| With
the first day of summer just a few weeks away, I thought it
appropriate to focus again on white wines. Regular readers
of this column (and I know there are legions of you out there!)
may still have some verdicchio in the fridge after last month’s
exploration of the Marche, and now here’s another unique white,
also starting with the letter "v," to add to your hit list:
Vermentino di Sardegna. It’s another in a long line of indigenous
Italian grapes that you need to try.
The vermentino grape, as noted in past columns (see Liguria),
is a variety that reaches its pinnacle of expression in adverse
conditions: the hotter, dryer, and rockier the better. Sardegna,
essentially a big lump of granite in the middle of the Mediterranean
(one of the island’s big attractions are prehistoric stone
dwellings called nuraghi, constructed of big granite slabs
arranged in a conical shape), has become the unofficial capital
of vermentino country. The grape is also found along the Tuscan
and Ligurian coasts, where conditions are similarly arid,
but on Sardegna, and its northeastern corner in particular,
which is known as the Gallura, the vermentinos are fleshier
and more intense than those from the mainland.
The vermentino grape, like most of Sardegna’s indigenous varieties,
is thought to be of Spanish origin. The island was controlled
by Spain’s Aragon Dynasty from the fourteenth to the eighteenth
centuries, and the Spanish influence on Sardinian language,
culture, and wine is hardly insignificant:
In Alghero, a town on the northwest coast, the most popular
dish is paella and the look is very Catalan. In port cities
such as Oristano and Cagliari, there’s still a fairly significant
production of Port- and Sherry-style fortified wines. Both
Sardegna and Sicilia became alternative markets for British
shippers during the War of the Spanish Succession, and the
island’s two main red grapes, carignano (carignan) and cannonau
(grenache), have a very direct link to Spain.
In Sardinian vermentino expect a big blast of tangy, herbal
flavor - think of all the things that grow alongside the grape,
such as wild fennel, sage, myrtle, and mint, and you get the
picture. An ideal choice for zuppa di pesce or, in Babbo’s
case, our beautiful whole-grilled branzino with braised fennel,
vermentino is assertive and distinctive, a true "food wine."
So put down that chardonnay and go try some.
(P.S.: Because Sardegna’s native reds are so good, I couldn’t
resist throwing in a recommendation on the red side, too.)
Sardinian favorites from the Babbo wine list:
Vermentino di Sardegna "Cala Silente," Cantina
Santadi 2001
Fleshy and round, very mouth-filling, with the trademark vermentino
herbaceousness on the finish. A small percentage of this wine
is fermented in oak, lending the wine a little extra heft
without imparting too much oak sweetness. A great value.
Vermentino di Gallura "Monteoro," Sella &
Mosca 2000
Big and tangy, lots of sagey flavor. A powerful expression
of the Gallura zone in northeastern Sardegna, where vermentino
is the specialty.
Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva, Attilio Contini
1998
A plush and fruity red from grenace with a nice overlay of
spice and herbs. The best way to describe it is that it tastes
like the Meditteranean. Silky and versatile with food.
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