Sardinia is Italy's second largest island after Sicily. In the past, Sardinia was ruled many times and all these rulers left their mark on the island as well as in winemaking. Sella & Mosca is one of the largest authentic wineries in Sardinia. Time to take a look. TEXT CHARLOTTE VAN ZUMMEREN.
Italy, Italia. This country breathes wine. There are as many as 20 different regions and 103 provinces, and grapes are grown everywhere. Because of Italy's language and late unification, each individual wine region has a lot of individuality. To this day, all provinces have their own culinary traditions, indigenous grape varieties and typical wines.
A bird's-eye view
So is Sardinia, or as the Italians say Sardegna. The island has over one and a half million inhabitants and has its own unique position halfway between Italy and Spain. Tourists also know how to find the island. For instance, the ANWB lists the bullet holes in the place name signs as a protest against the Italian state, the characteristic Sardinian men's song and the living shepherd tradition as important highlights. But there is more than that. Nature is varied. Alternating between beautiful beaches and rugged mountains, you will find remains of Roman, Arab and Spanish rulers all over the island. Major tourist attractions are the so-called nuraghi, remnants of castles, villages and temples from more than 3,500 years ago. Cagliari and Alghero are the main cities.
Wine regions
Sardinian wines also have a very distinctive style, with a leading role for grape varieties such as vermentino and cannonau. The island's various rulers all made wine and, as a result, the palatum of different Sardinian wines is broader than elsewhere in Italy. Sardinia's landscape and climate are well suited to viticulture. For 30 years, the focus has been on making quality wines rather than bulk. The vineyard area has therefore shrunk to 17 thousand hectares, but the number of wines in Sardinia covered by the Italian DOC classification is increasing.
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