Carignano del Sulcis is an Italian wine DOC of Sardinia, introduced in June 1977. It is reserved exclusively for red and rose wines made from Carignan, or Carignano as it is known here, grown in the very south-western corner of the island. This characterful variety arrived in Sardinia either via Provence or eastern Spain – the island has long-established trade routes with southern France, latterly via Corsica, and was ruled by the Spanish house of Aragon during the late Middle Ages and into the Rennaissance period.
Sulcis is a coastal zone around the modern-day Sant Antioco, a city
founded by the Phoenicians and known then by the name Solki, which
eventually became Sulcis. It includes the island of Sant-Antioco,
Italys fourth-largest island (after Sicily, Elba
and Sardinia itself), which is connected to the mainland by a causeway
and bridge. A respectable number of vines are grown on the island,
particularly in its north-eastern corner between Sant-Antioco and
Calasetta towns.
Here, the northern end of the Gulf of Palmas separates
the island from the Sardinian mainland and provides a cooling influence
for Sardinias most southerly vines. At a latitude of 38 degrees north, this is one of the more equatorial viticultural regions in Europe, parallel with Murcia in southern Spain, Alentejo in Portugal and Calabria on the Italian mainland.
