Review: Lost Ranch Winery Nero d'Avola 2023 (Temecula Valley)

Rick and Shannon taste Lost Ranch Winery’s 2023 Nero d’Avola, Sicily’s “Black Grape,” now thriving in Temecula. Does this bold, volcanic-soil red land as a Dump It, Try It, Pour It, or Buy It?

In this week’s bonus mini-episode of Pour Temecula, Rick DeLucio and Shannon Cole pour a glass of Sicily’s signature red grape—Nero d’Avola—grown right here in Southern California. Their bottle of choice is the 2023 Nero d’Avola from Lost Ranch Winery, a tiny-production Temecula wine made from organic, volcanic-soil vineyards in nearby De Luz. Known as the “Black Grape of Avola,” Nero d’Avola thrives in hot Mediterranean climates, making it a natural fit for Temecula’s bold, sun-drenched style. Rick and Shannon dig into its Sicilian roots, why it’s gaining traction locally, and of course, share their tasting notes before giving it a final rating with the show’s Dump It, Try It, Pour It, or Buy It scale. Cheers!