Sardegna is a place of straightforward pleasure, where people find beauty in simplicity. This applies to the food, too, but also to the island’s wine. The most significant Sardinian red wine is the very definition of a pretty, well-made wine to meet your every need at the table, and it’s known as Cannonau di Sardegna.
Winemakers produce this vinous specialty at a DOC level (Denominazione di Origine Controllata). Meaning European law protects its quality. The grape behind this lovely red is one of the oldest in Europe, Cannonau, and it’s known elsewhere as Grenache or Garnacha.
Wine experts have considered Cannonau/Garnacha as a Spanish import in the past. After all, there’s evidence of grape growers championing the rustic variety in Aragon, Spain, since the 14th century. Still, recent discoveries now suggest Cannonau might very well be Sardegna’s own native grape. It’s easy to see why the red grape is so crucial in the Mediterranean island — one out of five wine bottles produced in Sardegna is made with Cannonau.
Although every winemaker in Sardegna can produce wine with Cannonau (there are 2,065 hectares of Cannonau vines planted in the region), you’ll find the finest examples around the provinces of Nuoro and Ogliastra, where producers can label their wine with the term Classico. Here, the warm weather ripens this noble grape to perfection every year.
Cannonau di Sardegna comes in different styles and quality levels, the more structured Riserva is aged for at least two years, and there’s a sweet passito version as well. No matter what type of Cannonau you enjoy, they’re all incredibly compatible with the island’s food traditions, especially the grilled specialties and hearty broths. Cannonau always steals the spotlight at the table, and it’s only fair — it’s one of the noblest red grapes in Italy.
