The cultivation of vines and the production of wine in the Alghero area have ancient origins. At the Nuragic village of Sant'Imbenia, in the Bay of Porto Conte, wine amphorae dating back to the Phoenician-Punic age were found. They were made of local clay and used for transporting wine. The entire tradition of viticultural and oenological was then influenced by the Spanish dominations, with the arrival in Alghero of varieties of grapes and workers from the Iberian Peninsula.
It is precisely the combination of geographical, climatic, historical, cultural and social factors that has given rise to the character and uniqueness of the "Alghero" DOC wines today protected thanks also to the activities of the consortium of the same name.
Just think of Torbato, which arrived on the island during the period of Catalan rule in the 14th century, or of the ancient Cagnulari grape variety, native to Sardinia but rediscovered and promoted only in recent decades. There are also international grape varieties such as Cabernet, Sauvignon or Chardonnay, which, influenced by the proximity of the sea and the wind, now produce very special and strongly recognisable wines.
For those who love to delight in the drink of the gods, the first step is to visit the prestigious wineries of the area:
- The Sella & Moscow Estate, founded in 1899, with over 542 hectares of vineyards and the opportunity to visit a beautiful internal park, welcomes thousands of visitors every year to admire the historic cellars, the wine shop and a small museum. Among the 18 fine wines produced by the winery, Oscarì DOC deserves a mention. It is a Torbato brut that is truly special because it is the only sparkling wine to be produced using the "classic method", which consists of inducing the re-fermentation of wines directly in the bottle through the introduction of sugars and selected yeasts.
- The Santa Maria La Palma winery, which, with its 300 members and over 700 hectares of vineyards in the Nurra plains, produces and distributes around 5 million bottles every year. It has three wine bars. One in the headquarters in the hamlet of Santa Maria La Palma and two in Alghero. Not to be missed is a tasting of the highly prized Akenta Sub DOC, also known as the "underwater sparkling wine", an outstanding excellence of Sardinia and Italy. A limited number of bottles of Akènta sparkling wine are selected for underwater ageing, carried out at a depth of about 40 metres in the waters of the bay, at the Cantina Subacquea (Underwater Winery) of Alghero and Sardinia, for a variable duration of 8–10 months.
- The Delogu Estate, is a winery located in the heart of the Nurra, a few miles from Alghero and Fertilia, consisting of 25 hectares of Guyot vineyards. It produces 8 red and white labels, using regional grape varieties (Cannonau, Vermentino, Cagnulari) and non-regional varieties (Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet); The family-run
- The family-run Ledà farm has been producing wine since 2003 on 6 hectares of vineyards at the foot of Monte Doglia in which Merlot, Cabernet, Cannonau, Cagnulari and Vermentino are grown. By prior reservation, Cantina Ledà offers its visitors Wine Tours among vineyards and olive groves, followed by guided tastings paired with gourmet products from small local producers;
- The Gabriele Palmas Winery is a few kilometres from Alghero, in a hilly landscape of 70 hectares where the rows of vineyards extend between olive groves and Mediterranean scrub. The building where all the wine-making activities take place overlooks the vineyard and is reminiscent of an old farmhouse with wooden vaults.
- Desia Boutique Winery is an estate covering 50 hectares of vineyards, olive groves and Mediterranean scrub. Each Desia bottle embodies the essence of the vineyard from which it originates, at around 200 metres above sea level. Desia likes to call itself a "Boutique Winery", as it produces a small number of bottles, which are always carefully selected, primarily in the vineyard but with extensive oenological work carried out in the cellar.
- The Poderi Parpinello Winery, a family business that is technologically advanced and attentive to innovation while respecting the tradition of the area, has been linked to wine production for three generations. Poderi Parpinello grapes are grown in 35 hectares of vineyards, distributed in three different locations in North West Sardinia, while the production cellar is located in Janna de Mare, between Alghero and Sassari. The estate promotes visits to the vineyards and tastings of its wines in a truly evocative and engaging location.
And now it is up to you to discover the unique and profound taste of these wines, which alone are capable of describing and retelling the thousand-year history of our territory.
To learn more and contact the wineries, visit the Consortium for the Protection of Alghero DOC Wines website.
