Silvio Carta is the founder of the Sardinian winery and distillery that bears his name, established in the early 1950s in Baratili San Pietro, in the province of Oristano, to make Vernaccia di Oristano. Today the company is based in Zeddiani, run by his son Elio, and besides Vernaccia it makes myrtle liqueur, vermouth, amari, gin, grappa and a whisky. I discovered it at Selezione Italia 2025, where it was my best producer of the event, and since then its vermouths have ended up in my glass more than once.
The History of Silvio Carta: Vernaccia di Oristano and Mirto
Silvio Carta founded the company in the early 1950s in Baratili San Pietro, devoting himself from the start to the most traditional wine of the area: Vernaccia di Oristano. It is an oxidative wine, aged for a long time in partly filled casks, which the company describes as a precious object.
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Silvio Carta, from the company website (translated)
1968 was the last vintage made at the historic site on via Dante, in Baratili San Pietro (the 1968 Riserva is still in the catalogue, at €260 in a wooden case); today the company is registered in Zeddiani, on provincial road 12. His son Elio Carta, a trained oenologist, has been at the helm since 1972 and is also the master distiller, while the third generation, with Nino Mason Carta, looks after exports.
Around here, mirto, the Sardinian myrtle liqueur, is more than a drink. In the harsh winter of 1939, in very difficult conditions, the people of Baratili San Pietro survived partly thanks to myrtle berries, which grew abundantly in the countryside. To preserve them, Elio Carta’s grandmother put a handful into a measure of Vernaccia spirit: that is the origin of the liqueur now called Mirto Ricetta Storica, a bronze medal winner at the IWSC 2026.
The rest of the range came much later. After the Second World War there was a lot of distilling in Sardinia, almost all of it illegal, mostly from Vernaccia and juniper, hence the name Giniu, from the Sardinian giniperu. In 2013 the company decided to focus on batch distillation: the gins (Giniu, Pigskin, Boigin, Grifu), the grappas and a Vernaccia brandy of 1,889 bottles followed. The Whisky from Sardinia arrived in January 2024, after four years in chestnut casks.
Awards from 2026 alone:
- IWSC 2026: Gold with 95/100 for the Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 2002, Silver for Tom Carta Old Tom Gin, Bronze for Mirto Ricetta Storica
- WOW! 2026 by Civiltà del bere: Gold for the Vernaccia Riserva 2006 and Silver for the Riserva 2004
- WineHunter Award 2026: four awards, including the Vernaccia Riserva 2006 and the Whisky Island of Sardinia
- Guida Untold: Best Winery in Sardinia
The Silvio Carta Range: Vernaccia, Mirto, Gin, Vermouth and Spinello
Before the table, a few terms that come up in the catalogue:
- Vernaccia di Oristano
- Sardinian wine from the Vernaccia grape, aged in partly filled casks under a veil of yeast (flor), as happens with Sherry. Silvio Carta’s Riserve often exceed 18% alcohol.
- Mirto
- Sardinian liqueur made from the berries (red mirto) or from the leaves and white berries (white mirto) of the myrtle plant.
- Vermouth
- Wine aromatised with herbs and spices, which by law must include wormwood. Silvio Carta’s are made from a Vernaccia base.
- Spinello
- The company’s blue spritz aperitif, coloured with spirulina and flavoured with sea buckthorn.
This is the full catalogue published on the Silvio Carta website, excluding miniatures and gift boxes. Prices are those of the Italian online shop Bernabei at the time of writing; a dash marks products I could not find for sale online.
| Product | Type | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 1968 | Vernaccia Riserva, last vintage made at the historic Baratili San Pietro site | 75 cl. 19% | €260.00 |
| Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 2001 | Vernaccia Riserva | 75 cl. 18% | – |
| Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 2002 | Vernaccia Riserva, IWSC 2026 Gold | 75 cl. 20.5% | – |
| Per Te Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 2002 | Vernaccia Riserva | 75 cl. 19% | – |
| Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 2003 | Vernaccia Riserva | 75 cl. 18% | – |
| Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 2004 | Vernaccia Riserva | 75 cl. 19% | – |
| Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 2006 | Vernaccia Riserva, WOW! 2026 Gold | 75 cl. 19% | – |
| Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 2008 | Vernaccia Riserva, not listed on the producer website | 75 cl. 16.5% | €16.60 |
| Sa Crannatza de Silviu Cata | Vernaccia Valle del Tirso IGT | 75 cl. 18.5% | – |
| Servito Vermouth Bianco | White vermouth from young Vernaccia | 75 cl. 16% | €19.80 |
| Vermouth Rosso | Red vermouth | 75 cl. 18% | €22.00 |
| Serenata Vermentino di Gallura DOCG Superiore | White wine | 75 cl. 13% | – |
| Serenata Cannonau di Sardegna DOC | Red wine | 75 cl. 14.5% | – |
| Po Tui Monica di Sardegna DOC | Red wine | 75 cl. 14.5% | – |
| Po Tui Cagnulari Isola dei Nuraghi IGT | Red wine | 75 cl. 14.5% | – |
| Kusidura Isola dei Nuraghi IGT | Red from Vernaccia and native red grapes | 75 cl. 14.5% | – |
| Mirto Rosso Ricetta Storica | Red myrtle liqueur | 70 cl. 30% | €25.90 |
| Mirto Rosso del Fondatore | Red myrtle liqueur, made for the founder’s 90th birthday | 70 cl. 30% | €19.80 |
| Mirto Rosso Pilloni | Red myrtle liqueur | 70 cl. 30% | €19.60 |
| Mirto Bianco | White myrtle liqueur | 70 cl. 30% | – |
| Limonello Ricetta Originale | Lemon liqueur | 70 cl. 28% | €18.80 |
| Liqu | Liquorice liqueur | 70 cl. 23% | €16.90 |
| Sard Orange | Orange liqueur | 70 cl | €24.00 |
| Paper Elderflower | Elderflower liqueur from the Gennargentu | 10 cl. 23% | – |
| Amaro Bomba Carta | Herbal amaro with strawberry-tree honey | 70 cl. 33% | €31.80 |
| Amaro Bomba Carta Caffè Tustatu | Arabica coffee amaro | 70 cl. 26% | €29.80 |
| CartAmaro | Amaro with helichrysum, thyme and artichoke | 70 cl. 34% | €18.80 |
| Amaro Estremista 3° | Low-alcohol amaro with Sardinian honey | 100 cl. 3% | €17.80 |
| Bitteroma Rosso Assoluto | Red bitter | 70 cl. 25.8% | €38.80 |
| Bitteroma Rosso | Red bitter | 100 cl. 25.3% | €17.20 |
| Bitteroma Bianco | White bitter | 100 cl. 25.3% | €18.80 |
| Aspide Aperitivo Spritz | Spritz aperitif | 100 cl. 11% | €10.50 |
| Spinello Assoluto Spritz | Blue spritz aperitif with spirulina and sea buckthorn | 100 cl. 11% | €15.70 |
| Whisky from Sardinia | Single malt aged in chestnut casks | 50 cl. 43.7% | €110.00 |
| Whisky Island of Sardinia | Single malt, 364 numbered bottles | 70 cl. 42.9% | – |
| Giniu | Gin with Sardinian juniper | 70 cl. 40% | €53.80 |
| Giniu 517 | Reserve gin, juniper picked above 1,500 m | 70 cl. 51.7% | €168.00 |
| Gin per Te | London Dry Gin | 70 cl. 45% | €65.00 |
| Pigskin | London Dry Gin rested in chestnut casks | 70 cl. 40% | €24.40 |
| Pigskin Pink | Gin | 70 cl. 40% | €24.80 |
| Pigskin Silver | London Dry Gin | 70 cl. 40% | €23.80 |
| Pigskin 44 | Gin with juniper and myrtle | 70 cl. 44% | €29.80 |
| Grifu | London Dry Gin with sage and mastic | 70 cl. 43% | €29.80 |
| Grifu Limù | Gin | 70 cl. 41.5% | – |
| Grifu Orange | Gin | 70 cl. 41% | – |
| Old Grifu | Gin | 70 cl. 42% | €28.00 |
| Tom Carta | Old Tom Gin with Sardinian juniper and honey | 70 cl. 44% | €49.80 |
| Boigin | Gin with citrus and juniper from the Sinis | 70 cl. 40% | €22.80 |
| Boigin Saffron | Gin with Sardinian saffron | 70 cl. 40% | €39.60 |
| Grappa Fresca | Grappa | 50 cl. 40% | – |
| Grappa Invecchiata | Aged grappa | 70 cl. 40% | – |
| Grappa di Vernaccia | Grappa from Vernaccia pomace | 70 cl. 40% | – |
| Filu ‘e Ferru | Pomace spirit, heart cut only | 70 cl. 42% | – |
| Brandy di Vernaccia | Brandy, 1,889 bottles | 70 cl. 45% | – |
| 41 Bis | Sardinian blue agave spirit | 70 cl. 41% | €53.60 |
| 41 Bis Aged | Agave spirit aged in former Vernaccia casks | 70 cl. 41% | – |
| Aspide Analcolico Spritz | Non-alcoholic aperitif | 100 cl. 0% | €12.90 |
| Limonello Zero | Non-alcoholic lemon infusion | 50 cl. 0% | €9.90 |
Among the aperitifs, the Spinello Assoluto Spritz stands out: a litre at 11% in an emerald blue that does not go unnoticed, at €15.70. I have not tasted it yet, and the same goes for mirto, gin and whisky: my notes, for now, are about the vermouths.
Silvio Carta Products: the Vermouths I Tasted
A quick review of the Silvio Carta products I have tasted.
Low Price Range (under €20)
Servito Vermouth Bianco – Silvio Carta
Tasted on 26/05/2025 at Selezione Italia, Vienna
What it’s like: What a lovely discovery! Star anise and cleaning products on the nose. It evolves on the palate, and you can feel the grape pomace. Fresh, but elegant.
Conclusion: Exceptional: a white vermouth that lets you taste the wine it comes from.
Price at the time of writing at Bernabei: €19.80.
Servito Vermouth Bianco – Silvio Carta
Tasted on 09/03/2026 at home, as an aperitif
Colour: Oil yellow.
They are light, moving, plant-like rafts, on which you move with excitement and uncertainty.
What it’s like: Sweeter nose than I was remembering: here there are notes of vanilla cream, coconut, and sure, also of myrtle and medicinal herbs. A crowd pleaser all in all. The palate has the viscosity typical of the style: quite nimble, but alcohol and élevage give volume and density. The alcohol, definitely the high note around which everything spins, while shy nuances of white chocolate try to rebalance the act. The finish is nothing exceptional in terms of length: around 10 seconds. Marine notes and an almost tart herbaceous one betray the fate of this vermouth: a fresh aperitivo, extremely pleasing, and that is what I’m looking for in these bottles.
Conclusion: Very good: at home it surprises less than at the tasting, but it does its job as an aperitif exactly.
Price at the time of writing at Bernabei: €19.80.
Mid Price Range (€20-30)
Vermouth Rosso – Silvio Carta
Tasted on 26/05/2025 at Selezione Italia, Vienna
What it’s like: Out of this world. Salted caramel on the nose (due to the ageing), along with fruit cake, dark honey and dried apricots. Powerful and warm like a fortified wine, but with an intrinsic lightness that makes it dangerously drinkable. The intense, silky palate evolves forever and ends with nutty notes.
Conclusion: Exceptional, my best product of Selezione Italia 2025: the aged Vernaccia base comes through in full.
Price at the time of writing at Bernabei: €22.
Vermouth Rosso – Silvio Carta
Tasted on 25/06/2026 at home
Colour: Cola brown.
What it’s like: Here there is definitely a step up in terms of complexity compared to the Vermouth Servito Bianco, despite the fact that the two have a very similar price. Here I had the feeling that the vermouth wanted to leave the glass, that its aromas desire to explore the world: and we are talking about a profound note of cola, the savouriness of the sage, the classic myrtle, the depth of the sap and wet aromatic herbs. Forgotten are the caramelized and sweet nuances of the Servito Bianco, here the vegetal character is the ruling one and it keeps on going on the silken palate, perfectly balanced between richness and a pleasant herbal dryness. Here the flavours repeat the nose, again a lot of cola but also a sappy wild character that then glides on a nutty finish whose lifted herbal aromatics keep on haunting. It’s not an easy-drinking vermouth, it has pungent spikes and substance, and this is not a flaw but the symptom of its concentration, which therefore demands to be sipped, or drunk with some ice cubes. Exceptionally seriously made and aristocratic.
Conclusion: Excellent: less immediate than the Servito Bianco, more complex and made for sipping.
Price at the time of writing at Bernabei: €22.
To understand what sets a craft red vermouth apart from a supermarket bottle, see the comparison Vermouth Rosso vs Martini.
Vermouth at Home
Vermouth is not the easiest product for me to make use of. I am used to chilling a nice bottle of wine, bringing it to the right temperature and finishing it in one or at most two evenings. Vermouth can sit there for weeks, potentially, but I hate leaving a half-full bottle in the fridge and, helped by how good the product is, I tend to finish it far too quickly.
And yet, if handled properly, a product like Silvio Carta’s vermouth is a splendid card to play, especially in social settings, surprising guests with an elegant drink, even as an aperitif, instead of the usual sparkling wine.
Now, this sounds like the advice of the good housewife from a weekly magazine of 60 years ago (but patriarchy is coming back into fashion!), yet it is undeniable that vermouth and similar products, well exemplified by the Silvio Carta range, have an elegance that a Prosecco will never have. And the packaging, although it is certainly not what we drink, is that of a product with character; in short, you feel cool drinking it and offering it.
Where to Buy Silvio Carta Online and How Much It Costs
Silvio Carta does not have an official online shop: the company website presents the catalogue but does not sell directly. There are three ways to buy the products online:
- Bottle of Italy, with a page dedicated to the producer and international shipping;
- Bernabei, the Italian online wine shop with the widest selection (66 items) and the source of the prices in this article;
- Amazon, where the products are sold by third-party resellers.
The prices below are Bernabei’s as of October 2026.
Silvio Carta’s Mirto Ricetta Storica costs €25.90 for the 70 cl bottle, and €6.50 for the 10 cl miniature.
Silvio Carta mirto costs between €13.90 and €25.90 for the 70 cl bottle, depending on the version:
- Mirto Rosso Ricetta Storica: €25.90
- Mirto Rosso del Fondatore: €19.80
- Mirto Rosso Pilloni: €19.60
- Mirto Bianco 1929: €18.80
- Mirto Rosso Carta and Mirto Bianco Carta, the simplest line: €13.90
Silvio Carta’s Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 2008 costs €16.60 for the 75 cl bottle. It is a 16.5% label that does not appear in the catalogue on the company website, where the Riserve range from 1968 to 2006.
Silvio Carta’s whisky, the single malt Whisky from Sardinia, costs €110 for the 50 cl bottle. The limited edition Whisky Island of Sardinia, 364 numbered bottles, is not on sale online in Italy.
Conclusion
Silvio Carta is one of the most complete Sardinian producers: it started with Vernaccia di Oristano in the early 1950s, owes its mirto to a family recipe from 1939 and since 2013 has built a range of spirits that goes all the way to whisky. The catalogue is huge, almost sixty products, and prices stay affordable: the best-known mirto costs €25.90 and the vermouths sit between €20 and €22.
The vermouths are the reason this name entered my records. The Rosso is exceptional, the best product I tasted at Selezione Italia 2025, and at home it proved excellent, more herbal and complex than the Bianco; the Servito Bianco had struck me at the tasting and at home it proved a very good aperitif, sweeter and more immediate than I remembered. Mirto, gin and Spinello are still to be tasted.
For more Sardinian wines, read the article on Tenuta Asinara.
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