AS the seasons start to change, and Shirley encourages you towards a hearty warming breakfast of porridge, I’d like to take you back to your almost forgotten summer holiday sipping wines by the pool in the afternoon.
The wines of Sardinia and Sicily are always guaranteed to remind me of those carefree, sunny days. Both islands in wine terms are quite unique and noticeably different to the mainland. You won’t find many Nebbiolos, Sangioveses or Barberas here: rather, they produce exotic sounding indigenous varieties and a few surprising global grapes.
Sardinia has had so many diverse cultural influences over the centuries, changing the methods of vine planting and winemaking, that the island’s production now owes more to Spain and France than to Italy.
The main grape here is Grenache, known locally as Cannonau (di Sardegna). You’ll also find Cariginano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Bobal in the reds, and Vermentino, Vernaccia, Chardonnay (of course) and Sauvignon Blanc in the whites. If you can track them down, the sweet wines made from Moscato and the ever-present and versatile Cannonau are also fantastic.
Cannonau di Sardegna San Costantino Parpinello 2014 (Inverarity One to One, £13.99). This is rich, but very smooth and works alongside a multitude of dishes. It’s particularly good with a spicy lamb tagine. Winemaking father and son team Giampaolo and Paolo Parpinello only have 15 hectares of land, but their wines are carefully and expertly made, and you should really put a bottle or two in your wine rack this month.
Sicily is too often a footnote and the end of the Italy chapter in your wine book. This is doing the island a massive disservice, as the quality of wine production has increased dramatically in recent years. The charge is being led by excellent producers such as Planeta, with their indigenous grapes Nero d’Avola, Plumbago and Carricante. They also make a top quality Chardonnay, and their Riesling is the jewel in their crown in my opinion.
Planeta Eruzione 1614 Riesling 2015 (Inverarity One to One, £18.99). This is only the second vintage of this remarkable wine, and the production is so limited that we can only get our hands on a few cases at a time. A small percentage (5%) of Carricante is added to the Riesling and the wine is aged on its lees for 10 months before release. Drink this now with a bowl of pasta pesto, or put it away for 10 years to enjoy as a real treat on your birthday.
Pete Stewart is Glasgow director of Inverarity One to One, 185a Bath Street, Glasgow (0141 221 5121) www.inverarity121.com
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