Where it’s cultivated: A widespread vine in Sardinia but mainly found on the
hills of Romangia, well exposed to the sun and caressed by the sea breezes, in the hinterland of the Gulf of Cagliari, on sunny, chalky soil, and in Gallura on granite substrates, ideal for the production of Muscatel spumante.
Some history: The vine has ancient origins and was already documented in
Sardinia at the time of the Romans, who called it vitis apiana, as bees were greatly attracted to it because of its sweetness. The vine can be found in almost all the Mediterranean wine-producing areas.
On the market: Sardinia has three different CDOs based on Muscatel, showing
the original identity of the specific areas of production – Cagliari Moscato, Moscato di Sorso-Sennori and Moscato di Sardegna with white, passito wine, late harvest grapes and Spumante types, with under traditional geographical indication ‘Tempio Pausania’ or ‘Gallura’.
How to recognise it: The wine is golden or also amber in colour, luminous and brilliant, with floral aromas of roses, candied fruit, caramelised almonds, raisins, dried figs and apricot jam.
Kitchen combinations: It combines with traditional cakes and candied citrus
fruit such as s’aranzada and sa pompìa but also with sugar and almond gateau (gattò di zucchero e mandorle), cakes and desserts with cream and fruit tarts.
Alla scoperta di magnifiche spiagge e di sentieri immersi nella vegetazione mediterranea, fra i misteri dell’epoca nuragica e le certezze di una cucina ricca e varia
