July 2022
Sardinia Wine Region: A Visit to Sella and Mosca – Alghero, Sardinia
While Italian wine is dominated by the Tuscany and Piedmont region, there are so many amazing places in the country for wine. Sardinia is home to several wine regions and has two prominent grapes – Vermentino (the only DOCG wine of Sardinia), and Cannonau. Vermentino is a white grape that is commonly found in the north side of the country due to the heat of the sun paired with the cooling effect of the sea. It is an easy going white wine that is typically oak free with high acidity and flavors of tart and fruit. Cannonau is the top wine of Sardinia and the most planted grape at over 30% of all the grapes planted in the country. These grapes can be found more in the center of the island where the climate is warm with a more rocky soil. It is overall a balanced wine that is very popular in Sardinia and most likely the wine you will find exported.
During our trip, I had planned on visiting the wine region around Olbia and Palau – there are many wineries in that area including:
- Cantina Murales
- Siddura
- Vigneti Piero Mancini
- CAPICHERA
- Tibulas
- Surrau
- Tenute Filigheddu
We were able to visit Cantina Murales on our drive there but we ran out of time to visit the others – they are all very well rated so if you have time on your trip, I would defintiely recomend checking some of these out.
Alghero also has a wine area that is home to the largest and one of the oldest wineries in Sardinia – Sella & Mosca. This established winery had a very tourist friendly set up for visiting and tasting their wine offering several different tour options as well as simply tasting the wine. We booked the two hour Innovazione Tour which included a tour of the cellars, tasting of three wines, and a sampling of local specialties.
When we arrived, the property instantly communicated that they were running a serious operation. The vines went on for miles and the property was huge – we even had trouble finding the tasting room!
We checked in with the front desk and walked around the store front and tasting space – everything was well appointed and showcased each bottle.
Our first stop on the tour was to the cellars. We visited two cellars – one for the stainless steel tanks and barrel aging, and the other for bottle aging. The capacity of the winery was very large so their commercial distribution was probably one of the more prominent ones in the country.
The final stop was back at the tasting area where we were seated in a separate room to try three wines as well as enjoy a small plate of saulmi and cheese. The wines included:
- Torbato Brut rosé – Vino Spumante Rosato
- Ambat – Vermentino di Sardegna Doc
- Tanca Farrà – Alghero Rosso Doc
We enjoyed all the wines – especially the Vermentino and the Cannonau blend here – I wish we could find these at home!
If you are visiting Sardinia, take some time to explore a winery or two. And if you are specifically in Alghero, definitely check out Sella and Mosca to be treated with a more in depth experience learning about the wine making process at this historic winery.
