Wine has been made in Sardinia (Sardegna) since ancient times and it is thought that the Phoenicians first introduced wine to the island.
Whites
Vermentino dominates Sardinia's whites in terms of volume and fame, and is the main grape in Gallura. Vermentino di Gallura is the island's only DOCG-classified wine, the grape concentrated by heat and drying winds; varieties range from light and fresh through to golden, deeper and more complex, and there is also a frizzante lightly-sparkling version.
Reds
Monica and Cannonau are the most well-known grape varieties, used to produce wines ranging from everyday to extremely high quality. Some are fairly heavy and full-bodied, a good combination with the traditional fairly heavy Sardinian food. Cannonau in particular is believed to be a contributory factor to the very long average lifespan in some of the mountain villages, and research into this phenomenon continues.