MTV event “Cantine Aperte a Natale” in Olbia and surroundings
Since the Movimento Turismo del Vino organization is relaunching the event again in December 2022 which sees the native vines of the various Italian countryside as the main protagonists, and naturally their products and places of processing, you can toast both the old and to the new vintage among the barrels and vineyards of the wineries that adhere to the wine tourism association, taking advantage of the knowledge and skills of the winemakers who processed those grapes. It’s not just a question of having a wine tasting, buying bottles, Christmas gifts, visits to the cellars: you can live a three hundred and sixty-degree sensory and cultural experience, in the name of responsible and sustainable consumption of wine.
One way of reaching the wineries that have taken part in the Movimento Turismo del Vino in Sardinia from the Italian peninsula is by ferry, with which, if desired, you can also travel with a vehicle. Among the routes traced between the Sardinian island and the boot, the most frequented ones, also because among the shortest, are the routes of the ships to Olbia. In the Gallura area there are no less than five wineries open throughout the Christmas holidays. Among all those that are open in December in Sardinia, many others are found in Cagliari; the rest are almost all in the vicinity of Porto Torres and will be listed and described in the next article. Instead, the products of the Gallura wine region are detailed here and the places where it is possible to taste them on the occasion of the MTV event are listed.
Gallura, a historical and geographical sub-region of Sardinia, is the land of choice for the Vermentino vine variety thanks to the climate and the granite matrix of the subsoil. From this vine comes both the Sardegna DOC and the Gallura variety, the only DOCG (also in the Superiore version) in Sardinia. The two traditional geographical denominations are “Tempio Pausania” and, for Moscato di Sardegna, “Gallura”, white, passito, from overripe grapes or sparkling.
Ferries to Olbia from the Italian peninsula
The Livorno – Olbia ferries belong to the cruise ferry category, with services comparable to those of cruise ships. Even in December, they leave several times a day, both in the morning and in the evening, and take from about seven and a half to nine hours to arrive in the Olbia port of Isola Bianca. At the link you can consult information on timetables and prices, first and last trips and more; you can therefore view a specific estimate before purchasing the ticket, which can obviously also be a return ticket.
The shortest naval route to reach Sardinia is the one followed by the Civitavecchia – Olbia ferries; the duration of the journey is five and a half hours for daytime crossings and seven or eight hours for nighttime ones. At the link you can buy the ticket online, even for a return trip, or simply get a quote. Prices and departure times can be seen by scrolling down the page, but by entering the data required by the form you can find out the amount based on the number of passengers, the chosen on-board accommodation and the optional extras relating to the vehicle and pets.
Participating Gallura wineries
Here then are the details of which wineries you can visit with tasting and Christmas shopping in Olbia and its surroundings.
Tenute Olbios includes in its production from Vermentino grapes labels such as Lupus in Fabula Vermentino di Gallura DOCG Superiore, Bisso Vermentino di Gallura Spumante, Cavé Rosato dei Colli del Limbara IGT, Niente Rosso dei Colli del Limbara IGT, In Vino Veritas Vermentino di Sardegna DOC. The winery is located four kilometers from the center of Olbia and offers visits and wine tastings, by reservation on the telephone 0789 641003, from Monday to Friday, with the possibility of purchasing on site. The organized event includes a rich aperitif paired with three of the best labels in magnum format, chosen for the occasion from the private collection; visit to the barrel cellar to discover together the new vintage Bisso 2014 in second fermentation, followed by aperitif and tasting. On the menu we find carasau basket with ricotta and artichoke-scented roe and salmon mousse, pecorino crouton, bacon, red apple, caramelized onion and spoonful of wine, meat panada, ovinfort, pears, walnuts and dried figs.
The Murales Winery opens its doors in December every day by reservation (the telephone number is 078953174) to let you taste not only wines but also extra virgin olive oil. If desired, it is also possible to stay. From vines such as Viognier, Cannonau, Carignano, Malvasia Nera, Vermentino, Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah come bottles of Miradas, Sentenzia, Lumenera, Nativo, Arcanos. Events are organized in the vineyard among scents, colors and flavors. The classic tour includes a visit to the vineyard, the cellar and the cellar with a tasting of two typical wines (with the prestige tour the wines become three and a platter of typical local products is combined). The wine tourism company is located in Olbia in the Piliezzu area.
The cellar of the La Contralta agricultural society, designed for winemaking but also for hospitality, is located a few kilometers south of Olbia, on the hills of the Enas area, in a verdant natural amphitheater on the Gulf of Olbia, where you can taste, from Monday to Friday, by reservation on the telephone number 349 6806547, the wines Fiore del sasso (Vermentino di Gallura DOCG), L’ora grande (Cannonau di Sardegna DOC), Al sol brilla, M’illumino and Sicut erat (Isola dei Nuraghi IGT). Specialized staff accompanies patrons to discover the company, which operates without ever losing sight of eco-sustainability and traditions in an innovative perspective, and of the wines produced.
Vigne Surrau is located in Arzachena, on the provincial road to Porto Cervo, at the gates of the Costa Smeralda, in the easternmost part of Gallura. The visit to the cellars and the wine tasting can be booked by writing an email to info[at]surrau.it. Among the labels we find Sciala (Vermentino di Gallura DOCG Superiore), Barriu (Isola dei Nuraghi IGT), Branu (Vermentino di Gallura DOCG), Sincaru (Cannonau di Sardegna DOC) and Sincaru Riserva (Cannonau di Sardegna DOC). The staff will be happy to guide you in the itinerary between the places of winemaking and aging skilfully integrated into the surrounding landscape.
The Muscazega Estate (blind fly in Gallurese) produces three wines from the Piedmontese Nebbiolo vine variety imported two centuries ago (Muscazega, Lunas and Disizu, all IGT) and the Vermentino di Gallura DOCG, which can be tasted by calling 0799623057 in advance. cellar is from the nineteenth century. You can participate in the tasting with a visit to the cellar and the estate and a walk through the vineyards. To reach it, you have to go to Luras: from the port of Olbia you have to take the state road to Tempio Pausania and three minutes from the town center, turn towards Ponte Facchinu.
