Cannonau is the wine synonymous with Sardinia. The grape is grown all over this island, a special variety of what is generally known as grenache, producing explosive, potent wines. The great majority of the vineyards, and the highest-quality wines, are produced in a triangle that stretches along an idyllic coastline from Orosei to Bari Sardo, and then into the wild mountainous interiors as far as Atzara. This is an off-the-beaten-track destination – even the seaside resorts aren't overpriced or packed out – and there is a really genuine feel to the welcome given to visitors.
Be prepared for surprises. Driving around, you will only occasionally see patches of vineyards dotted around an essentially pastoral landscape, dominated by shepherds and their sheep. This is because there is a centuries-old tradition here of pretty much everyone – from farmers, shepherds, and olive growers to the butcher and baker – owning small plots of vines, cultivating them and making wine at home for family consumption. Things changed in the 1950s with the appearance of the Cantina Sociale, grouping together several hundred winemakers. What is happening now, though, is the emergence of a new generation of independent winemakers, creating larger vineyards and concentrating on making quality cannonau. And each village here is producing wines that have their own special character.
WINEMAKERS TO VISIT
Cantina Gostolai
Oliena is one of the liveliest villages, with great trattorie, wine bars and a choice of producers that range from the cheap and cheerful Cantina Oliena, where a standard cannonau will set you back €6.90 (£5.80), to some of the most respected viticulturists. Winemaker Tonino Arcada, a former school teacher and welcoming host, is definitely the person to meet to soak up the history and tradition of cannonau. "Lots of people in Sardinia want to drink young wines," he says. "Well, I don't. I prefer to wait a few years before putting them on the market." The vintages are certainly out of the ordinary – especially the 2008 Cannonau Nepente and a sensational 2006 Riserva D'Annunzio – lighter in colour than a classic blood-red cannonau but delicious to drink.
• Via Friuli Venezia Giulia 24, Oliena, +39 0784 288417, gostolai.net
Cantine di Orgosolo
This is not a typical wine co-operative, but a relaxed group of 19 diverse winemakers, each owning around one hectare of vines, who grouped together six years ago in an experiment to make artisan wines. And what a success it has been. Their €10 cannonau, barrel-aged for just three month, is easy to drink straightaway, while the memorable reserve may be expensive at €22, but the winemakers just grin and say, "If we don't sell them, we'll just drink it ourselves". This motley crew, aged from 21 to 67, meet in a rented storeroom, crammed with barrels and steel vats. The wines are all about diversity: they all have jobs, from tobacconist to electrician, hospital worker to shepherd. The youngest vineyard is five years old, while others have gnarled, 60-70-year-old vines. The older vineyards are ploughed by oxen, while tractors work the newer ones. A tasting here is unforgettable.
• Via Ilole, Orgosolo, +39 0784 403096, cantinediorgosolo.it
Azienda Giuseppe Sedilesu
Mamoiada is a strange place, with a famous masked festival where villagers dress up as Mamuthones, wearing fearsome pagan outfits of sheep fleece, with dozens of cattle bells strapped round them and sinister black wooden masks. There is nothing strange, though, about the wines of the Sedilesu family, a new star of Sardinia's wine scene. This clan, under Giuseppe, the elderly patriarch, has moved with the times, to produce organic and now biodynamic wines. The result is intense, complex vintages that can go up to a dizzy 16% alcohol, which may sound high compared with other wines, but is very much the natural expression of the cannonau grape. The only surprising thing during a cantina tasting is that instead of the usual cheese and salami, there is a plate of bitter chocolate – the perfect complement to their rich cannonau.
• Via Vittorio Emanuele 64, Mamoiada, +39 0784 56791, giuseppesedilesu.com
Poderi Atha Ruja
The country cellar, where tastings for Atha Ruja wines are held, is at the heart of this small, five-hectare vineyard. The setting is breathtaking, with rows of vines lined up against the towering Supramonte mountain range. This flawless vineyard is very special, cultivated to the millimetre. The viticoltore, Carlo Pietro Pittalis, is a perfectionist, with a clear philosophy on how to produce a great cannonau. "I work a limited number of vines," he says. "Only 20,000, and each one is cut back throughout the year to grow only five bunches of perfect grapes, which will be made into 20,000 bottles – one for each vine." With this kind of limited production, prices are obviously going to be higher than usual, and although Carlo's initial cannonau is priced at €12.50, you can immediately taste the quality, and these are wines that can be aged for four-to-five years.
• Via Emilia 45, Dorgali, +39 3475387127, atharuja.com
Fradiles
While cannonau is not that well known outside Sardinia, the obscure mandrolisai denomination ranks as an even rarer discovery. This is still cannonau country but winemakers around the villages of Atzara and Meana make mandrolisai, a unique blend of cannonau and two local grapes, muristellu and monica. There are several excellent winemakers (see amosconsorziovini.it), but the exciting winery to seek out is Fradiles, meaning "the cousins", another extended Sardinian family, grouping their smallholdings together. Call Paolo Savoldo first and he is more than happy to organise a tour of the vineyards. Paolo is always looking for new challenges, so although he makes a cannonau and mandrolisai, there is also a fascinating 100% muristellu. It's difficult to beat his prices, too, with the mandrolisai priced at €7.50 and the muristellu at €10.
• Via Sandro Pertini 2, Atzara, +39 333 176 1683
WINEMAKER STAYS
Co-operativa Turistica Enis
The giant Monte Corrasi casts a shadow over the plains, and halfway up the mountain, almost hidden from view in a forest of ancient oak trees, is a pioneer eco-tourism resort. Enis is called a co-operative because in 1981 a 20-strong band of young idealistic locals – students, unemployed and shepherds – took over an abandoned building. Today there are 17 rooms, space for camping, excursions ranging from rock climbing to mountain biking, and a rustic restaurant serving hearty dishes, such as rabbit stewed in a cannonau sauce and the classic porcetto roast suckling pig. Most of the members of the co-op have their own vines, and a litre of their Cannonau di Proprieta costs €10 on the wine list. The rooms are spartan, but that is quickly forgotten when you open the window and look out at the stunning panorama. An excellent breakfast with fresh yogurt and ricotta is made by a local shepherd.
• Localita Monte Maccione, Oliena, +39 0784 288761, coopenis.it. Doubles from €66 B&B
Hotel Bue Marino
With the cannonau vineyards of this region stretching down to the sea, it is definitely worth spending time in one of the coastal resorts. Banish images of the glitzy hotels of the luxurious Costa Smeralda. The seaside villages here are down to earth, with modest three-star hotels, apartment rentals and camping sites. The turquoise water, quiet beaches and submerged grottoes are definitely five-star though. Stay at the lively Hotel Bue Marino in idyllic Cala Gonone, and you'll discover that the owner, Alberto Ligios, is also a winemaker. He tends his own vineyards, selling the grapes to the excellent local co-operative, Cantina Dorgali and his enthusiasm for the cannonau is shown with the stellar wine list of his rooftop restaurant. The hotel sits right on the waterfront, a minute's walk from a paradise aquamarine beach.
• Via Vespucci 8, Cala Gonone, +39 0784 920078, hotelbuemarino.com. Double room from €91 B&B
TRATTORIE
Ristorantino Masiloghi
With its bright whitewashed walls contrasting with pastel blues and reds, Masiloghi looks more like a Mexican hacienda than a temple of Sardinian gastronomy. Don't expect anything pretentious though, as Gianfranco Maccareno runs a decidedly laidback restaurant. He is serious about traditional local cuisine, which he raises to a gourmet level but remains fairly priced. A hearty four-course tasting menu is €25, while fabulous pastas, such as culurgiones (a Sardinian take on ravioli) stuffed with fresh ricotta, potato and mint, cost €7.50. The succulent roast suckling pig is melt-in-the-mouth, and adventurous foodies have to try casu marzu, Sardinia's infamous, supposedly illegal, decomposed pecorino cheese with fly larvae. There are dozens of elegant cannonau on the wine list, but most interesting is Gianfranco's own vintage, made in his cellar. "I make wine just like past generations have always done," he explains. "No sulphites, so it just lasts a year before the next harvest."
• Via Galjani 68, Oliena, +39 0784 285696, masiloghi.it
Sant'Elene
Sitting high atop a hillside with spectacular views, the Sant'Elene bills itself as an albergho ristorante. The eight rustic rooms are a great place stay when touring wineries, but most people come for the splendid cooking of chef Lino Ruiu. For 30 years, he has been creatively interpreting speciality dishes from the surrounding Dorgali region, using local produce long before "food miles" became a fashionable topic. For offal lovers, there is mattamene, a rich stew of lamb kidney and sweetbreads; pistizzone are tiny beads of pasta with locally-grown safron and braised mutton; succulent wild boar is slow-cooked with olives, while the desserts are to-die-for, especially a mix of fresh fig, creamy goat's cheese and a deep-fried honey-glazed ricotta ravioli. Main dishes are priced €12-€15, but it's best to settle down for a lengthy degustation menu (€22-€35), accompanied by a bottle of cannonau made in the surrounding vineyards.
• Localita Sant'Elene, Dorgali, +39 0784 94572, albergosantelene.it. Doubles from €66
REGIONAL PRODUCTS
Azienda Erlikes
People visit Sardinia just for the fabulous cheeses, where the ancient method of shepherding has not changed for centuries. Most towns have their own dairy, where shepherds bring in the milk each day, but the ebullient Giovanni Agostino Curreli has created what he calls a micro-dairy, where he makes delicious artisan cheeses from his herd of 500 sheep. The place is not easy to find, at the end of a pot-holed track, just outside the mountain village of Olzai. While his family look after the sheep, Giovanni concentrates on cheese-making, forever inventing new creations. After a tour of the dairy, try the luscious creamy ricotta, freshly made each morning, and don't miss his ultimate pecorino, Gran Maimone, aged for 18 months, with an unforgettable tangy bite.
• Via Sant'Anastasio 23, Olzai, +39 0784 55344, erkiles.it
Car hire was provided by carrentals.co.uk. EasyJet and Jet2 fly to Olbia. Further information: stradadelvinocannonau.it
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