(PennLive) - Occasionally I'll step out of the mid-Atlantic and feature stories on grapes and grape growers around the world. The two bottles featured today come from Sardinia,  the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and before Cyprus) and an autonomous region of Italy. Here's more on the island.

Allessandro Boga, of Colangelo & Partners Public Relations in New York, sent two bottles to sample: Buio Buio and Is Arenas. Both are made out of the Carignano grape.

Here are the winemaking and tasting notes for the Buio Buio: The wines macerates on the skins at 26-28°C for at least 10-12 days. Upon completion of malolactic, it spends a minimum of 10 months in once and twice used barriques, followed by an additional minimum of 4 months in the bottle. This deep, ruby red wine is rich, full, and satisfying. On the nose, it shows notes of red berry fruit, balsamic, and blossoms. On the palate, it is very well balanced, with a gorgeous, silky texture, a touch of crispness, and supple tannins that provide a distinct smoothness. It has a lovely, lingering finish.

Here are the winemaking and tasting notes for the Is Arenas: Alcoholic fermentation in steel for 15 days. Malolactic fermentation is performed entirely in barriques. Fining in allier wood barriques for 10 months and in the bottle for a further 6 months. This beautifully crafted wine is of a rich, luscious style. Ripe dark berry and black fruits are enhanced by luscious mouthfeel and superb balance.

Finally, here are some notes on the grape and the Carignano del Sulcis wine region, courtesy of Boga: A small region in the southwest corner of the oft-forgotten Italian island, Sardinia, is producing wines that are akin to a heftier malbec, or a spicier Cabernet. The region is called Sulcis – and it is there that you will find lively, rich, ruby-red wines that are made primarily from Carignano grapes. These wines offer something different, something special from an area of the world that is so often written off as "been there, tried that."

To introduce you and your readers to the region, we have developed a few basic pointers on the ins and outs of Sulcis, and its native grape, Carignano del Sulcis.

    The Grape: Most of the wines in Sulcis are made primarily from the grape varietal, Carignano (known as Carignan in France, Carineña in Spain, and Carignane in California). Carignano from Sulcis has a livelier, spicier character, and is one of the finest expressions of the grape. The climate, viticulture, and traditional winemaking methods of the region truly allow the grape to reach its fullest potential there.

    The Region: Located in the remote, southwest corner of Sardinia, Sulcis is a very hot, arid region with mostly sandy soils. The dry climate of Sulcis helps foster the accumulation of sugars and secondary compounds in the wines, and the porous soil forces the vines to work to survive, and therefore helps them maintain their vigor. 

   The Viticulture: In Sulcis, the vines are grown without support through the Latin bush-training system. Most of these ungrafted vines age up until they are 60-70 years-old, but some continue to produce grapes until they are 150! The old vines produce grapes that impart a certain elegance, and richness to the wine, while newer grapes give the wine a bright youthfulness; the combination of the two: pure bliss.

    The Wines: Though the region is "new" to America, it is not at all new to Sardinia. The winemakers of Sulcis have been producing wines for years using strictly traditional, sustainable winemaking methods. They know how to carefully watch over the land and let nature do its work. The result is wines that showcase the natural beauty of the Carignano grape.

I sent just a couple of questions to Boga to relay to the winery owner or winemaker, and received these responses:

1, How new is the region to America?
Some wineries have been exporting to the U.S. market for a long time, while others started to do business in the U.S. only recently.

2, I know the release says hot and dry, but just how long is the growing season, when are the grapes picked, how many average degree days are there?
The harvest for Carignano del Sulcis usually starts in the middle of September (earlier for plants that use the Alberello (bush-vine) training system, a little later for the modern training system). Usually it takes up to 40 days (almost all by hand) to complete the harvest. On  harvest day, usually the temperature is around 86F degrees in the early morning. Grapes are then transferred to the Cellar before 10AM.

3, What other grapes grow in that area beyond the Carignano?
Main grapes are: Monica, Moscato and Nasco. Of second importance, there's also Vermentino.