Sardinia

The region (Ital. Sardegna) with the capital Cagliari is the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily. Geologically, it is the oldest part of Italy and was once connected to the mainland. It is divided into the four provinces of Sassari in the northwest, Oristano in the west, Cagliari in the south and Nuoro in the east. More than 3,000 years ago, the prehistoric Sardinians dragged huge stones to their living places, worked them with primitive tools and piled them on top of each other. These "Nuraghi" scattered all over the island are the Sardinian landmark and also gave the name to the autochthonous grape variety Nuragus. The Sardinians were already cultivating wine in the 9th century BC, having learned this art from the Phoenicians. Through the varied history under the influence of many peoples such as Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Muslims, Pisans and Genoese, a diverse range of viticulture developed here. The Spaniards in particular brought many grape varieties with them from the 13th century onwards, and this influenced the distinctiveness of the wine types over the centuries. In the past, mainly grape varieties of Spanish origin were used to produce high-alcohol, fortified dessert wines similar to sherry or port. Even today, fortified, sweet Liquoroso wines make up a considerable proportion.