Vermentino di Sardegna, Argiolas Costamolino, 2000  A wonderfully perfumed dry white produced primarily from vermentino grapes grown in northern Sardegna. Crisp and refreshing with delicate floral and citrus aromas and flavors, this wine has a lingering finish which makes it a great match with the Zimino, Risotto and Branzino.    $25 bottle; $6.75 glass; $3.75 half glass

Carignano del Sulis, Santadi Rocca Rubia, 1998  This medium-bodied dry red wine is produced from 100% carignano grapes cultivated near Cagliari, the capital of Sardegna. It has intense aromas and flavors of rich, ripe berry-fruit and a hint of black pepper. It pairs extremely well with the Malloreddus and Sella d’Agnello.    $33.00 bottle $8.75 glass $4.50 half glass

Mirto Tremontis, Argiolas  Made from myrtle berries, this Sardinian violet-colored liquor has herbal aromas and sweet flavors of mint, eucalyptus, juniper and spices. Known for its healing properties, mirto is traditionally served chilled at the end of a meal.     $6.75 glass

Gianpaolo Putzu was born in Onifai, a city in the central province of Sardegna. At age fifteen he left home to attend cooking school, following an older brother. The stories of the different techniques his brother had learned sounded exciting to Gianpaolo, so off he went to board in a hotel and learn the basics of the kitchen from A to Z. In summertime he interned at hotels on the Costa Smeralda, a newly developed resort area that was to become the jewel of Sardegna’s tourist industry.

After graduation Gianpaolo took seasonal jobs cooking - Vald’Aosta in the north in winter, and back to the Costa Smeralda in Sardegna in summer. For five years he traveled back and forth, living out of his suitcase. “It was exciting”, Gianpaolo says of those times, “We were young and had so much to learn. We worked with a different chef each season, so gained lots of experience with different food.” By age twenty-two, Gianpaolo was in charge of the pasta, vegetable and soup station in the hotel in Sardegna, overseeing two interns of his own.

One day the chef told him of an opportunity to work for a friend of his who was opening a restaurant in Las Vegas. Gianpaolo and a co-worker accepted the offer and found themselves in the United States, once again learning from new chefs about different food.

It was through his associations in Las Vegas that Gianpaolo made his way to Il Fornaio and opened the first Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana in Corte Madera California in 1987. He is now Chef-Partner of Il Fornaio in Coronado.

“What is so special about the food of Sardegna is how we cook by the calendar”, Gianpaolo explains. “Whatever the season brings is what you cook. I remember how in September my family made wine, in October we picked olives, in December we made pancetta and prosciutto, from November until June we made pecorino and ricotta from sheep’s milk. Twice each year, at Christmas and Easter, we prepared lamb and pigs to sell for the festivities throughout the region. All these ingredients played a part in the season’s dishes. Even now, this tradition remains, and simple freshness defines the food, all of which is made from scratch.

So join me as I share the food, bread and wine of my home region. Buon Appetito!”

ardegna (Sahr•DAYN•yah) is the second largest island in the Mediterranean (Sicily is the largest). Separated from the rest of Italy by the Tyrrhenian Sea, it has not fallen victim to the foreign influences brought to the rest of Italy through conquests and has changed little over time.

Due to its climate and geography, Sardegna has little arable land and is sparsely populated. Few vegetables grow in the region, but livestock thrive in the abundant pastures. In Sardegna, agriculture means grazing; raising livestock is the backbone of the economy. In fact, Sardegna accounts for 25% of all the sheep raised in Italy. Sheep’s milk is made into pecorino cheese, one of the most popular of all Italian cheeses. (Pecorino is featured in our Culingionis.) Because individual shepherds have no way to keep the milk fresh in remote areas of the island, they often make cheese right on the spot. It is more piquant than the pecorino made by most cheese factories.

The chief crop of Sardegna is wheat and bread making is almost a religious rite on the island. Bread often takes the place reserved in most other regions for pasta. Among the most common vegetables grown are artichokes (Risotto Polpa Granchio e Carciofi) and tomatoes (Spaghetti all’Aragosta). The bounty of the sea does make its way into the Sardinian kitchen, although curiously, the proportion of fishermen is small compared to that of farmers. Shellfish is very popular, especially lobster. Cagliari, the capital of Sardegna, is the dominant fishing port.

You will find the culinary style of Sardegna to be simple and unspoiled, much like the Sardinians themselves. Courteous, generous and essentially reserved with an acute sense of honor is how they are often described.

Coming March 4 - 17:

THE FOOD AND WINE OF VAL D'AOSTA

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