Sardinia Wine Tasting Tour
Sardinia, not only a Mediterranean playground, but a rich colorful mountainous island, dotted with quaint villages, towns and vibrant cities, whose inhabitants are simple friendly folk. Mountains and plateaus of thriving vineyards dot the land and give birth to Sardinia's special grapes. All different regions within the island produce their own unique wines, from the Vernaccia of Oristano, to the Vermentino of Gallura and many other wines in between. Sardinia Domus a su Mari is proud to offer Sardinia’s unique Wine Tasting Tour.
This Tour lasts 7 nights and 8 days, travels the island and visits 14 D.O.C. Cantinas (Wineries) and numerous historic sites. Sardinia Domus a su Mari’s guests will have the opportunity to sample the Cantinas’ produce and enjoy traditional meals served with some of the most renowned wines in Sardinia and the world. Some of these famous wines include: Turriga and Selegas (Cantina Argiolas & C), Vermentino di Gallura (Consorzio del Vermentino "Cantina Sociale di Gallura, Cantina del Vermentino, Cantina Giogantinu"), Semidano(Cantina Il Nuraghe di Mogaro),??? (Cantina Sociale di Santadi), Cannonau (Cantina Jerzu Antichi Poderi), ??? (Cantina della Trexenta).

Sardinia Domus a su Mari Wine Tasting Tour Itinerary includes overnight accommodation and sightseeing in 5 of Sardinia's best known historic and tourist cities. This Wine Tasting Tour discloses Sardinia in a manner that most residents will never see. For 8 days our guests will be living and breathing as genuine Sardinians, yet enjoying the best comforts available on the island. Our Wine Tasting Tour takes us to a selection of Cantinas, some based in mountain towns, others in plateaus. Few of them are family-owned (like the Cantina Argiolas, which is the pride of Mr. Argiolas, on the right), while most of them are run by owners of vast vineyards surrounding the towns where the Cantinas are located. Each Cantina produces its own D.O.C. wines, the variety of wines depending on the area.

Wines of Sardinia (tasting and meals)
Alghero, Arborea Sangiovese, Semidiano di Mogoro, Cannonau di Jerzu, Carignano del Sulcis, Giro di Cagliari, Malvasia di Bosa, , Mandrolisai, Monica di Sardegna, Moscato di Cagliari, Nasco di Cagliari, Nuragus di Cagliari, Vermentino di Gallura DOCG, Vernaccia di Oristano

Nights and Hotels
Cagliari: Our guests will spend 2 nights in Cagliari, Sardinia's biggest and liveliest city. The tour will call the Il Califfo Hotel home while in Cagliari. There will be time to shop, visit historic sites and mingle with locals.
Calasetta: This romantic town on the Island of San Antioco will be home for one night. The Stella Del Sud Hotel is located on the most beautiful and romantic white sandy beach. Swimwear is recommended, yes, even in winter.
Oristano: Home to Eleonora di Arborea, our ancient and most powerful warrior Queen, Oristano will be home for one night.
Alghero: One of Sardinia's summertime tourist's Mecca will be home for one night. It will not be as it is in the summer, but this seaside paradise will make one re-visit.
Arzachena: Home of the world famous Costa Smeralda, will be the last stop on our Wine Tasting Tour. The Albatros Club Hotel with its beautiful pastel colors and Sardinia Domus a su Mari hope to make this last night a pleasant surprise to all.

Meals:
This will probably be as much of a treat as our Sardinian wines. Unlike the rest of Italy, whose citizens have migrated to other lands and brought with them their traditional dishes and customs, now common place in whatever country they took up residence in, very few Sardinians have left this beautiful island. Traditional dishes are therefore unique, from the original Ravioli to the seafood Spaghetti alla Bottarga, from Fruits of the Sea prepared in many different ways to meat dishes that might even entice a vegetarian to taste.

Sardinia Domus a su Mari with the help of the Directors of the Cantinas have planned not meals but real banquets. Each Cantina will be proud to serve the Traditional Dishes of its area, from seafood dishes of the coast to meat dishes high in the interior mountains. Each with its own unique taste! Directors of the Cantinas will dine with us, be it lunch or supper, and will recommend the wines to be served with the different meals. Our only concern might be the extra weight that our guests might put on! The hotels will serve Continental Breakfast with Caffelatte. History: Sardinia is a land rich in history, Cagliari and Oristano were cities centuries before Rome. It is said that for every historic artifact that is found and recorded, 500 others are not recorded, but kept secretly in people's homes. Domus a su Mari would like to share Sardinian history with our Wine Tasting Tour guests. In our journey we will pass many historic and important sites. We have chosen some of the most important and amazing ones. All of them date back to different time periods, Domus de Janas (Homes of the Witches) 3500 bc, Nuraghi, original Sardinian strongholds, 1600 to 2000bc and Phoenician, Punic and Roman cities. Reminders of many conquerors, who have left a very noticeable mark on our people, culture and land. They were the Moors of Northern Africa, Pisani and Genovese of mainland Italy, the Spanish and finally the Piemontese. All their influences are still visible. The Sardinian Wine Tasting Tour is offered once per month, scheduled as follows: December, January, February and March. Domus a su Mari is available to give further explanations about the Tour. Should you have any questions, please contact us by E-Mail.

History of wine in Sardinia:
Ancient findings and historical sources bear witness to the fact that grapes were grown and wine produced in Sardinia starting from the Nuraghic period (1600to 2000bc). Over subsequent centuries, first the Carthaginians and then the Romans pursued the cultivation of grapes and the export of wine products; this was followed, during the Middle Ages, by the development of specific laws, contained in the "Carta de Logu" which regulated the cultivation of vineyards and the trading in wine.

During the second half of the XIX century, the blight of pest infections almost totally destroyed Sardinian vineyards; recovery took place in the early years of the XX century, thanks to the knowledge spread by the teachings of Agricultural Science by experts who traveled to Sardinia, and by the Anti-Plyloxera Consortium, which introduced the technique of grafting local varieties of vine to American rootstock. While historical evolution took place, work in the vineyards changed very little over the centuries, following traditional techniques in the planting and care of vineyards, until the end of the XIX century, as we know from historical sources; the field, worked and prepared for the planting of the vine, was encircled by dry stone walls or by prickly pear hedges; here the cuttings, growing as erect shrubs or supported by stakes, were planted. After three years, the vineyard entered the production stage, and was ready for the first harvest, which then as now, took place between late September and early November. The grapes carried in crates or carts, were crushed by bare feet in the vats; the must produced by black grapes fermented with the skins for up to fifteen days, while for the production of white wines, skins were separated from the must. Slow fermentation took place in the casks, which had previously been washed and disinfected, also by using a lighted roll of sulfur. At the end of the fermenting stage, the cask was sealed, to be opened again only for the festivity of San Martino. In the XX century, traditional wine-making procedures were enriched by the support of modern technology; nowadays, Sardinian wine-making is marked by its high and constant increasing quality, witnessed by its prestigious wines.