Cannonau is Sardinia's champion black grape, and the basis of both its principle red appellation Cannonau di Sardegna and many of its cult wines. Genetically speaking it is the same grape as France's Grenache and Spain's Garnacha, and probably originated in the Aragón province of Spain. It adores the Mediterranean sun and can accumulate up to 16 degrees of potential alcohol while still on the vine. It thrives in hot, dry and windy conditions, and if yields are kept low and plants are of a decent age, can give wines of deep colour, rich, black, savoury flavour and impressive concentration; the perfect accompaniment to one of the island's traditional dishes of spit-roasted game.