Discovering Wines from Sardinia In Southwest Florida

For Wine Wednesday we are discovering wines from Sardinia in Southwest Florida. I have just returned from a week on the Italian island doing lots of food and wine research. If you are looking to try something new, these wines are for you.

While there are a lot of vineyards on the island, not many of the wines make it to the United States. I visited the country's biggest producer, Surrau. The winery and vineyards are in Sardinia's beautiful Costa Smeralda. About 20% of their wine gets exported and Florida is on the list.

As a matter of fact, the bottles pictured below, with one exception, are the labels to look for in the United States.

Sardinia grows a variety of grapes but the flagships are vermentino for white wine and cannanou for red. Vermentino is grown all over the world but the grapes grown here are a little different due to the climate and the soil.

The wines tend to have more minerals and even have a bit of salinity to them. They are perfect with seafood and a lot of the cheeses found here.

As for the cannanou, it is the Sardinian name for grenache. The grapes here are said to have more antioxidants than any other. Sardinia is a so-called Blue Zone afterall. Blue Zones are areas where people live longer, are generally in better health than the rest of the world.

Vermintino is Surrau's specialty, but they also produce some lovely cannanou and even use those grapes for rose, sparkling wine and sweet passito. Check out this quick video from my winery visit and tasting.

If you make it to Sardinia and Costa Smeralda, book a tasting and tour at this winery. The facility is immaculate and high tech. The tasting room has a superb view, and the wines are a great discovery.

We tasted some of the dessert wines, a rose and sparkling wine too. They are not exported to the United States, but you can buy them at the winery and either ship or pack.

Surrau's winery and tasting room is modern and beautiful. The grounds are full of flowers and art.

The wines from left to right. 1. Limizzani Vermentino de Gallura DOCG is dry and tropical but still round with lots of minerality. 2. Branu Vermentino de Gallura is a DOCG wine. It also lots of minerals but with some juicy pear notes. 3. Sciala Vermentino de Gallura DOCG has fresh layers of flavors, a slightly floral and effervescent feel.

Concrete eggs are used at Surrau's winery for aging the white wines. The concrete is easy to clean and reuse as well.

Aging wine in amphora's is centuries old. It is done at Surrau in Sardinia as well. One of the ways the white wines are vinified.

At Surrau Winery in Sardinia, the vermentino grapes are still ripening on the vines. Harvest wont be for another month or so depending on the weather.

Winery founders are committed to supporting art and local artists. The hallways are set up like a gallery and so is one of the vineyard walkways. This is part of a competition. Winery visitors can vote on their favorite at Surrau in Sardinia.

Surrau uses a variety of barrels for aging its red wines at the winery in Sardinia.

Wines left to right. 1.lIsola dei Nuraghi IGE is a lighter style with mixed berry and herbs 2. Naraou Cannonau de Sardegna DOC is more chalky and dry with lots of red fruit 3. Sincaru Cannonau de Sardegna DOC is full, with dark berries and layers of flavor

Surrau makes a sparkling wine from cannonau that does not get distributed in Florida. But it fit nicely in my suitcase. It is elegantly bold with nice red fruit characteristics.

Winery founders are committed to supporting art and local artists. The hallways are set up like a gallery and so is one of the vineyard walkways. This is part of a competition. Winery visitors can vote on their favorite at Surrau in Sardinia.

Check out the floor in this barrel room. It is full of rocks. They are said to be helpful to maintain proper humidity in the cellar as the wines age in the barrels.