Join us on Youtube as we discuss the nuances of this wine and all the fun things that make it unique.
- Jackson