The wine cellars along the trails

I

n south-western Sardinia, among sun-scorched hills and winds blowing in from the sea, lies one of the island's most authentic wine-growing areas. Here, vines grow on sandy, clayey soils, shaped by thousands of years of history and a climate that alternates between drought and sea breezes. The landscape is dotted with small vineyards that climb up to the innermost areas, where the heat is less intense and the altitude gives elegance to the aromas. The wine-making tradition of this land is ancient, linked to a people who have learned to tame the vine even in the most difficult places.

The winegrowers of this region work with respect for nature, adopting practices that enhance the original character of the territory. The vines, often ungrafted, sink their roots into poor but mineral-rich soils, capable of imparting a unique complexity to the wines. The symbolic grape variety of the area is Carignano del Sulcis, an intense, deep red wine with a strong flavour and the scent of Mediterranean scrub. The wine produced here tells the story of the sea and the wind, hard work and patience, and the pride of a community that has managed to preserve its identity. Alongside this protagonist are other native varieties, which have experienced a renaissance in recent years thanks to the commitment of young producers.

The region's wineries combine tradition and innovation: some still preserve ancient winemaking methods, others experiment with modern techniques, but all share the same goal — to keep the soul of the place alive. Visiting these places means immersing yourself in a story made up of aromas, colours and silence, where each bottle is a testament to the deep bond between man, land and time.

SANT'ANTIOCO

Tenuta Agus

Ours is a story of men, women and vineyards that has been going on for three generations. Our wines, called Binuforti and Kamineras, are made from Carignano a Piede Franco grapes and encapsulate the flavours and aromas associated with our island: the savouriness of the sea winds and the freshness of the Mediterranean scrub. Our heroic vineyard is cultivated using the Latin alberello method on ungrafted vines in the sandy soils of the “SU PRANU” plain. Our events are an experiential journey to discover the territory and our typical vineyard: Carignano. Between one glass of wine and another, the lights of the sunset provide the backdrop to our history and culture.

SANT'ANTIOCO

ANDARAS

Andaras was founded in 2016 based on an idea by Marco Pinna and Paolo Balia: the former brings over 20 years of experience in the wine market, while the latter is an expert winegrower who has been continuing his father Raffaele's business for 30 years. The project has its roots in the very meaning of the word Andaras, “country paths”, and starts from the dusty roads travelled by farmers to plant the first vines on the island of Sant'Antioco, on arid, sun-scorched sandy soils.

Viticulture is developed through the skilful selection of the most suitable vines thanks to the ease of cultivation on ungrafted rootstock. The first winemaking experiments began in 2016, and the project later involved two other partners, Massimo Putzu, an expert winegrower, and Alessandro Balia, a young man interested in viticulture. Since 2020, the company has claimed the Carignano del Sulcis designation. Today, the company consists of 3.5 hectares under cultivation.

CARBONIA

CANTINA ESU

Enrico Esu follows in the footsteps of his father Silvio, who in 1958 decided to plant 2.5 hectares of Carignano (mixed with Monica) in the municipality of Carbonia. We are in Sulcis, a land of coal, mines and Carignano. The planting technique is the traditional alberello method with narrow rows and high density, about 6,000 vines per hectare. All the plants are ungrafted, on sandy soil, with cork trees surrounding the vineyards, allowing the mistral wind to filter through.

It was only in 2013 that Enrico Esu began producing his own wine with the aim of offering us a traditional Carignano, created through hard manual labour and using only sulphur and copper. Fermentation is spontaneous, with maceration lasting around 10-12 days, depending on the vintage. After racking and decanting, the wine is aged in steel or oak, depending on the type. Bottled by hand in the cellar, all red wines have been DOC since 2015.

The aim is to preserve the tradition that distinguishes the Carignano grape variety: bush vines on sandy soil, ungrafted.

CALASETTA

CANTINA DI CALASETTA

When you say Calasetta, many things inevitably come to mind: the crystal-clear sea, lateen sailing, the narrow streets of its characteristic historic centre. There is one thing that has always been linked to these places: Carignano. This grape variety has ancient origins in Calasetta, with roots that sink deep into the sandy soil of this land. It is one of the few places in the world where vines, growing on loose soil made up of sea sand, still retain the original characteristics of Vitis Vinifera.

These vines are known as “ungrafted”, meaning that they were not affected by phylloxera in the late 19th century and did not need to be grafted onto American rootstock. This has allowed almost century-old vines to be preserved, which still grow today and produce small but precious bunches of Carignano grapes.

These vines produce wines that best embody the essence of the winery's history. The Calasetta1932 brand has always promoted the winemaking tradition of this part of Sardinia, which is unique in terms of its origins and cultures but closely linked to the main island.

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GIBA

Cantina Giba

The result of the skilful intuition of three partners, Cantina Giba was founded in 2013 in the heart of the Carignano del Sulcis production area. On clayey and sandy soils overlooking the sea, Carignano and Vermentino grapes represent the heart and soul of the winery, which has focused its production on three lines of single-varietal wines: Giba, 6Mura and Seipiù. Each has its own distinct identity and expression of the Sulcis territory.

The oenologist oversees the production and vinification of the wines with the aim of creating the right combination of the ancient flavours of Carignano and modern vinification technologies and techniques, with the goal of refining a wine that truly expresses the territory.

Hand harvesting, careful use of barrique ageing, selection in the vineyard and, of course, skilfully preserved terroir are the keys to the success of Cantina Giba's venture.

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CALASETTA

Tenuta La Sabbiosa

“Only if you are a little crazy would you restore centuries-old vineyards, battle against the mistral wind and sandy soil, to produce a modern wine from an ancient tradition.”

Tenuta La Sabbiosa stands facing the Sardinian sea, among the dunes of the island of Sant'Antioco. An “island within an island”, until the 1980s it was covered with tiny Carignano vineyards. Small plots of bush-trained vines, cultivated “like gardens” down to the beaches, among the dunes and junipers, on sandy soils lashed all year round by strong, salty mistral winds.

The vines have always been ungrafted because this is one of the few areas in Europe where the terrible phylloxera plague did not take root, destroying centuries of human labour.

However, the island's great wine-making tradition began to disappear in the late 1980s, when low yields began to clash with market logic. Thousands of monumental vines, unique in the world and over a hundred years old, were thus uprooted. Since time immemorial, the vineyards here have been cultivated and regenerated using ancient techniques that allow the plants to remain alive for centuries.

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SANT'ANNA ARRESI

Cantina Mesa

Pure, minimalist and unexpected, Mesa stands atop the slopes that gently descend towards the Porto Pino Valley. It emerges from the green Mediterranean scrub and vineyards, from where it looks out with satisfaction over the surrounding land and the fruit of the winemakers' labour, and is gazed upon with amazement and wonder by those who can see it even from afar.

The portal and façade recreate the evocative imagery of Mesa wine labels. Behind the high external walls, a huge, contemporary and functional three-storey space houses grapes and wine, which are treated with particular care.

The grapes, harvested and carefully selected by hand, are destemmed on the top floor of the winery and left to fall directly into the vats on the floor below, where the must will begin its transformation. The wine is then transferred to the most intimate part of the cellar, where wooden and concrete barrels welcome it for ageing, several metres below ground level. The same invisible energy that enriched the vineyard now jealously guards its fruit.

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CALASETTA

Az. Agricola Piede franco

Roberto Matzeu's Azienda Agricola Piede Franco was founded in Calasetta in 2015, in the heart of the island of S. Antioco in Sardinia, with the aim of restoring ancient, centuries-old ungrafted vineyards. His dedication to reviving traditional cultivation methods and his heroic viticulture on small, centuries-old plots, which are at risk of disappearing, have been praised by Prof. Attilio Scienza (NEXT IN WINE 2013 - BIBENDA 2014).

Carignano del Sulcis is the beating heart of this extraordinary venture, representing a history of tradition and resilience. Grown on the coastal sands of the island of Sant'Antioco, using ancient cultivation techniques such as the Latin bush vine, Carignano expresses itself at its best, producing grapes rich in polyphenols, anthocyanins and excellent natural sweetness, ideal for high-quality wines. It is from these vineyards, among the oldest and most productive, that the company's distinctive wines are born.

The Piede Franco farm in Calasetta currently produces Bellesa, a red wine with Controlled Designation of Origin - Carignano del Sulcis, made from 100% Carignano grapes, and Perdularju Isola dei Nuraghi IGT, a red wine made from native black grapes from the area and international grape varieties.

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SANTADI

Cantina Santadi

The historic charm of the Santadi Winery has welcomed visitors to its vaults since 1960, when a group of winegrowers from the Baronie region decided to invest in and promote the grapes of the area.

The judicious use of French oak barrels brings the evolutionary cycle of these exciting wines to a wonderful and harmonious conclusion. The great red wines are complemented by refined whites, the result of ancient winemaking traditions combined with the use of new technologies in vinification, stabilisation and bottling.

Good wine originates in the vineyard, and the task of the winery's professionals is to assist in producing the highest quality grapes, making the most of what nature has to offer. Through dedication and meticulous work in the vineyard, low yields per vine are maintained to ensure grapes of the highest quality.

Today, the winery exports all over the world and continues to receive prestigious international awards every year.

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SANT'ANTIOCO

Cantina Sardus Pater

The Sardus Pater Winery was founded in 1949 and began operations in 1955. Over the years, wine production has been refined and focused primarily on promoting the Carignano grape variety. The winery's logo is the coin that was minted in Sant'Antioco during the Roman period and depicts the “Sardus Pater”, literally translated as the father of the Sardinians.

In the setting of the Mediterranean scrub, among myrtle and mastic bushes, 200 members cultivate approximately 300 hectares of pre-phylloxera ungrafted vines. The average age of the vines is around 80 years, with some exceptionally reaching 150 years: a rarity anywhere in the world. These vineyards are a monument to nature. Low yields per hectare produce grapes of the highest quality.

The winery began producing Vermentino in 1994. It also produces small but carefully crafted quantities of Moscato and Nasco from ungrafted vines, as well as Monica and Cannonau grapes.

Each bottle is the result of careful selection of grapes and meticulous vinification, to ensure the highest quality wine.

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SAN GIOVANNI SUERGIU

SANT'ANDRÈ

Roberto, the founder, is from Trentino, and fell in love with Sulcis back in 2009 when he decided to establish Agricola Sant'Andrè, initially dedicated to the production of fruit and vegetables.

Having grown up in Valle di Cembra, in Trentino, an area famous for its Müller Thurgau, he has always had a passion for growing grapes. So, in 2019, he decided to turn his passion into a job and created his first label called Gurdoni.

From there, he began to believe more and more in the project, managing vineyards and olive groves.

Between Porto Botte and the salt pans of San Giovanni Suergiu, the vine learns to fight, to dig deep, to speak with the stone and the wind. Each bunch of grapes contains strength, each wine gives it back in a sip: savoury, sunny, authentic.

The important task is to listen to the voice of the earth and restore it intact, without forcing it.

Because in Sulcis, wine is not ‘made’: nature is allowed to express itself.

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SANTADI

Cantina Taris

Anche il vino più elaborato parte da gesti semplici: un buon calice di carignano è frutto delle attenzioni che abbiamo dedicato alle viti, e ancor prima, alla terra che le ospita.
Nei pressi delle nostre vigne sono state fatte importanti scoperte archeologiche e a queste, con il nostro lavoro, vogliamo rendere tributo.

An old family vineyard taken over by Andrea and Claudia, partners in this venture and in life, has been loved to the point of producing excellence.
Today, new vineyards and new wines make up this winery, which produces niche products that stand out for their flavours on the palate and the care taken in the vineyard.

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