Feast On Wine, Food And Tranquility On Sardinia's Sant'Antioco Island

Forbes

3 days ago

Cala Sapone, Sant'Antioco, Sardinia, Italy
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The Italian Island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea includes Sant'Antioco, a southern sub-island attached via a constructed isthmus. This isle is 42 square miles (109 square kilometers) in area, about twice the size of New York's Manhattan Island or the same size as the city of Florence. The population is about 11,000—half of one percent of that of Manhattan and 3% of that in Florence.
Sant'Antioco is Italy's fourth largest island (after Sardinia, Sicily and Elba) and is generally unvarnished, uncrowded, tranquil and embedded with layers of maritime history, crisscrossing cultural influences, nuanced cuisine and darkly rich wines made from the Carignan grape.
The island's main city is also named Sant'Antioco. It was founded as a port by Phoenicians between 780 and 770 BCE, who named it Sulcis, or Sulky. They constructed main roads straight up hillsides and side roads parallel to the sea.
Emperor Hadrian of Rome exiled a Mauritanian African doctor named Antiochus to this island—irked by his treason of spreading Christianity. This banished teacher and preacher died on Sant'Antioco in 127 A.D. but was eventually canonized as a saint (and provided the island a new name).
The city's wide waterfront promenade, the lungomare, includes segments named Cristoforo Colombo and Caduti Nassiriya. While walking there during a somnolent weekday morning I saw more chatting retirees and fishermen there than joggers. Seagulls cruise over fishing boats, and there are delicious water front views of distant mainland mountains.
The city is mildly inclined. From this promenade I walked inland and uphill toward the archaeological museum, curious to learn how Phoenicians, Punics, Roman, Vandals, Byzantines and medieval kingdoms once ruled this isle.
Seagulls off the coast of Sant'Antioco, Sardinia, Italy
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I passed buildings painted orange, pink, yellow and tangerine as well as a man in wellington boots stepping into his turquoise colored Fiat Panda, perhaps en route to harvest crops. I paced over red, brown, ash and mauve colored street stones and along high, narrow sidewalks of Via Dante Alighieri to arrive at Piazza di Chiesa. Here the handsome yellow and gray Palazzo del Capitolo building is close to Jana's Café, where tank topped and tattooed visitors sipped rather than chugged espressos.
A street placard explained how the fifth century basilica there was built on the tomb of Antiochus, and how the Festival of Saint Antioco has reveled annually for 665 years. Neat street signs pointed to ample historical locales within an easy amble—Roman Fountain, Su Pisu Fort, Necropolis and Hypogeum Village. The square also includes small stores that sell frutta e verdura (fruit and veg), pizza and tobacco, while Café del Borgo serves both wine and cappuccino.
Although portions of urban Sant'Antioco can appear raw and ramshackle, this is part of the attraction of this low key, low-crime, visitor friendly city where locals are generous in sharing their time.
I continued past balconies and window planters and fluttering red pendants, remnants from the city's last festival. Open spaces and gardens were crammed with cane, cacti, fig trees and pigeon coos. The town also includes several three wheeled Piaggio pickup trucks—not big enough to haul a refrigerator but svelte enough to navigate through narrow alleys.
The well organized, almost two-decade old archaeological museum faces a serene view of the Mediterranean Sea. Sections relate history (in both Italian and English) of waves of immigration to the island, of the complexity of local burial chambers and of the Nuragi people who—between 1600 and 800 BCE— built conical stone towers and communal burial chambers all over Sardinia.
I next returned to the heart of Sant'Antioco city where waves pummeled boats, many named after people (Roberta & Michael; Jennifer II; Erico Padre) —perhaps an island emphasis more focused on persons than possessions. One fisherman stood in his boat selling fresh catches.
Most visitors that day appeared to be Italian, but there was also a German bicyclist group and young Nordic couples in beige and khaki apparel strutting below swaying pine and palm trees. Near the waterfront I sat on a sunlit terrace of Cooperativa Pescatori I Due Fratelli (two brothers' fishing cooperative) and ordered crunchy, tasty fried frittura del golfo (mixed fried local fish) with a local Rubiu artisan beer followed by a glass of racy Vermentino white wine.
Mixed fried fish served in Sant'Antioco, Sardinia, Italy
Tom Mullen
Cream and bronze colored Vespas purred past thin diners who gesticulated with energy and verve, and suddenly a sense of easiness covered me like mist—a souvenir from this tranquil city of rakish roads and residents who do not rush. Later while shopping, I spoke with an Asian store attendant who described city life as 'piano, piano,' or, slowly and quietly.
Staff at the local tourist office of Visit Sant'Antioco are professional and helpful and shared maps and printed information. A young woman named Chiara Elias told how the city includes Byssus Museum, dedicated to fabrics made from byssus sea silk, created by a shellfish that can grow up to five feet in size. She also pointed to other city museums on a map, including MUMA —the Museum of Sea and Shipwrights, which is also a hostel. There are several annual festivals in town, including Sa Festa Mamma—the great feast—that celebrates Saint Antiochus with processional floats and folk music and slow baked, decorated bread called su coccòi de su santu.
Local food is generally fresh and city restaurants include Da Zia Pinuccia, a 'home restaurant' where the owners cook dishes adjacent to diners, then eat with them. I sat with others at a sumptuous linen table next to kitchen burners and an open fire grill and feasted on charcuterie, homemade pasta, grilled pig and a decadent range of desserts that included ricotta stuffed formagelle pastries and amaretti biscuits.
'Home restaurant' dining at Da Zia Pinuccia, Sant'Antioco, Sardinia, Italy
Tom Mullen
In June, Altantic bluefin tuna (called 'red tuna' because of the color of their flesh) are caught off the coast of Sant'Antioco. Prized for flavor, they pair well with red Carignan wine—itself sublime.
To learn more about this wine I drove together with fifth generation Sant'Antioco winemaker Erica Verona and her father Stefano for twenty minutes to the island's second main town of Calasetta in the northwest. The vehicle passed lemon trees, towering cacti, howling dogs, olive groves and Indian figs as well as gardens planted with eggplants and fava beans.
We parked in town and paced up Via Umberto, which in the past was a main street. Residents sometimes still lay out a long communal dinner table along this road, and require all neighborhood attendees to dress in white.
As we walked, Erica spoke of her family.
Erica's great grandfather was one of a group of 15 that formed a wine cooperative in Sant'Antioco in 1932, the first in Sardinia. Their family now owns 10 acres (four hectares) of land and produce mostly wine from Carignan grapes, together with vintages made from Monica and Vermentino grapes. Their juice is bottled at a local cooperative (the island has two), which is typical for local winemakers to save on capital investment costs.
Winemakers Roboamo Stefano Verona and daughter Erica in Calasetta, Sant'Antioco, Sardinia, Italy
Tom Mullen
We left the city and drove to a seaside cliff with a Mediterranean view. Erica studied law and works in Cagliari city on Sardinia's mainland, an hour away by car. She assists her family with producing wine—but her need to juggle both job and winemaking is a challenge. Her dream is to construct a family winery and tasting room, and she has selected a prime location with an ocean and cliff view (their wine label is La Scogliera, which means 'the cliff').
Another local Sant'Antioco winemaker is Roberto Matzeu of Azienda Agricola Piede Franco. Roberto, now in his mid-forties, studied environmental engineering. After winning a competition as one of the best new winemakers in Italy, he decided in 2020 to dedicate himself full time to producing wine. He and his father began with less than an acre and now rent 12 acres (five hectares) of vines. Roberto appreciates distinct local conditions at their vineyards.'
'The microclimate here is unique. The sandy soil moves due to wind, like a sand dune. Because the north wind has salt, salinity is high.'
Winemaker Roberto Matzeu of Piede Franco at his vines on Sant'Antioco, Sardinia, Italy
Tom Mullen
The lives of these two winemakers—lawyer and engineer—epitomize tensions faced by grape growers. Both studied so they could secure alternate incomes than provided by viticulture; both now clamor to return to family vines to derive full time income.
Fortunately, the quality of Sant'Antioco Carignan wines can be excellent.
Beginning in 1325, the Aragonese people, based partially in what is today's Catalonia in northeastern Spain, began occupying Sardinia. They likely introduced the grape Carignan, which thrives in hot, dry climates with soils rich in minerals. Until a few decades ago, Carignan grapes were grown in Italy, France, Spain and Algeria to produce high yield, low quality juice with high acidity and astringent tannins. This was often blended with wine from other grapes. In the 1980's wine cooperatives, such as Santadi, began reducing yields and improving quality. Many Sant'Antioco wines are today classified under the Carignano del Sulcis DOC, and the overall reputation for Sant'Antioco's Carignan has soared. These wines can stand alone as beauties, with dark complex flavors that resemble a Sangiovese, chocolate notes similar to those from a Syrah and the slight herbaceousness of a Cabernet Franc.
After the European Community decided to reduce low quality, high yield wine production in the 1980's, the number of grapevines diminished from 8.5 square miles in area (2,200 hectares) to today's 500 acres (200 hectares) on Sant'Antioco. Producers are now focused on lower yields and higher quality.
Pariglia equestrian competition of Sant Antioco, Sardinia, Italy
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The island's vines are hardy, and many of the vines are old. Intriguingly, the sandy soils of Sant'Antioco prevented the spread of the phylloxera disease in the mid 19th centuryl which decimated grapevines worldwide. Today, most wines produced from Carignan on the island remain 'ungrafted' and do not need to be attached to any separate disease resistance rootstock, like most other grapevines on earth.
Erica shared how she wants more visitors to sample the wines of Sant'Antioco.
'People don't know this island. They know Costa Smeralda in north, Here we have undiscovered beaches. There are buildings painted white and blue, like Greece but without the party vibe. Visitors like to walk around and take a towel to the beach. Living near the sea is almost like being on vacation all the time. It's a state of mind. People here know how to live, and not just during vacation. We should also try to make Sant'Antioco an enjoyable destination for wine.'
[A companion article titled Sardinian Wines—Sculpted By Wind, Salt, Soil And Scrub, is here.]
The following are tasting notes for various Sant'Antioco wines made from the Carignan grape.
Tenuta Agus Binuforti. Rosato. 2022. 90+ points.
Owned by Daniela Agus and her husband Daniele Garau. From the hot 2022 vintage. Dark cherry colored rosé. Aromas of wet limestone, golden syrup and light red fruit. Flavors include red cherries. A syrupy, easy to drink barbecue wine to pair with teriyaki shish kebab skewers. Lacking an acidic edge but gastronomic.
Tenuta La Scogliera. Rüzò. Rosé. 2024. 90-91 points
Light salmon/cherry color in this 12% alcohol rosé from a producer's name which means 'the cliff' because of the view from their vines. Aromas of mandarins, red cherries and candy cane. Minerality, slight salinity and light flavors with a voluptuous bright cherry and slight caramel finish. Pair with salmon or cod.
Tenuta La Sabbiosa. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2019. 92+ points.
First organically certified wine from Sant'Antioco. Fresh, fruit forward aromas of charcoal and slight caramel as well as maple syrup and maquis scrub. Somewhat complex with pronounced flavors of rich red fruit such as raspberries, as well as bacon and sage. Firm tannic backbone. Pair with charcuterie and grape leaf wrapped dolma.
Winemaker Massimo Pusceddu of Tenuta la Sabbiosa, Sant'Antioco, Sardinia, Italy
Tom Mullen
Azienda Agricola Piede Franco. Bellesa Riserva. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2020. 91-92 points.
Aged in French oak for one year with battonage stirring of lees every 25 days. Balanced, pleasant, generous aromas of fruit, maquis scrub and red plums. Semi complex wine includes an excellent mid palate with the heft of a Sangiovese and flavors that include red cherries, mocha and salty black Dutch dorp licorice.
Tenuta La Sabbiosa. Superiore. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2019. 91-92 points.
Hefty aromas of red plums, maraschino cherries and eucalyptus. Linear in the mouth with soft tannins, bright acidity, and a crunchy mid palate. Easy drinking and well balanced with a long finish. Pair with lentils and beef.
Tenuta La Scogliera. Raije. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2021. 93-94 points.
Perfumed, rich and layered aromas include florals, brownies, Amarone, lava cake and black cherries. Flavors akin to a right bank Bordeaux wine that is complex and layered with slight flavors of molasses and bacon and a hint of mint on the finish. Delicious dark layers in this gastronomic wine that was aged in steel with frequent battonage stirring.
Azienda Agricola Eleonora Piga. Mudo. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2021. 92+ points.
Aromas of orange peels, eucalyptus and maquis scrub as well as a light perfume of violets and lavender. Rich and angular yet also rounded, with a classic Carignan tannic sheen.
Winemaker Eleonora Piga of Mudo wines, Sant'Antioco, Sardinia, Italy
Tom Mullen
Carpante. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2021. 92+ points.
Rich aromas of chocolate, gorse and sage. A meaty and delicious set of flavors that include dark brownies, as well as Amarone and sultanas on the finish. Balanced with suave tannins. A gastronomic wine.
Azienda Agricola Piede Franco. Bellesa Riserva. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2021. 93-94 points.
Rich aromas of Amarone, maquis scrub, black licorice and eucalyptus as well as wild fennel. A dark star that is balanced and elegant, rich and layered with chocolate flavors like that of a Baboso Negro wine from the Canary Islands, as well as rich bacon/minestrone hues; reminiscent of a Syrah from northern Rhone.
Bentesali. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2021. 92 points.
Linear aromas of dark chocolate and flavors that include wild fennel and stroganoff. Complex and enticing.
Xabarra. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2022. 93-94 points.
Hefty aromas of brownies, red plums, Amarone and sultanas. Suave tannins in a layered mid palate that includes flavors of figs and red plums. Crisp acidity.
Tenuta Agus – Binuforti. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2022. 93+ points.
Dark and hefty aromas of Amarone, figs and lava cake. Rich, layered and balanced.
Winemaker Daniela Agus of Tenuta Agus - Binuforti, Sant'Antioco, Sardinia, Italy
Tom Mullen
Bentesali. Santomoro. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2022. 93-94 points.
The name of this winery means 'salty wind.' Vines growing on black silt and sand are lined parallel to the direction of the mistral wind from the north. Aged for up to eight months in new large oak barrels. Aromas of petrol, tar, red cherries and oranges. Extracted and classic. Ripe rich dark fruit flavors—think Sangiovese with the heft of a Syrah.
Tenute La Scogliera. Raije. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2023. 92-93 points.
This includes the same complexity of the 2021, but is fresher for easier drinking. Rich red and ripe fruit aromas, as well as those of elicriso and red cherries. Structured and statured tannins but still light and fresh.
XA Barra. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2023. 92-93 points.
Co-owner Catteo Bettina is a fourth generation female winemaker who uses massal selection to grow vines on sandy soils. Wild aromas of green grass and sage and tobacco, as we as fig newtons and Provence herbs. Gentle tannins in this well balanced wine with flavors of brownies, red fruit and blackberries. Slight ginger and sage on the finish. Brisk underlying, supporting acidity.
Binu Forti. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2023. 92-93 points.
Aromas of maquis scrub in this wine that shines with red fruit aromas and includes mouth watering acidity. Flavors include raspberries and black licorice and slight menthol.
Azienda Agricola Piede Franco. Bellesa Riserva. DOC Carignano del Sulcis. 2022. 94 points.
Stunning label image made from a photograph of winemaker Roberto Matzeu's wife when vacationing in Tunisia. Aromas of red cherries and cedar. Rich, brilliant, crunchy and comlplex mid palate with flavors of lava cake and a slight mint finish. Well structured tannins balanced with supporting bright acidity. Pair with shish kebab or with pasta and truffles.