Gin Nero D'avola Scotland Speyside

Italy’s largest island, Sicily, has a wine producing history that can put most other European regions to shame. It was producing quality wines before the days of the Roman empire, and even the Ancient Greeks were not the first to cultivate vines on the island. For as long as anyone knows, the key grape varietal of Sicily has been Nero d’Avola, the beautiful, deep blue skinned grape which produces the region’s characterful, powerful red wines. While in the past, Nero d’Avola was mainly used as a blending grape, due to its deep color and intensely full body, it is today being increasingly celebrated as a single varietal wine grape, and is perfect for those who like their wines boisterous, loud and strong.



Nero d’Avola is grown pretty much everywhere on Sicily, as demand for wines made from this grape have never been higher. Despite its power and body, it is quite a versatile grape - it can be aged in oak barrels, which produces a dense and dark wine which puts its intense characteristics to good use, but it is also often drunk quite young, which allows its jammy, plummy character to come forward. It is also used to make rose wines in some appellations of Sicily, demonstrating a softer side to this otherwise heavy, deeply flavorful grape.

When you think of Scotch whisky, you are probably thinking of the whiskies of Speyside. This fascinating and unique corner of the country is tucked into the north-east coast of Scotland, where the north sea batters the cliffs and cold, arctic winds make life hard for the families who have worked there for generations. Speyside is the most industrious and productive whisky region in Scotland, and this small area on the river Spey between Moray and Badenoch produces more whisky than any other part of Scotland, due to the enormous number of famed distilleries which can be found there. No less than sixty percent of all Scotland’s whiskies come out of Speyside, and certain distilleries produce vast quantities of the spirit, with one distillery churning out 12.5 million litres of whisky per year for a global audience.

In Speyside, we can find the big-hitters of the scotch whisky world. Indeed, the two best selling single malt whiskies on earth are produced here - Glenlivet and Glenfiddich - still made using traditional techniques and fiercely guarded secret methods which have been passed down through the ages.

Speyside single malt whiskies fall comfortably into two quite distinctive camps. Whiskies like Glenlivet, for example, typify the light and smooth end of the spectrum - comforting, delicious and full of fresh, grassy flavors. On the other side, we have the heavier, richer and sweeter whiskies which age in sherry barrels and take on a caramel complexity which has its own dedicated fanbase.