Vermentino, Argiolas Costamolino, 2003     This delicious and wonderfully
perfumed dry white is produced primarily from vermentino grapes grown in northern Sardegna. Crisp and dry with delicate floral and citrus aromas and flavors, this wine has a lovely, lingering finish, which makes it the perfect complement for the many Sardinian seafood dishes.      
$4.00 half glass $7.75 glass $30 bottle

Contini Canonau di Sardegna, Riserva, 2000      This medium-bodied dry red is produced from 100% Cannonau grapes cultivated near Cagliari, the capital of Sardegna. It has intense aromas and flavors of rich, ripe strawberry and cherry fruit and a hint of black pepper. Its excellent texture, structure and good balance make it a delicious pairing with the Malloredus.
$5.50 half glass $10.75 glass $42 bottle

After graduation, Gianpaolo took seasonal jobs cooking - Val d’Aosta in the north in winter, and back to his home region of Costa Smeralda 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 recipes.” By age twenty-two, Gianpaolo was in charge of the pasta, vegetable and soup station in the hotel Romazzino (Sardinian for “wild rosemary”) 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.

From Las Vegas Gianpaolo made his way to Il Fornaio and opened the very first Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana in Corte Madera, California in 1987. He is now Chef-Partner of Il Fornaio in Coronado, our island restaurant situated across from downtown San Diego.

“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 our food, all of which is made from scratch.”

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 Carciofi Ripieni and Cullingiones. Because some shepherds have no way to keep the milk fresh in remote areas of the island, they often make cheese right on the spot.

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 grown are artichokes (Risotto con Polpa di Granchio) and tomatoes (Spaghetti all’Aragosta). While the bounty of the sea does make its way into the Sardinian kitchen, the proportion of fishermen is small compared to that of farmers. Shellfish is very popular, especially crab and lobster.

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.