The folks: This family-owned enterprise is nearly a century old and deals exclusively in grape varietals native to the Italian island of Sardinia, Sicily’s unsung sister.

The grape: Vermentino is the emblematic white grape of this island. The varietal is versatile, depending on cultivation and vinification, but generally produces dry wines with just enough acidity—unlike, say, a good Sauvignon Blanc, which is quite acidic.

The label: This wine is awarded a Vermentino di Sardegna DOC (a regulated designation of origin). Although the label says Vermentino, the bottle may only have 85% of the grape, the remainder being any other varietal. We’re also impressed at the 13.5% alcohol content (in part due to the long, hot summers in Sardinia). Many white wines hover at around 12.5%, so this one is especially boozy and heavy-bodied, a wine with more uses than just as a aperitif.

The look: This wine isn’t built to age, so don’t be put off by the paleness. We love the faint golden, straw color and the lemon rind tinge. The big, fat legs on the glass are also drool-worthy.

The smell: A little green with citrusy notes. As it warmed up in room temperature, the nose developed satisfyingly into a more complex, tropical fruit aroma.

The sip: Not too dry, it also has fruit like sweet apple and a bit of lime, balanced by the nice surprise of minerality at the end of the sip. In the final step of vinification, they let the wine age a bit with the dead yeast (aka on its fine lees) and this smoothens the taste out a bit, making it acidic, but also slightly creamy, without feeling like a full-on Chardonnay. The high alcohol content means that the wine warms your mouth pleasantly and has a nice, long finish.

The food: A wine from this part of the world should be had with fish, of course. We happened to have it with a light Indian biriyani and found that the spiciness of the food overshadowed the acidity and made the wine more fruity—if that’s your thing.

The damage: B925 from Italasia’s retail shop (1/F, CRC Building, All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Rd. 02-685-3862. Open daily 11am-8pm.
First timer? Check out our wine tasting tips at tiny.cc/stuh6