The post Sardinian Wines – Sculpted By Wind, Salt, Soil And Scrub appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Castelsardo and fortress, Sassari province, Sardinia, italy getty Northwest Three years ago I vacationed in Italy on the island of Sardinia for a week, tasted wines and wrote articles about the north and central/southern regions. I recently returned to focus on signature regional wines. The quality endures, and wines made from lesser known indigenous Sardinian grapes can be excellent. During that first trip, I phoned a winery in the north at random and within hours sat with Mario Bagella tasting a lineup of his vintages. Since then Mario has become president of Vignaioli Nord Ovest Sardegna (Winemakers of Northwest Sardinia), or VINOS—an association with 13 independent producers. Their motto translates to ‘territory, traditions, resilience.’ Sardinia’s northern terrain once generated bulk quantities of Malvasia and Moscato grapes that were sold to a large cooperative. Beginning in the 1970’s and 1980’s the European Community (precursor to the European Union) implemented a program that paid producers to reduce Sardinia’s vine crops by more than half. Alghero, Sardinia, Italy getty Wind, Salt, Soil and Scrub Mario described conditions that impact grapes in Sardinia, which grow predominantly on the western side of the island. “We are always blessed by the mistral breeze,” he said. Another local winemaker, Antonio Cargiaghe, agreed. “I plant here because the mistral wind helps with the humidity,” he said. The mistral wind blows from the northwest, predominantly during spring and sometimes in summer. It cools temperatures and dries grapes, reducing potential for disease. Mario then mentioned a second island characteristic that impacts wine. “When the mistral is strong, huge clouds from the sea completely cover the grapes in salt,” he continued. While wind improves grape health, salinity can impact the flavor of wines. A third factor influencing wines is soil type—including local Dolomitic limestone, sandstone, clay, schist and basalt. Winemaker and…

---

Filed under: News - @ June 1, 2025 8:11 am