It is the oldest grape variety in the Mediterranean, the symbol of Sardinia. Here are the Cannonau‘s main wineries between Ogliastra and Barbagia.
Striking for its brilliant ruby red colour, it can be intense and spicy as Mediterranean scrub, but also delicate and elegant, warm and welcoming like the hospitality of the people of the island where it is grown; proud and strong, but also reserved and “austere” like the character of the Sardinians themselves.
This is Cannonau, undisputably the Sardinian wine par excellence, and perhaps the one that best identifies Sardinians’ history, traditions and character. The most widespread in Sardinia, and the best loved and known off the Island. Perhaps it even gladdened the hearts of the Sardinians’ Nuragic ancestors; what is certain is that it spread successfully to other countries around the Mediterranean and the world. This is why it is considered the oldest grape variety in the Mediterranean basin.
Elixir of long life
Almost 7,500 hectares of land are registered to Cannonau in Sardinia, equal to 27% of the total. 64% of these, a total of around 4,800 hectares are to be found in the vast provinces of Nuoro and Ogliastra.
Now the wine for great occasions and festive days, for many years it was the refreshment for farm workers and shepherds labouring in the countryside. Hundred-year-old farm workers and shepherds, so much so that Cannonau has also been the subject of studies by scientists investigating the secrets of the planet’s so-called “blue zones”. Zones where the quality of life and diet, including a glass of good wine, seem to be at the basis of a serene, lengthy old age. One of the world’s biggest blue zones is in Sardinia, in the centre of the Island and in Ogliastra – the land of Cannonau, which due to its very high resveratrol content (a potent natural phenol) would also seem to be an elixir of long life.
Cannonau di Sardegna DOC
Cannonau di Sardegna is a wine with DOC (Protected Designation of Origin) status, the red or rosé wine being obtained from 99% Cannonau grapes, and the remaining 1% from locally grown grapes. The obligatory ageing period for this wine is one year, of which at least 6 months must be spent in oak or chestnut barrels.
The Consortium for the Protection of Cannonau di Sardegna was founded in 2007, and its members include the majority of regional producers, who together lay claim to over 40% of the land planted with Cannonau di Sardegna DOC.
Wineries
The biggest Ogliastra and Barbagia wineries producing this very Sardinian elixir are represented in the Consortium, which has its headquarters in Nuoro. The majority of these wineries are open for guided tours where visitors can learn all about the history of Cannonau. To name but a few, Cantina Antichi Poderi in Jerzu, the cooperative wineries of Dorgali, Oliena (with its renowned Nepente) and Orgosolo, or the Sedilesu winery in Mamoiada.
