There are many wines coming from this Italian island. Sardinia produces great red, white, and dessert wines. Here, we’ll cover all the essential information to pick the perfect Sardinian wine to pair with a variety of dishes.
A particular Sardinian tradition is le cantine aperte. This celebrates new wines with every village having its own festivity. These run from August until December. Generally, wine glasses are for sale in the village and participants go from wine cellar to wine cellar to try the newly released wines of the area. In the streets, traditional music and dances add to the revelry.
Sardinian Reds
Cannonau, while grown throughout Sardinia, is mostly produced in the central area of Sardinia. This grape is marked by a red ruby colour and creates a strong and well-structured wine. Therefore, it pairs well with heavy red meat and aged cheeses.
Carignano is mostly grown in the coastal regions of Sulcis Iglesiente and Sant’Antioco. The sea breeze and rich minerality and salts in the soil impart unique characteristics. Wines made with the Carignano grape tend to be a deep red ruby colour and have a great structure with a persistent finish. These tend to pair well with starters, sharp, aged cheeses, and wild boar and pork dishes.
Sardinian Whites
Vermentino is the main white varietal grown in Sardinia. Vermentino wines are meant to be drunk young. There are two varieties of Vermentino. These are the DOC variety, which is produced throughout Sardinia, and the “Gallura” DOCG variety, which is only grown in Colli di Gallura region. These two varieties are differentiated by colour with the Gallura having a strong straw-yellow colour. Both are marked by floral aromas and pair well with fish and crustacean dishes as well as white meat.
Sardinian Dessert Wines
Vernaccia is a dessert wine made with a grape variety of the same name. Although yellow in colour at first, the wine becomes amber as it ages. It can be consumed as both an aperitif or paired with desserts.
Malvasia is another important dessert wine produced in Sardinia, coming from both the Cagliari and Bosa regions. It is golden in colour and has a rich texture.
Our Wine Recommendations:
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Argiolas - Turriga Isola dei Nuraghi
This bold red wine pairs beautifully with beef, lamb, and meat pasta dishes. It has moderate tannins and mild acidity and is off-dry. Red and black fruit notes are prominent in this wine.
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Sardus Pater - Is Arenas Riserva Carignano del Sulcis
This wine has a bold finish and moderate tannins and is characterized by strong fruit notes, including blackberry, black currant, cherry, and raspberry. It has mild acidity and is slightly off-dry. It will pair well with heavy meat dishes.
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Capichera - Vign’angena Vermentino di Gallura
This Vermentino is slightly off-dry and has medium acidity. This wine has citrus, apple, and floral notes and noticeable minerality on the finish. It pairs well with fish dishes.
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Contini - Antico Gregori Vernaccia di Oristano
This rich dessert wine has notes of caramel, toasted nuts, and candied and dried fruits. It is a beautiful and typical example of a Vernaccia coming from Sardinia.
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