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Exploring Sardegna through Vermentino & Monica #ItalianFWT

 

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This month, Katarina of Grapevine Adventures has invited the #ItalianFWT group to explore the wines of Calabria and Sardegna. Check out her invitation here. Of these two southern regions, I chose to focus on Sardegna as I was lucky enough recently to get my hands on two wines. 

I was really hoping I could get both wines to pair with the same dishes. A little bit of a challenge as I had both a white and a red. It didn’t work out so well for the red. Something I saw coming but barreled into (haha pun) anyway. The “herb garden” chicken, boiled chicken marinated overnight in olive oil and lots and lots of basil, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, and sage (all fresh) was killer with the white. As was the sheet pan panzanella salad with roasted tomatoes and red onions and fresh mozzarella. 

But before the wines – the region!

Sardegna

My Italian Wine Scholar exam covering central and south Italy is coming up soon, so this is kind of like a pop quiz for me! Some quick facts about Sardegna:

• It is the second largest island in the Mediterranean
• The third largest Italian region (after Sicilia and Piemonte)
• Is one of Italy’s five autonomous regions
• Has one DOCG and 17 DOCs
• Five of the DOCs are regional – they include: 
  • Cannonau di Sardegna
  • Monica di Sardegna
  • Vermentino di Sardegna
  • Moscato di Sardegna
  • Sardegna Semidano

For this month’s #ItalianFWT event, I’m focusing on two of the regional DOCs: Vermentino di Sardegna and Monica di Sardegna.

Palmalias Vermentino di Sardegna DOC, 2020

Per DOC regulations, Vermentino di Sardegna must contain at least 85% Vermentino. Grapes can come from anywhere on the island. It seems likely that Vermentino, the island’s main white grape, came to the island when it was under the control of the Piemontese House of Savoy – being identical to Favorita from Piemonte (and Pigato from Liguria). 

Palmalias does not seem to exist on the internet so I don’t know where it’s based/where it sources its grapes. According to Total Wine, Palmalias was founded in 2000 by three friends who wanted to take their love of wine to the next level. In order to make wine that best reflects the islands terroir, they engage in sustainable viticulture and do their utmost to create wines with only minimal intervention.

Fresh aromas of almond blossom, green almond, and grapefruit wafted from the glass. Sipping revealed clean and refreshing citrus flavors, gentle wisps of honeysuckle blossoms, and a slightly salty edge. Medium-bodied with 13.5% ABV and easy acidity.  

This went so very well with the food! Both dishes actually. The herbs in the chicken sauce really brought out sweet lemon flavors in the wine and we were surprised by how well it complimented the roasted tomatoes and red onions in the panzanella.

Cantine di Dolianova Monica di Sardegna DOC, 2019

DOC regulations for Monica di Sardegna are similar to that of the Vermentino regional appellation: minimum 85% Monica is required with the remainder balanced by other grapes like Bovale and Carignano. Similarly, grapes can come from anywhere on the island. Monica is an old grape specific to Sardegna. Some believe it may have come from Spain but, as yet, no one knows its true origins. It’s been used largely for simple table wines, but producers are getting serious about it now. 

Established as a cooperative in 1949, Cantine di Dolianova is by far the largest winery in Sardegna. The winery manages 1,200 hectares (!!!) and over 300 associate growers to produce some 4 million bottles annually. Their vineyards sit mainly in the southeastern area of the island around the towns of Dolianova, Serdiana, Donori, Ussana, and Soleminis. Here on the lower end of the Campidano plain, low hills of clay-rich limestone provide a home to native grapes like Cannonau, Monica, Vermentino, Nuragus, and Moscato.

Grapes for the Dolianova Monica di Sardegna fermented for 8-10 days before being pressed and the wine transferred to  glass-lined cement tanks for malolactic fermentation and a few months of rest before bottling. 

This was the first time I’d ever had a Monica. Whatever I knew about the grape was only what information was included in the Italian Wine Scholar book. Some of the aromas, like mulberry and wild blackberry did not, therefore come as a surprise. What did surprise me, was the very specific aroma of my friend Emma’s sourdough seedy bread! That was completely unlooked for and gave the bouquet a little extra tang. Low tannins but still quite a mouth filling wine with tart black berry fruit flavors and medium acidity.

An interesting wine, one I’m super glad I got to try, but not necessarily one I’ll make an effort to hunt down again. 

Don’t Stop Now!

Check out which region and wines the others in the #ItalianFWT group discovered! And don’t forget to join our discussion by following the hashtag on Twitter Saturday, April 1 at 11 AM EST.

• Jennifer from Vino Travels shares Antonella Corda: Mother of the Sardinian Vines
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm reports about Planning a Trip to France with our Son from Germany while Sipping a Wine from Sardegna
• Gwendolyn from Wine Predator shares On Italian Island Time: Vermentino and Cannonau di Sardegna with Pecorino and Fish Stew
• Camilla from Culinary Cam cooks Mirto di Sardenga-Kissed Braised Ribs
• Cindy from Grape Experiences shares Spring in Sardinia: Surrau “Branu” Vermentino Di Gallura DOCG with Spaghetti con le Vongole (Spaghetti and Clams)
• Andrea from The Quirky Cork is Exploring Sardegna through Vermentino & Monica
• Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles features Monica and Fregola – a bit of Sardegna at the table
• And, your host Katarina from Grapevine Adventures shares about Two Authentic Expressions of Native Grapes from Calabria and Sardinia