📍 Sardinia

Sardinia is a large island in the Mediterranean and a wine region of Italy. According to the official list of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture (March 2026), which matches the EU eAmbrosia register, it has 18 designations of origin — one DOCG and 17 DOC. Another 15 wines hold IGT status, among them «Isola dei Nuraghi», which covers the whole island.

Sardinia's only DOCG is Vermentino di Gallura, in the north-east of the island. It is a white wine made from at least 95% Vermentino, and it has held DOCG status since 1996. For the whole island there is the Vermentino di Sardegna DOC, where Vermentino has to make up at least 85%.

The main red grape is Cannonau. The OIV notes that Cannonau is the Italian name for Grenache. Cannonau di Sardegna is made all over the island from at least 85% of this variety. A wine labelled «classico» contains at least 90% Cannonau, and its grapes grow only in the provinces of Nuoro and Ogliastra.

The island has also kept some rare wines. Vernaccia di Oristano is made only from the grape of the same name and aged for at least two years in chestnut or oak barrels. Other DOCs include Monica di Sardegna, Moscato di Sardegna, Malvasia di Bosa and Carignano del Sulcis.

Why it matters to you. The words «di Sardegna» in a name mean the grapes can come from anywhere on the island, while a place name such as Gallura or Oristano points to a smaller area with its own rules. DOCG is the top step: every such bottle carries a state control strip with a series and number. Reds are served at 15–18 °C, and whites at 4–10 °C.