Cheese & Wine
Pecorino — The King of Cheeses
Pecorino Sardo DOP is Sardinia's most important dairy product — the island has more sheep than people (about 3 million sheep to 1.6 million inhabitants). The cheese ranges from the mild, young Pecorino Dolce (aged 2–3 months, soft and creamy) to the robust Pecorino Maturo (aged 6–12 months, hard and spicy, perfect with honey and pears). There is also Casu Marzu — the infamous "maggot cheese," where live fly larvae aid fermentation. Officially banned (EU hygiene regulations), but discreetly available in the Barbagia and considered a delicacy by the Sardinians. Try at your own risk.
Wine — The Grape of the Centenarians
Sardinian wines are Italy's best-kept secret — the grape varieties are unique, the quality outstanding, and the prices (still) affordable:
- Cannonau di Sardegna DOC — The red wine of the Blue Zone: powerful, full-bodied, with notes of ripe cherries, herbs, and leather. Cannonau has the highest polyphenol content of any red wine worldwide — the scientific explanation for the longevity of Sardinian highlanders. The best come from Oliena, Jerzu, and Mamoiada.
- Vermentino di Gallura DOCG — Sardinia's only DOCG wine: a fresh, mineral white wine with aromas of citrus, white flowers, and almonds. Perfect with fish and seafood. The best come from Tempio Pausania and Arzachena.
- Carignano del Sulcis DOC — Dark, earthy red wine from the southwest, often from vines over 100 years old and ungrafted. Powerful, complex, and underrated.
- Vernaccia di Oristano DOC — Amber-colored, oxidative white wine, aged under a yeast film (Flor), similar to Sherry. Unique and fascinating.
Digestivi
Mirto is the Sardinian national liqueur — made from the berries (Mirto Rosso, dark red) or leaves (Mirto Bianco, clear) of the wild myrtle, which grows everywhere in the macchia. Served ice-cold after meals, Mirto is the perfect conclusion to a Sardinian meal. Filu 'e Ferru is Sardinia's Grappa — a clear, strong pomace brandy (40–50%), named after the iron wire with which Sardinians marked their illegal distillation vessels in the ground.
