SARDEGNA
We like to visit Sardinia at least once a year here in the Italian Wine Club. We also like to tell people: “You simply must visit Sardinia at least once a year, as we do.” And while we’ve yet to actually set foot on the island (2nd largest in the Mediterranean, after Sicily), Sarndina is a very easy place to revere/ rhapsodize - either up close (DH Lawrence ca. 1921: (“This land resembles no other place. It is like freedom itself”), or from the distant/intimate perspective a great glass ofwine and/or a meal* can pleasantly force.When we get there for real one day, hopefully it will feel at least a little bit familiar.
150 miles off the west coast of mainland Italy, flaunting white sand beaches and alpine forests, and stretching across mountains, hills and plains, Sardinia is 9,300 square miles of such manifold ecological and topographical plenty that it's been called an island that’s almost a continent. Consequently, numerous foreign invaders have tried to conquer it over the years. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Spanish, French and Italians all made attempts, and the landscape is dotted with evidence of the inhabitants' fierce resistance. There are some 7,000 ancient Nughari, or Bronze Age dressed stone circular defense towers built by the Nugari civilization (and for which no parallel exists anywhere else in the world) all over the island. Even Italy, the last and most successful of these would-be hegemons, hasn’t found full acceptance: you can still find the slogan “Sardigna no est Italia”, which translates to “Sardinia is not Italy”, graffitied on many village and town walls.
One result of all this obstinance is a local culture and tradition that, while recalling Italy and Spain and other Mediterranean neighbors, is quite unique - from the cuisine to, of course, the wine. Besides being responsible for a whopping 80% of Italy’s cork production, Sardinia has more DOC and IGT titles than Calabria and Basilicata combined, inclusive of one DOCG wine, 19 DOC zones and 15 IGT zones, despite having the lowest wine production per acre of any Italian wine region. There are some 120 indigenous varietals grown in Sardinia, but the vast majority of planting and production is given over to just two: the red Cannonau (which is genetically identical to Grenache) and the white Vermentino (also grown in Tuscany, France, where it is called Rolle, and increasingly, California.)
This trip we have a beautifully expressive Cannonau from Michele Cuscusa who, in addition to being a vintner, is also a shepherd and cheesemaker - and was apparently recently featured on the National Geographic program Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy. The white comes from the great Deperu Holler winery, whose Vermentino we’ve featured in the club before. This time we have their delightful ‘Maria Tzufia’ bottling. Titled after a character in local folklore - a little girl in a rural area with unkempt hair - it is mostly Moscato Giallo (Yellow Muscat) - a highly aromatic grape sometimes used in dessert wines, but vinified completely dry here, with just a touch of skin contact.
Salut,
Alan Hicks
Wine Buyer, Noe Valley
*check out SF institution La Ciccia for both.
May 2026
Deperu Holler ‘Maria Tzufia’
Region: Isola Dei Huraghi,
Sardinia
About the Winery: In the north of Sardegna, Carlo Deperu and his wife Tatiana
Holler are carrying forth Sardegna's winemaking traditions with passion, joy, and
infectious zeal. The couple met in Milan, where Carlo earned his degree in
viticulture and enology while Tatiana had come to study advertising from her
native Brazil. In 2005, they settled back in Carlo’s hometown of Perfugas, where
his family had long made some wine for home consumption. Carlo and Tatiana
replanted the family vineyards and expanded their holdings, bringing the surface
under vine to six hectares.
This intersection of the hilly Anglona region and the more mountainous Gallura
(home to Sardegna’s only DOCG, Vermentino di Gallura), features a fascinating
mix of soils of sedimentary and igneous origin including limestone, clay, chalk,
marl, shale, decomposed granite, and volcanic rock. Situated just ten kilometers
away, the sea brings constant fresh breezes, while the cleansing maestrale wind
plays a crucial role in facilitating organic viticulture. In fact, Carlo and Tatiana
eschew herbicides and synthetic fertilizers in the vineyard, opting instead for
regenerative solutions like herbal tisanes to treat the vines and planting cover
crops to balance and protect their soils.
Deperu Holler was among the first Sardinian wineries to bottle
native-yeast-fermented whites, and they pay homage to the local field blends of
the past through a deliberate use of skin contact to achieve deeper aromas and
textures. Carlo avoids manipulations in the cellar as much as possible, working
with gravity and in accordance with lunar cycles to bypass operations such as
pumping, fining, and filtration
About the Winemaking: 95% Yellow Moscato, 5% Vermentino. The grapes are
hand-harvested. The two varieties are macerated separately: the Vermentino for
a shorter period, while the Moscato remains in contact with the skins for longer
to extract all its aroma and color. Subsequently, the musts are blended to achieve
a balance between minerality, freshness, and body. The pressing is gentle, and the
fermentation is spontaneous. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration.
Tasting Notes: Wide-ranging aromas, with notes of white-fleshed fruit and citrus,
orange blossom, and pastry cream. Dry, fresh, and savory on the palate, with
good structure and an almond finish.
Winemakers: Carlo Deperu &
Tatiana Holler
Price per bottle / Price per case
$29.99 $323.90
Suggested Food Pairing:
Ideal for aperitifs, risottos with
shellfish, soups, and dishes with
exotic spices.
May 2026
Cuscusa ‘Crobia’ Cannonau di Sardegna 2023
Region: Cannonau di Sardegna
DOC
About the Winery: Cuscusa Farm is a family-owned agricultural estate in Sardinia
managed by Michele Cuscusa and his brothers. For more than 30 years, the farm
has specialized in sheep and goat farming, organic agriculture, artisanal cheese
production, olive oil, and wine. The estate also operates a small dairy, agriturismo
hospitality, and the Transumanza restaurant in Cagliari. The philosophy of the farm
is deeply rooted in Sardinian agropastoral tradition, sustainability, biodiversity, and
authentic craftsmanship.
Michele became a shepherd at the age of 13, when his father entrusted him with
the family’s finest flock of sheep. Despite other plans for his future, Michele
believed that “when someone is born a shepherd, they cannot lose their identity.”
Today he remains actively involved in every aspect of the farm and strongly
believes that organic farming is the only sustainable way to offer healthy and
authentic products to consumers. For Michele, quality is not measured by numbers
alone, but through emotion, tradition, and sensory experience.
About the Winemaking: Crobia is the flagship Cannonau from Cuscusa Farm,
expressing the volcanic and Mediterranean identity of Sardinia. Produced from
organically farmed Cannonau grapes, the wine reflects the wild herbs, mineral
soils, and pastoral culture of the island. The wine is powerful yet elegant, with
excellent freshness and savory complexity. It is made from organically grown, hand
harvested grapes and fermented in stainless steel before aging in a combination of
stainless steel and oak.
Tasting Notes: Deep ruby red with garnet reflections. Aromas of ripe red cherry,
blackberry, Mediterranean herbs, pepper, dried flowers, and sweet spices emerge
from the glass. On the palate, Crobia is medium to full-bodied with velvety tannins,
vibrant acidity, and a long mineral finish. The wine combines richness with
freshness, characteristic of high-quality Sardinian Cannonau.
Winemaker: Michele Cuscusa
Price per bottle / Price per case
$36.99 $399.50
Suggested Food Pairing:
Grilled lamb and roasted meats,
wild game and braised dishes,
aged Pecorino cheeses,
mushroom risotto, mediterranean
cuisine with herbs and olive oil,
charcuterie and rustic pasta dishes
Pane Frattau
A thrifty dish devised to use up day-old bread, pane frattau features the uniquely paper-thin flatbread from Sardinia,
pane carasau. The bread is moistened in broth and then it’s layered with tomato sauce and grated cheese, so as to
resemble a lasagna of sorts. The final touch – a poached egg with the runny yolk oozing over the top of the dish – adds
flavour and substance to the lot, making it both scrumptious and nutritious.
Finding pane carasau is mandatory here, as nothing will really do in its place. The rest of the ingredients, on the other
hand, are nothing more than pantry staples, and the dish itself, you’ll see, is as easy to whip up as it is delicious.
May 2026
INGREDIENTS (serving 4)
● 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
● 1⁄2 yellow onion, chopped
● 1 clove of garlic, crushed
● 800g tomato sauce
● 500mL vegetable stock
● 4 eggs
● 12 sheet of pane carasau
● 2 cups pecorino sardo cheese
● Salt & Pepper
1. Place the oil, onion and the garlic in a medium saucepan set over a medium heat. Fry gently, stirring often, until
the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the passata and 60ml water, lower the heat, cover and
cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season.
2. Poach the eggs in boiling water, one at the time, until the white is set but the yolk is still runny, about 4 minutes.
Drain with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Heat the stock in the widest stockpot you have – it should be wider than the sheets of pane carasau. Dip a sheet
of bread for a few seconds to soften it, then lift it up and ease it on a plate over a bed of tomato sauce. Top it
with more tomato sauce and some grated pecorino. Repeat with two more layers per serving – each person gets
three layers of bread – finishing with the sauce and cheese. Serve hot with a poached egg on top
