Fine Nero D' Avola at Giotto, Montclair, NJ

We were lucky enough to get a nice outside table with only a 30 minute wait at Osteria Giotto in Montclair on a Tuesday evening two weeks ago.

After we finished our dinner it was again very clear why this restaurant is always busy.

On the way I picked up a delicious Nero D' Avola at Home Liquors in Verona, Tenuta Rapitala, a great bargain at 9.99.

The Sicilian wine maker Tenuta Rapitala has a saying "We Grow Passion." This is  certainly evident in their powerful Nero D' Avola they call Campo Reale.

There are fragrant, floral aromas of dark berries, clove, spice and herbs. On the palate, the fruit has a warm, full structure, with soft tannins and acidity that helps the long finish.

Wine Advocate The 2006 Nero d’Avola Campo Reale is a fresh, vinous wine bursting with perfumed, sweet red fruit and a silky-textured, open personality. I would be hard pressed to name another wine that offers this much pleasure for the money. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2009. Score: 87. —Antonio Galloni, February 2008.

"In 1968 Hugues Bernard, Count of Gatinais, France and his wife Gigi Guarrasi, a descendant of a prominent Palermo family, had a dream to purchase and reconstruct Tenuta Rapitala. Founded in the 14th century, according to a document that chronicled a dispute over a particularly sought after piece of property within the confines of "Casalj Rabitallavi", the estate was destroyed by an earthquake in the 1960s. The couple seized this opportunity to turn a dream into a reality and proceeded to build a winery with the best possible facilities.

The vineyards, while dedicated to the growth of highly typical indigenous Cataratto Lucido and Nero d'Avola, also became home to international varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Syrah; a gamble that Count Hugues Gatinais felt had too much potential to pass up despite initial uproar by local winegrowers. His decision paid off and today the estate is a proud member of a restricted circle of great wineries that have influenced Sicilian oenology for the past thirty years.

The vineyards, which are located on the hills between Alcamo and Camporeale, range from 1000 feet to 2000 feet above sea level. Perfect sun exposure and soil composition make this location particularly well suited to the production of prestigious wines. It is for this reason that a main goal of the estate is to express the particular personality of the territory through the production of unique wines.

Rapitala is an innovative Sicilian winery brought to Frederick Wildman and Sons by Gruppo Italiano Vini. "  Importer