Fratelli Serra: Crafting World-Class Vernaccia di Oristano Wines

Learn about this historic family winery in Sardinia, what makes these oxidative wines special, and the perfect blue zone pairing for this wine style.

Hands down without a doubt, Vernaccia di Oristano is among my top three all-time favorite wines in the world. Bold statement, I know, but until you’ve experienced its completely entrancing complexity, you haven’t truly lived. 

The Vernaccia di Oristano DOC is the oldest DOC in Sardinia, founded in 1971, and encompasses a zone of Oristano along the central west coast of the island. If you’re a fan of Spanish Sherry or Vin Jaune from France, then you are sure to love Vernaccia di Oristano. And even if you’re not yet a fan of these oxidative wine styles, give Vernaccia di Oristano a try and you just might be surprised. 

A quick note on oxidative vs. oxidized wines – “oxidative” generally means that the wines are intentionally influenced by oxygen during the winemaking process to enhance complexity and aging capabilities. Whereas “oxidized” refers to situations where oxygen has negatively impacted the wine. 

Now, if you’re not familiar with how Vernaccia di Oristano is made, I highly recommend you check out this article: Vernaccia di Oristano – Sardinia’s Most Fascinating Wine. In it, I cover: 

• The history of Vernaccia di Oristano. 

• Its unique natural yeast called flor and oxidative aging process that makes these wines so distinctive. 

• Similarities and differences with Sherry. 

• Spiseddadura – the ancient barrel tapping method used to drink Vernaccia in Sardinia.

• The Vernaccia di Oristano DOC and the characteristics of the variety in the vineyard.

• Typical flavor profiles of this one-of-a-kind wine. 

• Recommended food pairings for Vernaccia di Oristano. 

As a quick refresher, here’s what Vernaccia di Oristano tastes like: 

Vernaccia is typically full-bodied due to the high alcohol and glycerol content and ranges from 15 – 19% ABV, with the higher end of the alcohol range seen in especially matured examples. This variety also has high acidity, making it very ageable and allowing wines to maintain freshness even after decades of aging. Young Vernaccia will be fresher on the palate with herbaceous and floral notes. Aged examples will exude aromas and flavors of toasted almonds and hazelnuts, truffles, umami, balsamic, and various warm spices. They are mind-bogglingly complex and offer something new to uncover with every sniff and sip. 

Remember, “The older the better” applies as a good rule of thumb when seeking out this Sardinian wine. 

Now, if you’re located in the United States or other countries outside of Italy, you’re most likely to encounter Vernaccia di Oristano from the two larger, commercialized producers who have wider distribution: Silvio Carta and Contini. 

And while their wines are quite good, especially the Silvio Carta Vernaccia di Oristano DOC 1968 Riserva and the Contini Antico Gregori Vernaccia di Oristano DOC, they pale in comparison to my favorite Vernaccia di Oristano producer – Fratelli Serra. 

Fratelli Serra – A Multi-Generation, Family-Owned Winery with Unmatched Quality & Commitment to Craft

Fratelli Serra’s legacy in crafting Vernaccia di Oristano spans generations and is rooted in a traditional yet visionary approach to winemaking. The family’s journey began when the great-grandfather, Giovanni Antonio Serra, established the family business early in the 20th century. He initially started an azienda agricola, cultivating grain and raising livestock. Though he soon expanded into viticulture and winemaking. The great grandfather’s home was right across the street from where the original winery is still located today. They’ve even recently uncovered old Sardinian winemaking relics in Giovanni’s original home. 

Next, his children continued to grow production around the time of the big Vernaccia boom in the 1960s and 1970s, before passing control of the helm to the current owners – the Serra Brothers – who continued to increase wine production and expand the winery. Although the winery has been passed down over generations, the original commitment to quality backed by tradition remains. They’ve modernized vineyard practices with sustainable methods and updated winery equipment, too.

Gianni Serra & his son Luca

Walking into the cellar at Fratelli Serra is like stepping back in time to witness an ancient tradition. They still utilize some of the winery's original cement tanks, but the real magic happens in the barrel room where decades of Vernaccia are aging peacefully under their protective layer of flor. Meandering through the two long rows of barrels ranging in size from 225L to 500L and larger, all made from different kinds of oak, I was taken aback by the decades of work and patience laying before my eyes. 

What’s even more mind boggling is that the owner, Gianni Serra, can walk up to any barrel and remember the story of that specific vintage and how it impacted the wine aging inside. About a month before bottling, he’ll go around and taste every single barrel to decide which year is most ready and how any blending should be completed. There’s no consecutive vintage releases here like traditional wineries. Instead, the Vernaccia basically tells him when it's the right time for release, and thanks to a lifetime of experience, he understands the full evolution of Vernaccia di Oristano, too. Now that's what I call craftsmanship. 

Can you imagine the passion and dedication required to have an encyclopedic level of at least five decades worth of Vernaccia barrels in your cellar?

As you can tell, I was seriously impressed. And the quality of Fratelli Serra Vernaccia di Oristano speaks for itself. 

Oh, they’ve also started experimenting with amphora, too. So, I’m excited to see what’s next there. 

Vernaccia di Oristano aging in amphora under a layer of flor

A Fun Anecdote… 

…we learned while tasting at Fratelli Serra earlier this year: 

Giovanni, the great grandfather, noticed early on how wines made from grapes that grew closer to the clay soils or touched the ground actually made clearer wines. So, he started tossing a handful of the clay soil into barrels that acted like a clarifying agent, similar to how modern winemaking today utilizes bentonite as a clarifying agent. 

Fratelli Serra Tasting

For a wine tasting experience at Fratelli Serra, you’ll be seated right amidst the aging barrels of Vernaccia di Oristano. We tasted through a lineup of four or five different Vernaccia wines, and were lucky enough to get a taste of the wine aging in amphora. Here are my quick tasting notes: 

• 2023 Vernaccia in amphora: Fresh style with notes of apricot, olive, orange peel, some light white flowers. Nice round texture on the palate. 

• A young Vernaccia that was not aged under flor: More robust than expected with notes of orange peel, nuts, caramel, olives, and salinity, plus a persistent finish. 

• 2014 Vernaccia di Oristano: Savory and salty with intense walnut/nutty aromatics with an incredibly round, luxurious mouthfeel.

• 2011 Vernaccia di Oristano: Wow! More floral and citrus driven with notes of lemon and orange peel, plus a savory nuttiness with hints of caramel on the silky smooth palate. Incredible persistence. 

• 2010 Vernaccia di Oristano: A little floral, a little nutty with hints of baked bread on the nose. But the palate has explosive salinity with notes of almonds, briny olives, and toasted nuts. 

Discover more Vernaccia di Oristano producers and other Sardinian wineries to visit here.