On island time: the wines of Sardinia, Sicily and Santorini

Sicily has been high on my hit list of places to visit for years. Luckily for me, last year the dream became a reality when I visited Etna, and even though this trip came quite soon after my wedding, it was a purely non-honeymoon, fact-finding trip, I can assure you.

Our first day on the island kicked off with a blind tasting of whites and reds presented by Marco de Grazia from Tenuta delle Terre Nere. He cast an imposing but friendly figure, and when his time came to speak, he stepped forward with tousled hair pushed back off his tanned face with reading glasses. We waited with bated breath as the glasses lowered onto his nose to see what this Etna oracle had to say, at which point he began to read (in English) from an old but well-loved book of his titled Scritti Vari di Enologica.

The text described how the diversity of Etna’s terroir, upturned over centuries, gives the wines from this location a very particular character. Reading this extract enabled de Grazia to paint a vivid portrait of not just how ancient Sicily is, but how its unique wine character vastly pre-dates any modern notion of serious Sicilian wine, and especially these days for white wine.

Vermentino is Sardinia's most widely planted grape variety.

Of course, Sicily isn’t the only European island increasingly appreciated for its important dry whites these days. Together with Sardinia for vermentino and Santorini for assyrtiko, these three islands are proving a real tour de force for quality whites that are both weighty and refreshing, and in some cases, have a white Burgundian-esque ability to improve considerably with a bit of age.

Wines of Sardinia

Lying between Corsica and Sicily, Sardinia is Italian but when it comes to wine, it has a distinctly Spanish influence. The jury’s still out on whether the conquering Catalonians brought cannonau (garnacha) with them from Spain, or whether they took it back with them. Either way, it’s now the island’s staple red grape. Much like Sicily, the calibre of Sardinian whites seems to improve with every vintage, as long as it relies on its own native grape gifts, which are considerable.

The sun-loving vermentino is the island’s most widely planted grape and few people are immune to its floral charm and zesty freshness; no wonder it’s found down the length of Italy from Liguria to Sardinia. But look out for up-and-coming native white grapes from the island too; there are some interesting examples of nuragus around these days.

A vineyard on the Greek island of Santorini.

Wines of Santorini

Santorini is no stranger to sun, either. Just over 100km north of Crete, this bucolic Greek island sits in the Aegean Sea and produces feisty reds and vinsanto sweet wines, but the dry white made with assyrtiko is what stops people in their tracks. Like Sicily’s ancient wine origins, records of winemaking on Santorini date back impossibly far, to a volcanic eruption of 1653BC when a prehistoric city was buried and excavations of which have revealed signs of vine growing and winemaking.

To times more within our mental grasp (well, mine at least), assyrtiko survived phylloxera thanks to the island's high sand content, and today, although rain is seriously limited, the bush vines planted far apart seem to withstand everything Mother Nature throws at them. The result is assyrtiko that’s saline, crisp, frisky and forward or weighty and substantial (take your pick). It’s a grape capable of lees ageing and barrel ageing too, if managed sensitively of course. In short, Santorini assyrtiko has purity and precision running through its veins.

Wines of Sicily and Mount Etna

Back to Etna, now that the initial thrill and ‘discovery’ of nerello mascalese-based reds is well and truly established, the winemaking of carricante whites has, let’s say, become more attentive. With every lava layer that flows and cools, the soil increases in complexity, and as producers head higher and higher up the active volcano’s slopes (some of the vineyards here are now the highest in the world), we are the lucky ones benefitting from all their bravery, tasting just how well carricante is a conduit for all this soil diversity and unique terroir.

Bewitching white wines aside, these three islands do have something else in common: producer is crucial and still the first guarantee of quality, so shop well.

12 white wines from Sardinia, Sicily and Santorini to try

2022 Vassaltis Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece
13.5% alc. RRP 110, drink by 2030
Supremely focused with all the hallmarks of top level assyrtiko, wafts of citrus flow alongside salty breezes and herb gardens. The palate – boom – with a richness and clarity that’s both scintillating and mouth-watering, with a lovely generosity thanks to six months on lees in tanks.

2021 Tenuta Delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy
12.5% alc. RRP 250, drink by 2031
A finer display of carricante is nigh on impossible to find. Vivacious yet a cool customer, the initial displays of grapefruit, greengage and pear show energy, while the concentration of sourdough toast with salted butter give it purpose and weight right through the mid-palate.

2022 Terra Costantino de Aetna Bianco, Sicily, Italy
13.5%, RRP 48, drink by 2027
A mesmerising carricante with glossy buttery waves, green apple and pear in equal measure, all channelling the bright acidity and minerality through to the long, energised finish. Beautiful, and made with certified-organic grapes.

2021 Argyros Santorini Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece
14.5% alc. RRP 77, drink by 2026
Bright and intense aroma with a sparky personality that displays the balance of power with elegance to real effect. This, together with a depth of intensity, really shows this assyrtiko’s ability to develop in coming years.

2021 Carranco Villa dei Baroni Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy
12.5% alc. RRP 60, drink by 2028
A striking carricante with real presence, perhaps thanks to its fermentation in concrete instead of steel. Thrilling scents of lime and thyme are followed on the palate with aniseed freshness that frameworks the roasted grapefruit flavour, adding extra tension to the heady blend of flavours.

2021 Alta Mora Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy
12.5% alc. RRP 60, drink by 2028
The volcanic ash is translated beautifully into this carricante, with freshly crushed spices and celery salt aplenty. Smooth and moreish, with a nutty richness to the mid-palate, all of which makes it extremely compelling and savoury, albeit the finish is bold and tangy, almost tart in its attack.

2022 Cantina Santadi Vermentino di Sardegna Villa Solais, Sardinia, Italy
13% alc. RRP 28, drink by 2027
From a reputable co-op of more than 200 producers, this is a fascinating wine not
least because of the 10% of nuragus in the mix. A touch of lees ageing gives the typical weight to the classic crunchy pear, baked lemon and green apple core. And a fine cut of acidity to boot.

2022 Gaia Wild Fermented Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece
13.5% alc. RRP 72, drink by 2028
With an extra boost from 12 hours’ skin contact, this shows an added weight of flavour with a lemon tension and honey richness that provides definition to this excellent assyrtiko’s taut yet generous contrasts.

2022 Capichera Lintori Vermentino di Sardegna, Sardinia, Italy
13.5% alc. RRP 48, drink by 2028
From the northern end of Sardinia, this family were instrumental in putting vermentino on the modern wine map and this bottle shows why. Bold acidity, and a sunny freshness with a touch of creaminess suggesting the grape has soaked up the perfect level of sun.

2022 Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece
14% alc. RRP 72, drink by 2026
If you don’t believe in a wine tasting of minerality then look away now as this wine is chock full of mouth-watering crushed seashell flavours. The refreshing cut of lemon acidity rates high on the zing factor here, too. Bring on the seafood.

2021 Cantine Argiolas ‘Is Argiolas’ Vermentino, Sardinia, Italy
14.5% alc. RRP 50, drink by 2026
Smart and vibrant drinking with racy attitude and a hugely satisfying mouthful of freshly zested lime alongside a plush peach and apricot note, finishing frisky and lemony with a green uplift towards the end.

2022 Contini Tyrsos Vermentino, Sardinia, Italy
12% alc. RRP 40, drink by 2026
Taking its name from Dionysus’ ritual stick (no sniggering at the back) Tirso, this has a lively disposition with a honeysuckle lift and grapefruit testiness that makes for a hearty and satisfying drink with seafood.

This article first appeared in issue #75 of Halliday magazine. Become a member to receive four issues delivered to your door per year, plus digital access to over 180,000 tasting notes from 4000+ wineries and distilleries, and much more.