Wine of the Week! 05/13/24

Contini 1898 Tyrsos Vermentino

Normally $21.99 / Now on Sale for $16.96
100% Vermentino (Sardegna DOC)

The Tirsos is Sardegna’s most important river, winding through the island and emptying out into the Tyrrhenian Sea on the isle’s west central side, near Contini 1898.

Contini 1898 is Sardegna’s (Sardinia’s) first winery. It sits in the heart of the Sinis Peninsula, near Oristano, founded in 1898 by husband and wife Salvatore Contini and Anna Maria Dessì. They first became known for their Vernaccia, which is prominent around Oristano. In 1980, after grandson Totino died, the winery switched to a limited company with family members holding stakes in it. The new guard also switched to exploring different grapes. Today, cousins Alessandro and Mauro (sons of brothers Totino and Antonio) run the company.

The Vermentino for this wine grows along one of the Tirsos’ valleys in soil that’s partly alluvial and partly sandy. Though not native to Sardegna (Vermentino most likely came via Liguria and Corsica), Vermentino grows all over the island. Contini takes these grapes and ferments them in stainless steel, aging the resulting wine in steel also. They’re able to tease such a depth of fruit out of the grape that it’s surprising that it’s spent all its time in steel. This is a wine meant to be enjoyed immediately with appetizers, delicate fish, and sunsets on the porch or the beach.