The ancient "a piede franco" vineyards

Since ancient times the "own rooted" Carignano grape cultivated following the "Latin sapling" method on the Isle of Sant’Antioco has been a point of reference for the Sulcis area wine growers, due to the quality of the results obtained. To the present day, despite the important technological advances in the wine growing and making processes, things here have remained unchanged. In Sant’Antioco, against a background of Mediterranean shrub-land, strawberry trees, myrtle, juniper, and mastic bushes, there are roughly 200 hectares of "own rooted" grape vines. These are vines that have an average life-span of 60-70 years, but that in exceptional circumstances can reach the age of 150 years, providing a unique heritage. The thick planting patterns and the decidedly restrained yields that are never higher than 5 tons per hectare, give rise to a product that is rich in phenolic compounds, and an excellent basis for the production of aged wines.

The planting system of these vines is very economic since the shoots that have been pruned and removed give rise to new plants, and the "propagation" technique is used to replace failed vines. This is a typically traditional method that has been handed down through the generations, according to which a shoot is bent and pushed into the ground resulting in a new vine plant. When this new plant reaches nutritional autonomy the original shoot is finally cut. If the gaps in a row of vines are more than one, then the "de su fundu croccau" or "trunk planting" method is used. The earth around a trunk is carefully removed to a depth of at least a metre and then, without damaging the roots, the trunk is delicately settled on the bottom of the hole leaving its shoots above ground in such a way that from one stump, three, sometimes four new plants may grow. On the north and east part of the island where the vines are cultivated on sandy ground, the vineyards are sometimes no more than 150 metres from the sea. Grape harvesting starts from the third week of September onwards, and the grapes, strictly hand gathered, are brought by every member to the Sardus Pater’s cellars.

• WHITE
• TERRE FENICIE
• LUGORE
• AD 49
• ROSÈ
• Horus
• RED
• INSULA
• Foras
• IS SOLUS
• NUR
• Kanai
• IS ARENAS
• ARRUGA
• SWEET
• AMENTOS