Blog: Cantina Oliena | Sardegna

The Cantina Oliena winery was founded in 1950 by a group of winemakers from Oliena with the aim of enhancing Cannonau wine. The culture of work and togetherness led to the decision to establish the winery in the form of a cooperative to promote entrepreneurial activity, but with a profound social impact and, above all, to continue the business philosophy based on quality rather than profit that has characterized the winery since its foundation. The winery combines ancient, traditional methods with the most modern production technologies.

"You don't even know Nepente d'Oliena from hearsay? Ahi, Lasso! I'm sure that if you took a sip of it, you wouldn't want to leave the shade of the white rocks, and you would choose as your hermitage one of those small cells carved into the rock that the Sardinians call Domos de Janas, to live there in ecstasy between the Caratello and the Quarteruolo.

I know it by smell; and the scent, unspeakable, is enough to intoxicate me. We were clerics wandering through a wild May in Sardinia, Edoardo Scarfoglio, Cesare Pascarella and I, a long time ago, when we arrived in the homeland of the poet Raimondo Congiu, full of shepherds and weavers, rich in oil and honey, hospitable between the Sepolcri dei Giganti and the Case delle Fate.

Immediately the nobles of the people came to meet us in the street as if we were unknown guests; and everyone wanted to do us the honor of his threshold, in competition. Ah, my sitibund Hans Barth, how your astute noses would have throbbed when the red nepent bubbled out of the glass with that gurgling sound that 'certain affectionate scroungers" - says our Firenzuola! - Do you have in your heart one of Hafiz's Purpuree odes that sing of wine and the rose? It seemed to us as if the soul of the Persian Anacreon emerged from the filled cup, with the color of fire and the fragrance of a deep rose garden. Certainly, whoever drinks this wine has no need to choke." - Gabriele d'Annunzio (1863-1938)

The origins of Cannonau
The origins of Cannonau are somewhat unclear. Until recently, it was assumed that the grape variety was introduced to the island in the 15th century during colonization by the Spanish. However, findings of grape seeds dating back 3200 years in some Nuragic sites have shown that the ancient art of winemaking was present on the island long before the Iberian colonization. The results of the genetic studies of the grape seeds found have proven the autochthonous origin of the Cannonau grape variety and its ancient cultivation on the island.

Cannonau di Sardegna
Cannonau is a grape variety that adapts well to the different soil and climatic conditions in the various wine-growing areas of Sardinia. Although it is widespread on the island, Cannonau is best grown in the central-eastern zone, where the largest areas of this grape variety are located. Cannonau is a vigorous grape variety with medium-sized grapes that are black in color with purple hues when ripe. The grape variety can be classified as a medium-late grape variety, as the grape harvest takes place between the third ten days of September and the first ten days of October. - Gerardo [TS01/24]