Only one ferry line crosses the Mediterranean Sea between Sardegna (Sardinia) and Sicilia (Sicily). The twice-daily trip takes 12 hours! By plane, you can hop from one island to the other in just over an hour. But with these indigenous wines and classic Italian food, I wouldn’t mind the leisurely route.
This month, the Italian Food, Wine and Travel group of influential bloggers (#ItalianFWT) is sailing together to discover some of the more than 450 islands in the sea, lagoons and lakes of Italy.
First stop: Sardegna (Sardinia)
Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean, is located immediately south of the French island of Corsica and is linked to it geologically.
Once such a hidden gem that writer David Herbert Lawrence said, “Sardinia is left outside of time and history,” the island gets its share of tourists nowadays and for good reason – glittering beaches, mountainous hiking trails, the mysterious ruins of Bronze Age basalt nuraghi (towers), and a culture drawn from a variety of influences. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Byzantines and Spanish all set foot here.
I could easily spend weeks roaming the countryside, sampling wines, and maybe tasting the local delicacies. Truth is my husband is typically braver gastronomically than me. Perhaps he would try the famous maggot-infused cheese and the Bottarga (mullet roe), also known as Sardinian caviar. I’m more inclined to stick to the basics – gnocchi or the catch of the day.
Sardinia is well known for its red grape, Cannonau (the local name for Grenache), and for Vermentino, a white. For this island-hopping adventure, I made up my mind to sample indigenous wines, so my first choice was a 2017 Sardegna Nuragus di Cagliari DOC – 100% Nuragus, an ancient grape – from family-owned Pala Winery, now in its third generation of winemaking.
Pala Winery practices organic farming and does not use chemical pesticides or fertilizers. The Nuragus vineyards are in the southern Sardinian municipality of Ussana, on limestone hills overlooking the Cagliari gulf and bay area. After soft pressing of the grapes, the Nuragus is fermented in stainless steel.
- Tasting notes: Pale straw color with a faint greenish hue. Slight aroma of apricots, light body, medium-plus acidity, and a medium-long finish of freshly cut grass or hay. Similar to Sauvignon Blanc, but without the “cat pee” characteristic of some.
- Pairing: Digging through the Italy chapter of The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook (Murdoch Books, 2001), one of my go-to resources, I landed on a recipe for mussels in tomato and herb sauce. Mussels taste like the sea, fresh and briny, and the grassy Nuragus was a suitable match for the herby tomato sauce.
Next stop: Sicilia (Sicily)
Sicily, the largest and one of the most densely populated islands in the Mediterranean, lies about 100 miles northeast of Tunisia (northern Africa). Sicily and the Egadi, Lipari, Pelagie and Panteleria islands together form a single region.
Sicily is mostly mountainous and intensely seismic. Europe’s highest active volcano, the legendary Mount Etna (10,900 feet), towers ominously over the east coast. The last major eruption of Mount Etna, in July 2001, lasted several weeks.
The island is barely separated from the mainland of Italy – two miles in the north and 10 miles in the South – yet, the two are worlds apart. Because of its strategic location, Sicily has been at the crossroads of history and a pawn of conquering empires. Its population is ethnically diverse, and the island retains much of its rural character and isolation to this day.
Sicily’s indigenous red grape, Nero d’Avola, is a force of nature and worthy of its own post. The island is also home to Marsala, a fortified wine produced in both dry and sweet styles from the Catarratto, Grillo and Inzolia grape varieties, among others.
Besides restricting myself to indigenous wines for this post, my other self-imposed requirement was white wine to match seafood – so I chose a 2016 Etna DOC produced by Planeta from indigenous Carricante, an ancient grape grown in black volcanic soil on the slopes of Mount Etna for at least 1,000 years. The word “Carricante” refers to “loading up” the cart or the donkey with the huge amounts of grapes this variety can produce.
Planeta Winery is one of the premier wine estates of Sicily. The company has vineyards and estates all over the island. Normally, I prefer small, family-owned producers, but I was curious to try an Etna and this one, aged in barriques (oak barrels), was highly rated.
- Tasting notes: Pale gold in color. Aromatic nose of chamomile and petrol. Light to medium body. Racy acidity and lingering, lemony, mineral-tasting finish. Like Riesling, but flowery. A powerful and unique white wine!
- Pairing: Thinking Sicilian all the way, I found a recipe online for Sicilian-Style Fish Stew. I reduced the leftover mussel tomato herb sauce as a starter and preceded to follow the recipe, substituting more affordable monk fish for the sea bass. Then I added mild chilies – delicious, amazing, but… the chili heat and the flowery, racy Etna did not go together. The gentler, greener Sardinian Nuragus was a better match for the stew, while the complex Etna worked with a simple pesto and feta cheese pizza. Live and learn!
Please join me and the following writers on April 6, 2019, at 11 am Eastern as we share the process of writing our stories, rich with details about the food, wine and trips that inspired us. Follow us on Twitter using the hashtag #ItalianFWT.
Steven from Steven’s Wine and Food Blog features Sicilian Pasta con le Sarde Wine Pairing #ItalianFWT
Pinny from Chinese Food and Wine Pairings explores Sicily’s Marsala Wine – A New Product (Wine) Life Cycle that Started in the 18th Century but Continues to Thrive Today! #ItalianFWT
Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla recollects Island Memories, Slow-Roasted Lamb, and Cannonau Di Sardegna
Lynn from Savor The Harvest is in the mood for Italian Island Wine Speak with Vinisola
Cindy from Grape Experiences reveals Discovering Liquid Gold from Sardinia and Sicily at Chicago’s Coda di Volpe
Jennifer from VinoTravels tells the story of The Cultural Heritage of Mamuthone and Cannonau of Cantina Giuseppe Sedilesu
Susannah from Avvinare invites readers to Discover Aleatico from the island of Elba
Wendy from A Day In the Life on the Farm makes Oven Roasted Salmon with Tarragon Tartar Sauce paired with a Sicilian Grillo
Lauren from The Swirling Dervish shares Island Wines of Italy: Alghero Torbato from Sardegna
Gwen from Wine Predator features Island Wines of Italy: 4 from Sicily paired with pizza ItalianFWT
Jeff from FoodWineClick is Dreaming of Italian Islands While We Wait for Spring
Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog tempts with Sardinian Vermentino di Gallura Paired With Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto
Nicole from Somm’s Table crafts A Passion for Sicily with Passopisciaro
Jane from Always Ravenous is Tasting and Pairing Sicilian Wine From Mount Etna
Cynthia and Pierre tell How a Wine Economists Conference Led Us to Wine from the Venice Lagoon
Our hosts Jill and Jason at L’Occasion feature Speaking of Sicily, Italy’s Island Wines In Conversation
The following sources informed my post:
https://www.directferries.com/ferries_from_sicily_to_sardinia.htm
https://www.britannica.com/place/Sardinia-island-Italy
https://www.britannica.com/place/Sicily
Nice post, Linda, with a great selection of wines from Sardegna and Sicilia. Now all I need to do is hop on the ferry and head toward that lovely beach. So glad to have you in the ItalianFWT group. Cheers!
Your post makes me want to travel to both Islands. Thanks for sharing.
Nuragus is a new grape for me, I’ll be on the look out to find one. I’m with you on preferring smaller producers but Planeta is like a ‘big-small’ player. And you can count on them to always produce quality wines. I love roaming countrysides and sipping too, perhaps a rendez-vous someday!
I don’t think I’ve ever had that Nuragus grape so I’ll have to try it, but I can’t say the same about that maggot infused cheese. Eeewwww ; ) Glad to have you as part of the group.
I love that you “visited” two islands and focused on indigenous grapes Linda. Wonderful post
A lovely journey through this post. I’d so love to go to both islands.