If you hoped that only Sicily is hanging on to its historic grapes, wait until we arrive in Sardinia. You may not have heard of Catarratto, but you definitely never encountered the Torbato, Semidano, Monica, Nuragus, Nasco or Niedderra grapes. Other varieties reflect links to the Roman Empire. Connonau (Grenache) is from the Provence, Carignan (Bovale Grande) from Spain and Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux. Vermentino, the dominant white grape is from Corsica or the Provence – so people say. Or not?
Sardinia’s territory is Ideal for viticulture. Hills and plains alternate, the sand and gravel from granites and limestone drain easily and the microclimate in the hills or on the coastal plain is sufficiently cool to produce good harvests. But less than 1% of Sardinia’s surface is used for growing wine. It hardly shows up in the Italian league table. Cannonau Nero accounts for 29%, Vermentino for 19%, Carignano Nero for 9% and Monica Nero and Nuragus Bianco for 7% both. The ratio of white to red is the inverse to Sicily. In Sardinia, the reds make up 61%, the whites 39%. The quality, however, compensates for the small volume of production. The red Connonau and the white Vermentino are outstanding. Many swear that they are the best
Vermentino grape in northern Sardinia
Talking about history of wine making - Sardinia has the oldest known site in the entire Mediterranean. On a 2’800 years old wine press, chemists found residues of tartaric acids, which confirm that wine was made by the indigenous Nurgic civilization before Greek and Phoenician settlers arrived. This finding triggers another question: were Cannonau, Carignano and Vermentino imported or are they indigenous grapes that spread to Europe? Maybe DNA analysis will provide an answer some day. So far, we don’t know.
Sardinian DOC wine regions
As for Sicily, I picked five wines for introduction today. Of course, the list is too short. We can complete it in sailing week three if you wish.
1. Terre Brune Superiore, a Carignano del Sulcis, is from the south-western corner of the island. The wine is full and assertive, spicy and earthy, has a hint of tobacco and black berries. The hot and dry climate make the grapes very sweet, which leads to a relatively high alcohol content. It goes very well with poultry, pork and beef. On vivino.com, the Terre Brune Superiore has a ranking of 4.2 and costs SFr. 24.75 – half of the UK price – maybe we should go into wine arbitrage!
2. Sciala Superiore, a Vermentino Di Gallura, is from the northern part of Sardinia, a good hour west from Porto Cervo. The classic Vermentino is dry with a floral style bouquet, a hint of zingy acidity and minerality. It is a refreshing, light white wine very suitable for aperos on the deck of the AFAED. It comes with a ranking of 4.0 and costs in Switzerland SFr. 17.10
Vineyard in the Gallura region in northern Sardinia
3. Vernaccia di Oristano from Contini comes from the west of Sardinia where the Phoenicians established the town of Tharros. It is like Marsala a fortified wine and was first mentioned in 1372 but probably goes back further. It matures in barrels for three to four years below a naturally growing film of yeast. The slow fermentation gives it a nutty or even musty flavor. As the Marsala, it is perfect for after the main course, when cheese is being served. Vernaccia is difficult to find outside Sardinia and even vivino.com has only listed a few. The Contini has a ranking of 4.1 and … cannot be bought!
Vineyards on the Bay of Oristano
4. The Cannonau, or Grenache, is Sardinia’s most popular wine. Grown almost everywhere, the best ones come from Alghero and Sassari, both towns which we will visit. Cagliari also competes for the title. We have to find out! Cannonau is a bold, dry red. The wine is spicy and a bit berry flowered. It lacks tannin and acidity, which makes it soft on the palate. It goes with almost any food. The red wine you had at my birthday party in Avignon was a pure Grenache from Gigondas – just to give you a reference. There are plenty of offers on vivino.com which an average rating of mostly 3.4 – 3.8. They cost about SFr. 20 a bottle.
5. The last wine for today is a Torbato, one of the indigenous grapes of Sardinia. It grows mainly in the northwest around Alghero and is a single grape wine. It is crisp and dry and comes with a bit of tannin due to the maturation in oak barrels. Some people think it is a bit flinty. Its crispiness makes it the ideal apéro. Could not find it on my beloved ranking site but it is probably in the range of a 3.5. The price is somewhere between SFr. 10 – 12 per bottle.
That is all for today. Tomorrow we have a look at the wines of Corsica – vaguely remember the Rosé from one of the trips we did with the risk team fourteen years ago.