Living on the French Riviera it seems that one can hardly be surprised by the beauty of the Mediterranean coast, but Sardinia managed to do it, and this island has a special place of very warm memories in my heart. The island is not heavily populated, and therefore the beauty of the coast and azure water is felt here even more effectively and more peacefully.
Of course, on an Italian island in the Mediterranean, there should be wine. Sardinia has a long history of winemaking and supplied wine to ancient Rome. For centuries, the island was ruled by Aragon, and therefore many grape varieties are of Spanish origin. For example, the most common red variety, Cannonau, is a local form of the Spanish Garnacha, which you may also know by its French name, Grenache. Bovale Grande and Bovale Sardo also have Spanish roots.
The main white variety is the Mediterranean Vermentino. The same one that is called Rolle in France and is the main white wine from Nice that we taste on my vineyard tours. Appellation Bellet in Nice boasts one of the most elegant wines of this variety in France. But the best place for Vermentino in Sardinia is in the Gallura region, located in the rocky and arid northwest of the island. The Mediterranean heat together with the sea winds makes the Vermentino from this terroir extremely concentrated. Vermentino di Gallura became the first DOCG on the island.
I highly recommend visiting Surrau winery located in the Gallura area. They make exceptionally balanced and full-bodied white wines from Vermentino, unexpectedly elegant Cannonau reds, and a Super Sardinian Blend from Cannonau, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Their rosé is very nice, in the style of Provence. There are also sparkling and sweet wines. But their tasting room with its stylish design and cosy atmosphere deserves special attention.
Sardinia has 1,850 kilometres of coastline, and the coast is incredibly beautiful. Cut by bays and cliffs, it sparkles with its azure water. I swear it is clearer and more turquoise here than even the French Riviera. Unfortunately, there was no time to go around the entire coast, but I recommend the variety of small beaches on the island of Maddalena the most. The island is very easy to get to by ferry from Palau. Then we just drove along the coast and stopped at small beaches or viewpoints. And each subsequent beach enchanted us even more. The water is warm and tender even in the middle of October, you want to swim without stopping.
We also took a boat trip from Cala Gonone port along the east coast of the island. This coast is closer to the mountains and it is impossible to get to it by land. Hinged sheds are 400 meters high. Therefore, many beautiful beaches and mystical grottoes can only be reached by boat. The trip is very beautiful, but as advised by our skipper, you should avoid this area in July and August, when all Sardinian tourists want to visit the same secret small and difficult-to-reach beach, and therefore hundreds of people are there at the same time.
Sardinia is an island with a very ancient and rich culture. I was very impressed by their decorative art and its similarity to Ukrainian. We stayed at the Su Gologone Hotel, a luxury hotel complex that is an ethnic resort. Swimming pool, spa, restaurant, bar, shop, workshops, master classes, all dedicated to local ethnic art. Everything is decorated with local decorative art. And it was very informative, very authentic and very beautiful and thoughtful. I would like to see such a modern but authentic hotel complex in my homeland.
Sardinia definitely deserves to go back and explore it better! Until then, see you soon, I hope.