SICILY AND SARDINIA
Sicily and Sardinia (or Sicilia and Sardegna, in Italian) are, in turn, the largest and second-largest islands in the Mediterranean. Both, of course, are two of the 20 regions of Italy, although both are characterfully distinct from the mainland as a whole—and from each other.
Sicily / Sicilia
If Sicily were a freestanding nation (which on occasion it seems to believe it is), it would rank 7th in worldwide wine production. At about 290 million gallons a year, it is Italy’s second most prolific producer (after Apulia [Puglia]).
Yet, a mere 2 percent of its wine is DOC*. Nearly all of Sicily’s quality wine is IGT†, most under the appellation Sicilia. (An island-wide Sicilia DOC is in process.)
Long a supplier of bulk blending wines to Italy’s mainland, Sicily has taken on fully the mid-20th century risorgimento in Italian winemaking and, since the 1970s, has shifted from making heavy, rustic wines to those that are lighter and more suited to contemporary tastes. It’s also become a solid exporter of its wines to the world.
Its most prestigious wine remains Marsala. Though in significant decline as recently as the 1960s, Marsala is now one of the finest aged, fortified, dry-to-sweet wines of its type. Of particular interest around the globe are three types of Marsala: Vergine (“virgin”), Solera, and Superiore—all equal to the finest Sherry.
Surprisingly for a southern Italian region, Sicily has achieved renown for its white wines, among them Bianco d’Alcamo and the dry white wines made from the native grape, Inzolia [een-ZOE-lyah]. In addition, Moscato di Pantelleria, from an island off the coast near Tunisia, is one of Italy’s most respected sweet whites.
Among reds, an indigenous Sicilian grape, Nero d’Avola [neh-roe DAH-voe-lah] continues to impress. Its dark fruit flavors (especially dark cherries), tangy acidity, and spicy, mildly tannic finish all conspire to make it delicious with many foods.
During the re-birth of Italian wine in the mid-1960s, Sicily joined the mainland in planting international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Nonetheless, Sicily—as well as Italy as a whole—enjoys a current shift of focus back onto native (or autoctono) grape varieties.
Although the Sicilian wines to watch come from an increasingly numerous set of private producers, estates, and wineries (some the result of foreign investment), nearly three-quarters of Sicilian wine is produced by cooperatives (some of it very good).
As a food source, Sicily is the birthplace of both pasta and gelato—facts disputed in vain by countless non-Sicilian Italians. Its Arab, Greek, Spanish and Norman heritage has given it a wealthy cupboard of citrus, olives, fruits, spices, honeyed sweets, and pastured animals—not to mention what deliciousness is taken from its native seas, especially the two renowned Sicilian fishes, tuna and sardines.
The breadth of Sicilian wine reflects these many flavors, tastes, and aromas and, so, is a welcome accompaniment to nearly any manner of cuisine.
Sardinia / Sardegna
Sardinia is as idiosyncratic as its location—way out in the middle of the Mediterranean, a 200-mile flight from Rome. Conquests by Romans and especially Spaniards have influenced both Sardinia’s culture and winemaking. (The main and most prestigious red variety is Cannonau [kah-noe-NOW], which is known by another name, Garnacha Tinta, brought to Sardinia from Spain.)
Like Sicily, Sardinia is making a name for itself with white wine, especially the only DOCG* on either island, Vermentino di Gallura, and its steely, racy character, and aromas and flavors of pear, citrus, and minerals.
Red wines, of course, continue to improve, such as those made from the Spanish/French variety Carignano (Carignan) and some from a native grape, Monica (Monica di Cagliari and Monica de Sardegna). These wines are made in both dry and sweet styles, although the preference today is for the former.
Sardinia has 16 IGTs, more than any other region of Italy. The one commonly seen is the region-wide Isola dei Nuraghi [EE-soe-lah DAY-ee noo-RAH-gee], from the nuraghe, prehistoric stone towers purportedly built by the Phoenicians.
Sardinian cooking is especially rustic—spit-roast pork and lamb, thick bean-laden soups, piquant sheep’s cheese—and the full-throttle reds and whites of the island accompany it well.
Sardinian whites are terrific spring and summer quaffers, and the reds are delicious with hearty meals, especially in the wintertime.
* Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC, or, with an additional G, e Garantita) roughly mean that laws govern the making and naming of wines originating in select areas of Italy. The underlying idea is that DOC delimits those regions of Italy that produce wines of superior quality.
† Indicazione Geografica Tipica literally translates as “typical geographic indications” and means that a wine so-named is characteristic, even exemplary, of its wine producing area.