Terroir Sulcis, 60 years of history of the Santadi winery: “The book, a tribute to the territory”

by Ilenia Mura

With two million bottles produced per year is among the most important Italian wine companies. Your most requested wine? Brown landsCarignano del Sulcis: “Created by the winemaker Giacomo Tachis it is the first Sardinian red wine, aged in barrique, 1984 vintage, released on the market four years after the harvest, according to a protocol – warns the sales manager of Cantina Santadi, Massimo Podda – always in force”. And now that its president, the visionary Antonello Pillonihas just turned 90, the large family of wines that are born in Santadi has published a wonderful journey through the villages of Sulcis, through a book which collects images and history. The book – which brings the reader to know the traditions, food and wine and protagonists of the Sardinian south-west – is entitled: Terroir Sulcis.

Edited by Andrea Cappelli, “Terroir Sulcis” (Extempora editions, 672 pages) tells further sixty years of history of the winerybut also the entire territory of Lower Sulcis with a focus on ten municipalities where the vineyards from which the grapes delivered to the company located at the entrance to the town, in the street named after its first important winemaker Giacomo Tachis, are located. In a journey in stages, the book recounts the archaeology, history, nature, traditions, as well as the food and wine and artisan excellences of the area.
From Santadi to Giba, Masainas, Narcao, Nuxis, Perdaxius, Piscinas, Sant’Anna Arresi, Tratalias, Villaperuccio. And again the mines of Carboniaor Carloforte, with the tradition of tuna fish. The chapters tell the story of life in the Sulcis countryside all around the Acquafredda castle in Siliqua. Come on furriadroxius (the shepherds’ houses) ei medaus (small residential settlements) to move on to history and traditions. Traditional costumes, typical jewels, in the name of filigree, therough. And then cork, fundamental for the longevity of great aging wines, the ancient art of Sardinian cutlery. A chapter is dedicated to Let’s eat first, artisan bread, which is still cooked in a wood oven in Santadi today. Cheese, Sardinian honey and extra virgin olive oil cannot be missing. A book that takes those who read it by the hand and that Podda defines as “a tribute to visitors with a passion for wines and experiential tourism”.

Santadi winery: 220 members and 650 hectares of vineyard area of ​​which 150 hectares of ungrafted plants on sand. The great red wines Terre Brune, Rocca Rubia, Noras, Araja, Grotta Rossa and Antigua are accompanied by the refined white wines Villa di Chiesa, Cala Silente, Pedraia, Villa Solais, Latinia, children of the ancient winemaking tradition combined with the use of new technologies in the field of winemaking, stabilization and bottling.

The Santadi winery mainly processes red grapes, approximately 75% of the total production. The most important vines are Carignano, Monica, Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot, Bovaleddu for the reds, Vermentino, Nuragus, Chardonnay and Nasco for the whites. With commitment and meticulous work in the vineyard, low production per vine is maintained to guarantee grapes of great value.