Sardinia Wine:
Sardinians have
sharply reduced vineyards and volume of production recently while notably
improving the general quality of wines. Among DOC wines, whites prevail by
nearly two to one over reds. The island's most productive vineyard area is the Campidano, the fertile plains and low rolling hills northwest of the capital and
major port of Cagliari. The varieties grown there,
Girņ, Malvasia, Monica,
Moscato, Nasco and Nuragus, carry the name of Cagliari in their denominations
The wooded
slopes of the northern Gallura peninsula and the northwestern coastal area
around Sassari and Alghero are noted for premium whites. Vermentino dominates
the dry wines, notably in Vermentino di Gallura DOCG, though the Torbato under
Alghero DOC can be equally distinguished. Vermentino, a variety also planted in
Liguria and parts of Tuscany, makes a white of winning style in the Gallura
hills, though it can be produced throughout the region under the Sardinia DOC.
Moscato can be
either still or sparkling, but it is always sweet, notably from Sorso and
Sennori and the Gallura hills and the town of Tempio Pausania in the north.
Malvasia may be sweet, but is perhaps most impressive dry from the town of Bosa
and the Planargia hills on the western side of the island, as well as under the
Cagliari DOC. Still another refined sweet white is Semidano, which has a DOC for
all of Sardinia, though it is most noted from the town of Mogoro.
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