It takes a stony disposition not to be captivated by Sardinia. Even if you cannot surrender to the pristine beaches, hilltop villages, and benign climate, the incredible landscape will take your breath away. It’s an irresistible proposition: miles and miles of unspoiled scenery, expansive bays, azure-blue ocean, lush vegetation, and Instagram shots to die for.
Sardinia sells itself, which probably explains why the tourist board has never invested significant euros to lure discerning visitors from abroad.
However, Sardinia’s charms are not merely skin-deep. Like all self-respecting Mediterranean islands, Sardinia is most definitely in the wine business. Its complex and fascinating cultural heritage has given birth to a wine culture uniquely Sardinian, distinct from mainland Italy. The grapes and soils, the winemaking practices and attitudes, and Sardinian viticulture are all worth exploring, offering an exciting point of difference to the increasingly homogenous and globalized winemaking scene.
Indeed, the island is rich in raw ingredients, and its emphasis on local varieties provides a welcome point of difference in a crowded marketplace. Yet, the island’s wines remain under-exported and under-appreciated.
However, with its wealth of ancient bush vines and unique grapes, Sardinia has the potential to become a truly groundbreaking wine region. This hope could be realized within our lifetime. Sardinia’s authentic and local flavors are set to charm international wine buyers who increasingly seek such qualities. All Sardinia needs to do is reach out and extend its hand.
The second-largest island in the Mediterranean (known in Italian as Sardegna) is located at a crossroads; Sardinia was a magnet for colonists and invaders from half the civilized world.
Each (temporary) occupier left an indelible mark on the island’s culture, including Greek, Arab, and Aragonese conquerors.
In the late 6th century BC, the forces of Carthage landed on the south coast, bringing merchants, administrators, and settlers to this fertile paradise.
However, they were defeated by the Romans during the Punic Wars and ejected from the island. Yet, from the perspective of local farmers and winegrowers, this was to be Sardinia’s golden age. For over 600 years, they supplied large quantities of sweetened wine to ancient Rome, heated it to boiling point, and then adulterated it with herbs and even seawater. It was a potent brew that only the ancient Romans could love!
After the collapse of the Western Empire, however, Sardinia became something of a European backwater. Invaded by the Vandals and Byzantines, the island maintained a certain degree of independence in the Middle Ages, largely due to its geographical isolation.
Unfortunately, another rising power in the Western Mediterranean had already staked a claim on the island: Aragon.
Aragonese Influence on Sardinian Viticulture
From the 12th to the 15th centuries, Aragon (eastern Spain) operated as a federation of states, including Catalunya. After its conquest of Sardinia in 1324, its dominions stretched across the Mediterranean to include Sicily and parts of the Italian mainland. This dramatically impacted Sardinian wine culture; the Aragonese transplanted many of their traditions and customs, including Spanish grape varieties.
Have you heard of Bovale Sardo and Bovale Grande? We hadn’t: they are thought to be cousins of Spain’s Bobal grape. Both varieties tend to make full-bodied, robust red wines, while the origins of the Monica and Giro grapes are uncertain.
So, too, are the genetic legacies of the white grapes Nuragus and Nasco clouded in mystery. Over the centuries, this evolved into a vibrant and colorful mix of customs and culture, gifting Sardinia a unique and multicultural vine heritage.
Yet this seductive destination is not without its historical low points and unfortunate precedents. In the mid-20th century, a push emerged to encourage growers to plant red grape varieties specifically for selling to the mainland, mirroring the modern bulk wine industry. Winemakers fermented these reds to retain residual sugar, producing alcoholic, overcropped, and intensely strong wines.
Thankfully, modern-day Sardinians are more fixated on quality than quantity; during the 1980s, the subsidies to plant vines became bribes to pull them out, and the island’s total vineyard shrank by over a half. The saturation of the cheap wine market and a consumer shift towards “less but better” wines have benefited Sardinia. Today, the curious oenophile will discover a mosaic of varieties, unlike any other part of Italy.
Geography and terroir
Costa Smeralda vineyards
Sardinia is a tourist paradise with its stunning coastline, creamy white beaches, and rolling hills. However, while most people obsess over the surf and sunshine, Sardinia’s wine regions are increasingly attracting jet-setting oenophiles.
And there is much to discover: growers work over 9000 square miles of landmass, so there’s plenty of opportunity for site variation and climatic differences – particularly considering the varied topography.
Settled long ago by the ancient Phoenicians, the island is located to the south of Corsica and west of mainland Italy – deep in the Mediterranean heart. To the east and northeast are Lazio and Campania; however, winemakers have never shown much interest in key Italian grape varieties such as Trebbiano and Sangiovese. Instead, they celebrate their traditions and unique wine flavors with pride and gusto.
Indeed, Sardinia offers a rich palate of raw ingredients—a nice antidote to the humdrum Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot produced worldwide. It also has countless old bush vines that electrify sommeliers and wine geeks; these thrilling wines are slowly gaining traction among consumers who seek a point of difference. And yet, despite all this amazing potential, Sardinia has the lowest wine production per hectare of any Italian region.
Much to our amazement, despite the favorable terroir and climate, only a relatively small percentage of the island’s acreage is planted to vines. Today, approximately 27,000 hectares of vines are grown on the island, much of which are concentrated on the flat Campidano plain in the south. Many of Sardinia’s most promising appellations, including Vermentino di Gallura and Algerho, are in the north.
Meanwhile, local growing conditions and soils run the whole gamut, from the rocky, arid northeast of Sardinia to the cooler terroirs of the Costa Smeralda. Winegrowers utilize an eclectic mix of granite, limestone, and clay soils, each contributing unique characteristics to the wines.
The island’s southwest features windswept, sandy vineyards, where bush vines dominate, and the yields are naturally very low. Excessive vigor is rarely a problem in such conditions, allowing the vines to focus their energy on producing high-quality grapes.
Climate Challenges and Adaptive Strategies
To be more accurate, the only potential fly in the ointment is heat – or drought. In recent years, temperatures have skyrocketed in July and August with extremely low rainfall, anomalous even by the standards of Sardinia.
This had led to a 25-30 percent fall in production in some areas, exacerbated by unseasonal hail in the spring. This sometimes puts enormous pressure on the vines, causing hydric stress and leaf burn. The only natural protection is the maritime breezes that blow off the Mediterranean.
However, man-made irrigation and effective canopy management are the most potent weapons in the fight against climate change. As elsewhere, producers want freshness and acidity in their wines and will do whatever it takes to avoid a lurch into cloying overripeness.
Winemaking and regional classifications
Torbato grape: Was rediscovered and revived by Sella e Mosca
Although the island lacks a long-established precedent for quality winemaking, Sardinian wine has boasted legal status since the mid-1700s. Moreover, there are esoteric grape varieties galore here, including the super-rare Giro, underrated Monica, and delectable Nuragus. Semidano is another local gem grown on volcanic soils in Mogoro in the southwest; its minerality and expressive bouquet recall Mount Etna and its saline Carricante dry whites.
Meanwhile, in the northwest, Sella & Mosca continues to work wonders with the native Torbato, another one of Sardinia’s indigenous gems.
However, winemaking philosophies are fairly standardized in this part of the world despite the rich variety of grapes, appellations (17 DOCs), and flavors. White grapes are typically harvested, crushed, and fermented in stainless steel, with temperature control used to maintain freshness and poise in the wines.
Protective winemaking, first pioneered in the New World, is almost a religion in Sardinia; a small amount of skin-contact and orange whites are also made here, produced by the island’s more innovative winegrowers. Nevertheless, the market demands upfront fruit: this is achieved by protecting the juice from oxygen and vinifying in steel tanks at low temperatures, generally under 77°F.
Vermentino’s Excellence
Many of Sardinia’s greatest whites are made by closely following this ‘recipe.’ Vermentino di Sardegna DOC is the most important example. It is commercially successful and widely exported to mainland and northern Europe. In its purest form, Vermentino is quaffable material; light and refreshing, its lemony bouquet suits holidaymakers perfectly.
But don’t be fooled: Vermentino is no one-trick pony. Leading producers elevate Vermentino, a grape common across the Mediterranean, to new heights. Occasionally, this will involve a touch of barrique and/or skin contact, creating a richer and fuller white than entry-level Vermentino di Sardegna.
Yet, the true quality differential in Sardinia is terroir, not winemaking. Vermentino’s‘ premier cru’ is found in the rocky, arid northeast of Sardinia in a sub-zone called Gallura. A unique combination of soil, heat, and marine winds makes Vermentino a gloriously honeyed yet racy white wine. The authorities recognized this by creating the island’s inaugural DOCG—Vermentino di Gallura. Drink it with friends, preferably in the company of Sardinian seafood and a spectacular view. Long-lasting memories are guaranteed.
Sardinia’s reds, though, are less internationally recognized. Grenache, known locally as Cannonau, is the island’s signature red grape, accounting for over 20% of total production.
In tandem with Spain, there is a growing movement to celebrate and preserve the oldest parcels of Grenache – these bush vines yield tiny berries of immensely concentrated fruit. Some of the best examples are made in the northeast, particularly in the hills surrounding Mamoiada.
In the DOC of Carignano del Sulcis, one finds another worthwhile curiosity. The terroir is located on the southwest of the island—a sea of bush vines covers the beautiful landscape. Legendary wine consultant Giacomo Tachis brought this long-ignored corner of Sardinia into the spotlight.
He saw the potential to grow Carignan to perfection and quickly invested heavily in the region. His wine joins a small but exciting firmament of perfect reds, such as Terre Brune and Rocco Rubia. These wines are velvety, intensely flavored, and structured examples, with Carignan usually playing a dominant role in the blends.
Icon Wines and Lesser-Known Appellations
Meanwhile, visitors to the island should venture north of the capital, Cagliari. You’ll discover Sardinia’s leading contender for an icon wine is.
Argiolas is a family-run winery that refuses to work with international varieties. Their top cuvee, Turriga, a powerfully concentrated blend of Cannonau and Carignano, has benefited from Tachis’s expertise.
This Sardinian wine is one of Italy’s most profound and exciting discoveries in a long time. It deserves to be much better known.
Other appellations are also going from strength to strength. These include Malvasia di Bosa, Alghero, Cannonau di Sardegna, and Cagliari’s extensive DOC. Like Vermentino, Malvasia produces a delightfully varied wine in Sardinia’s terroir.
Sweet reds also remain part of the landscape despite the moribund state of the dessert wine market. The Vernaccia di Oristano appellation arguably produces some of Sardinia’s most exceptional wines: rare and rich sweet Moscatos and Malvasias capable of aging indefinitely.
Their limited export makes them a delightful secret for adventurous wine lovers who visit Sardinia.
Facts & Figures
Key wine styles
Aromatic dry whites, full-bodied red wines, a small volume of dessert wine
Sella & Mosca boasts one of the most extensive contiguous vineyards in Europe, extending for 520 hectares in the area of I Piani, located 10 km from Alghero, in the northwest of Sardinia. The size of the territory has remained the same since 1903, when an important and innovative hydraulic reclamation operation turned the ancient soils of I Piani’s natural alluvial basin into a thriving wine-growing area. This marked the beginning of the island’s most important wine production.
The winery was founded in 1899 in Alghero, on the island of Sardinia, by two ambitious men from Piedmont: Engineer Erminio Sella, the grandson of former Minister Quintino Sella, and Attorney Edgardo Mosca. Much of the island’s vineyards had been devastated by phylloxera, which arrived in Sardinia years later than the rest of Europe as the island was separated from the continent. Thanks to a unique project, Sella & Mosca played an important role in reconstructing the island vineyards.
The winery launched a nursery specialized in producing grafted cuttings, obtained by placing European vines on rootstocks from America, which are more resistant to diseases. The project continued until the early 1950s, after which the company devoted its efforts to wine production. New cultivation methods, which reserved particular attention to native varieties like Torbato, Vermentino, and Cannonau, and technological innovation led to the production of contemporary wines and sparked a new winemaking tradition in Sardinia.
Regarding sustainability, Sella & Mosca is also committed to saving energy by employing modern machines that reduce energy dispersion and water consumption for irrigation. There is also a dedicated laboratory for quality control and Research & Development. Meanwhile, the island has always had a typically Mediterranean climate with frequently sweltering summers and mild winters.
However, in recent years, there have been some very violent weather events and frosts (in 2017, 2019, and 2021) resulting from cold currents coming from the North Pole, which we can certainly link to global warming. For this reason, the company has implemented active defense systems against frost. Specifically, after extensive analyses, the use of a helicopter in the event of convection frosts has been made. The employment of the vehicle allows the upper layers of air to be displaced downward, thereby mitigating the temperature. This type of solution is among the simplest and most cost-effective available today.
Please tell us more about your winery and vineyards?
Cantina Mesa was founded in Sardinia in 2004 as a result of the creative genius of Gavino Sanna, Italy’s most famous and award-winning advertising executive, who dreamt of creating something for his island that was extraordinary, unique, and easy to enjoy, involving one of Sardinia’s most precious treasures: wine.
The name Mesa – which in Sardinian, as in Spanish, means “table” – encapsulates in just four letters the essence of our winery: nutrition, conviviality, motherly love, simplicity and fragrances. Cantina Mesa stands out thanks to the fact that it cultivates two indigenous varieties: Vermentino di Sardegna and Carignano del Sulcis. These not only express the distinctive terroir of the Sulcis area, but also the brand’s signature style, composed of elegance and a luminous purity.
What are the unique characteristics of your terroir(s) in Sardinia.
Cantina Mesa is situated at Sant’Anna Arresi, on the slopes of a valley sheltered from the northwest winds and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. It overlooks the plain of “medaus” (little rural villages, typical of the Sulcis zone), as well as the inlet of the promontory of Porto Pino. Mesa’s vineyards cover more than 74 hectares, of which 66 are estate-owned. The vines are trained using the Cordon Spur, Guyot and Alberello systems, depending on the local circumstances, and every berry breathes an air of sunny, balm-like peacefulness. Vermentino is a semi-aromatic white grape variety that has adapted very well to the conditions in Sardinia, resisting in the long, hot, dry summers here.
Carignano, on the other hand, is traditionally grown using the Alberello (bush-trained) system, which allows for greater resistance to the lack of water and high temperatures. Most of Italy’s vineyards of Carignano (known elsewhere in the world as Carignan, Cariñena or Mazuelo) are in Sardinia, and are almost all located in the South-West of the island.
Especially along the coastal belt of the Lower Sulcis, this variety – often cultivated on ungrafted Alberello vines on sandy soils – has found its ideal habitat. Here, the particular combination of cultivar and terroir have made Carignano really unique; the D.O.C., instituted in 1977, is in fact strictly linked to this area. The Mediterranean and its marine breezes have a positive influence on the temperatures of this area, mitigating the heat of summer, and give Carignano a freshness and vibrancy that make it extremely easy to drink.
Has the island been impacted by climate change and how are you responding?
In the last few years, we have witnessed a gradual reduction in annual rainfall and a transformation in the winters, which have become increasingly mild. These circumstances have resulted in the vegetative phases of the vines – from budbreak right through to ripening – taking place earlier, which has risked having a negative impact on the fruit’s aromas and acidity.
To guarantee high-quality production, we have therefore brought forward the harvest and tailored our agronomic practices so as to preserve as far as possible the water resources that are stored in the soil. We also maintain a level of leaf cover that succeeds in lowering the temperature of the grapes and limiting evapotranspiration.
Moreover, the loss of water via the leaves is reduced using natural products based on seaweed. The choices we make for our new plantings, too, are focused on finding rootstocks and vine varieties that are resistant to drought conditions. As examples, we can mention Carignano and Cannonau – and partially Vermentino -, varieties that are defined as “anisohydric”, because genetically they contain a mechanism that allows them to preserve the water stored within the plant by closing the leaf stomata during periods of greater heat. It is indeed this natural mechanism that led to the spread of the above-named varieties in the hottest and driest areas of the Mediterranean.
Semidano is a rare Sardinian grape variety used in varietal and blended white wines on the Italian island. Historically used for passito wines, it is now mainly produced in a dry style. In the Sardegna Semidano DOC, Semidano must constitute at least 85% of the wine, and it can also be a minor component in Nuragus di Cagliari DOC wines.
Nasco
Nasco is an ancient, light-skinned grape variety primarily grown in Sardinia. It is mainly used for sweet passito and fortified liquoroso wines under the Nasco di Cagliari DOC label, making dry white wines less common. The vines yield little fruit and have low resistance to fungal disease, leading to a decline in popularity and near extinction.
Nuragus
Nuragus is an ancient white grape variety primarily used in Sardinia to produce Nuragus di Cagliari DOC wines. Mostly consumed locally, it is rarely exported. Known for high yields and disease resistance, Nuragus produces light-bodied, acidic wines that are generally neutral in flavor.
Torbato
Torbato is a Mediterranean white-wine grape variety now exclusively grown in northwest Sardinia, revived by the Sella & Mosca wine estate. This straw-colored wine is typically crisp, dry, and well-structured, with some barrel maturation adding richness. It features distinctive flinty, mineral flavors and occasional smokiness.
Graciano is a red grape variety primarily grown in Spain's Rioja region. Known for its thick skins, small berries, and low yields, this grape produces wines that are deeply colored, highly tannic, and full-bodied, with aromas ranging from dark fruit to spices and leather.
Monica
Monica is a grape variety found only in Sardinia, Italy, and is one of the island's most common despite being relatively unknown. It produces medium-bodied wines with gentle tannins, red berry and herb flavors. The grape is highly productive with low acidity, favored by producers for its ease of harvest and consistency, though it can become overripe and high in alcohol.
Niederra (Bobal)
The Bobal grape is a hidden gem of Spanish viticulture. With a history rooted in Valencia, Bobal showcases a vibrant array of flavors and aromas, including ripe berries, plums, and subtle spice. Its robust structure, balanced acidity, and well-integrated tannins make it a delight for wine enthusiasts. Bobal's sustainability and resilience contribute to its rising acclaim thanks to its thick skin.
Sardinia gastronomy
Sardinian Culurgiones: Fresh pasta filled with potatoes and mint
If there is one thing that excites the Sardinians, it’s great food. The island is famous for its local delicacies, including regular (semolina and water are combined to create a type of small pasta, ‘bean,’ toasted with saffron). This will typically be served with various ingredients, none more delicious than grilled langoustines.
Porcetto arrosto (roast suckling pig) is another gastronomic tour de force. It is traditionally roasted for over five hours until the meat falls off the bone. Locals are also very fond of bottarga, which is made from red mullets’ roe (eggs). Sardinians often dry and salt these and use them as a ‘condiment,’ grating them over pasta dishes.
However, from our perspective, Sardinia’s greatest gift to the culinary world is its awesome selection of fresh fish and shellfish.
Every self-respecting restaurant and osteria on the island will have fish on its daily list of specials, from lobster to sea bream and everything in between. In most cases, it will have been caught that morning. Enjoy it cooked over vine embers with a chilled glass of Vermentino. You can’t go wrong.
A Gastronomic Guide to Sardinian Cusine: Read more
With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has been writing for a wide variety of publications for over 12 years, including Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.
If you would like us to customize an exclusive luxury tour, contact us and let us know your travel plans. We offer luxury food and wine tours for private groups of a mininium two guests. In addition, all of our private, chauffeured tours are available year-round upon request.
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