In the extreme south-west of Sardinia
Where the land turns to sand and the African wind clashes with the Mediterranean, grows one of Italy's most extraordinary and lesser-known red wines.
It's called Carignano del Sulcis DOC — and it comes from ancient vines, some over a hundred years old, rooted in sandy soils that saved them from one of the greatest catastrophes in wine history. A wine that tastes of history, of resilience, of red earth and distant sea.
What is Carignano del Sulcis
Carignano del Sulcis DOC is a red wine — also available in rosé and passito versions — produced in the Sulcis-Iglesiente area, in the south-west of Sardinia, using the Carignano grape variety (Carignan in France, Cariñena in Spain).
The denomination was established in 1977 and covers an area that includes part of the province of Carbonia-Iglesias, the island of Sant’Antioco and the island of San Pietro. A geographically isolated area, historically poor, culturally very rich — and exceptionally outstanding for wine.
Today, Carignano del Sulcis is recognized by international wine critics as one of the most original and interesting Italian reds: capable of competing with the great Mediterranean wines for structure, complexity, and longevity.
The grape variety: Sardinian or Spanish?
Carignano is a red grape variety with a disputed origin. The traditional theory suggests a Spanish origin — from the city of Cariñena, in Aragon. A second, more recent theory, however, indicates Sardinia itself as the place of origin: Sulcis shows the greatest genetic diversity of the grape, and in plant genetics, maximum diversity indicates the starting point.
History, once again, might be the other way around. As with Cannonau.
In France, Carignan is the most planted grape in Languedoc-Roussillon, often used in blends. In Sardinia, it is the absolute protagonist: vinified as a single varietal or with small percentages of other local grapes, it expresses characteristics it doesn't achieve elsewhere.
The miracle of the sands: why the vines survived
To understand Carignano del Sulcis, one must understand phylloxera — the American parasite (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) that destroyed about 90% of European vineyards at the end of the 19th century. The insect attacks the roots of European vines, killing them. The solution found was to graft European vines onto naturally resistant American rootstock.
In Sulcis, this was not necessary.
The sandy and loose soils of the area do not allow phylloxera to move and proliferate: the parasite cannot reach the roots. The vines of Sulcis survived intact on their own roots — without grafting — preserving genetic and qualitative characteristics impossible to replicate elsewhere.
Today in Sulcis, Carignano vines of 80, 100, 120 years old, some even older, grow. They are among the oldest vines in Europe still in commercial production. These centuries-old plants produce very few bunches — the yield is very low — but of exceptional concentration and quality.
Every bottle of Carignano del Sulcis Riserva from old vines is, literally, unique.
Pairings: a wine that demands characterful dishes
The important structure of Carignano del Sulcis requires dishes capable of standing up to its power without being overwhelmed.
Classic pairings
- Porceddu — Sardinian roasted suckling pig: the fat of the meat balances the tannins
- Roast lamb with potatoes and rosemary: a perfect regional pairing
- Aged Pecorino Sardo: the saltiness and richness of the cheese enhance the fruit of the wine
- Game: wild boar stew, hunter's style hare
- Grilled red meats: beef steak, pork ribs
Unusual but successful pairings
- Tuna bottarga — not mullet, which is too delicate — with the rosé version
- Pasta with wild boar ragù: the wine elegantly supports the game
- Dark chocolate (over 70%) with the Riserva version: surprising
To avoid
- Delicate fish, raw food, light dishes — the power of Carignano would overwhelm everything
A wine that tells the story of a place
Carignano del Sulcis is not a wine that can be made anywhere else. It is born from a unique combination: the sands that saved the roots, the African wind that dries and concentrates, the centuries-old vines that produce little but give everything.
We at Colline del Vento are in Villasimius, on the other side of the island. But that same logic — respecting the land, waiting for the right time, not correcting what nature has already done well — is the same with which we work every day.
Salude e trigu.
