Sardegna (Sardinia) is an island region located west of the Italian peninsula across the Tyrrhenian Sea from Lazio and just south of the French island of Corsica. Its capital and largest city is Cagliari in the south. Tourists know Sardegna best for the trendy beaches of the Costa Smeralda on the northeast tip. In the wine world, Sardegna is best known for red wines made from Cannonau and white wines made from Vermentino. It has 1 DOCG, 17 DOCs (see map on this page), and 15 IGPs. Sardegna’s wine production has fluctuated considerably from year to year, but 2022 was right at its 10-year average of 684,000 hl (7.6 million cases), coming off 26,700 ha (66,000 acres) of vines. The region makes twice as much red wine as white, most of it is at the DOP level. Sardegna’s primary grape varieties are Cannonau (35%) and Vermentino (28%).
