Day 1
Olbia – Tempio Pausania
Arrival at Olbia airport, dinner and overnight in a 3 star Hotel in Tempio Pausania or in its surroundings.
Day 2
Tempio Pausania – Berchidda – Costa Smeralda – Tempio Pausania
Today starts your Wine Tour in Sardinia: the first stop we suggest is Berchidda, where you can visit the Wine Museum. The village’s territory abounds with woods and forests like the one near the River Seleme, but also with cultivated fields and especially vineyards. The famous “Vermentino di Gallura” wine, which is produced right here, is the only Sardinian wine which can boast the Docg trademark (Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin). It is not by chance that Berchidda is home to the “Wine Museum – The Sardinian Regional Wine Cellar”, which with its modern layout traces the interesting history of viticulture, exhibiting a series of objects that are used for working the grapes and producing the wine, including a number of granite tanks which are still used in the Gallura area and are very similar to ones found in the nuraghi. In the Wine Cellar there is a large selection of wines on sale, and there is also the chance to taste some of them.
After the Wine Museum we recommend a stop at the famous Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast). Created during the 1960’s by the Prince Aga Khan Karim, this area is today the favourite tourist destination of the international Jet Set and hosts the most prestigious Hotels of the whole island. Porto Cervo is its emblem; luxurious yachts are docked just in front of this jewel and luxury shops are lined along the square. It is a must sitting for a while in one of the numerous bars and have an espresso or an ice-cream. After an exciting walk in Porto Cervo, you will have the opportunity to visit the church of Stella Maris that hosts a precious Neapolitan pipe organ from the 1600s, as well as a famous painting by El Greco. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Tempio Pausania.
Day 3
Tempio Pausania – Alghero
For the third day of your Wine Tour Holiday we suggest a visit to Alghero: a beautiful town with a prestigious Catalan past, whose signs are still well-preserved and visible in its architecture: from the thick cobbled streets to the fortifications that follow the coastline (the Bastion of Magellano and the Portal del Mar). Typical examples of the Catalan presence are shown in the Piazza Civica (square) shaped like a funnel and overlooked by the D’Albis and De Ferrera palaces, and by the ancient Cathedral of S.Maria with Catalan gothic elements, such as an octagonal bell tower and a rich portal.
During the afternoon the Winery Tour continues with a visit at one of the most important companies of the island. The impressive structure of Sella & Mosca, with over 500 ha of vineyards makes them one of Europe’s largest wineries to produce exclusively from their own grapes. Investments in the state of the art technology and vineyards management give Sella & Mosca wines incredible consistency. Since the company’s foundation in 1899 by the eponymous Piemontese partners, it has set the winegrowing standards for Sardinia. The white wines are modern in style, very clean, with an extraordinary freshness given the hot Mediterranean climate. The red production is mostly in a more traditional vein, with ripe Mediterranean spicy flavours to the fore. Dinner and overnight in a 3 star Hotel in Alghero.
Day 4
Alghero – Oristano – Cagliari
Departure from the hotel direction Oristano, a nice town situated in the heart of the great plane of Campidano, in a central position along the western coast of Sardinia. Oristano is a place of captivating beauty. Here you will have the possibility to visit numerous sites, such as Oristano Cathedral, the Church of Santa Chiara, the Church of San Francesco, the Tower of Mariano II, and the Antiquarium Museum of Palazzo Parpaglia.
In Oristano you will have the chance to taste a wine typical of this area, the delicious Vernaccia: an ancient, aging, golden yellow white wine that can be paired with the most refined of the traditional island pastries. Afterwards we recommend a visit to the archaeological site of Tharros.
Tharros is an ancient Phoenician-Roman Port on the finger of land jutting out to sea forming a natural breakwater for the Bay of Oristano. The setting couldn't be more spectacular. Tharros is surrounded by white sand beaches; one called Is Arutas is said to be the cleanest in Italy. This ancient city was founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC, followed by Punics, Romans, and eventually destroyed by Saracen raiders. Dinner and overnight in a 4 star Hotel near Cagliari.
Day 5
Cagliari – Serdiana - Cagliari
Departure from our hotel direction Cagliari the capital city of the Region Sardinia. As soon as you arrive in Cagliari you could start the visit from the old town and upper part of town called “Castello” (the Castle). Amongst the ancient walls real jewels are hidden: the Portal of Santa Cristina, the Tower of S. Pancrazio, the Tower of the Elephant, the Piazza Palazzo with the beautiful Cathedral of Santa Maria (headquarters of the Archbishop), and the Palace of the Prefect, once residence of the Viceroy Carlo Alberto. After having reached the Terrace Umberto I, that surmounts the Bastion of S. Remy, you could go to Via Roma, the main city road, for a lunch break in one of the many restaurants of the central quarter of the city.
During the afternoon the Wine Tour will take you to Serdiana, a small centre only 15 minutes from Cagliari. There is where the famous Argiolas Winery is located, a family company created in 1918. Back in those days Francesco Argiolas started from scratch and planted the first vineyard with the assistance of some prisoners of war. During the seventies Franco and Giuseppe Argiolas made a courageous choice: by means of big investments, they effected gradual changes and involved the business in a stage of reorganization of all aspects, from the vineyards to technological innovation in the cellars. For their staff, they chose one of Italy's leading oenologists, Giacomo Tachis. In 1991 Argiolas became a Firm ready to conquer the Italian and International market. Their most important red wines are Turriga and Korem made with a premium mix of Sardinian grapes, while among the white ones a must is Cerdeña, based on Vermentino grape. Dinner and overnight in a 4 star Hotel near Cagliari.
Day 6
Cagliari – Nora – Santa Margherita di Pula – Capo Teulada – Cagliari
The morning of the 6th day could be dedicated to the visit of the archaeological site of Nora. Approximately 30 minutes from the centre of Cagliari, there is a nice centre called Pula, where the beauty of the sea unites with the fascinating ancient ruins of Nora. Founded by the Phoenician navigators around the 9th century B.C. as a strategic location in the Mediterranean, Nora was an important resting point before continuing the long travels to Britain in search of raw materials. The city was later conquered by the great Carthaginian navigators and warriors and eventually, as a result of the Punic Wars, it fell into Roman hands around 238 A.C.
Very close to the village of Pula there is also an extraordinary winery, called I Feudi della Medusa: a visit that cannot miss on a good Wine Tour in Sardinia. The property extends over 50 hectares in the area of Santa Margherita di Pula, on a hill that dominates the plains underneath: the view of the vineyards from here is really breathtaking. In 1996 Francesco Siclari and his wife, driven by their love for vines and wines, bought the first three hectares of vineyard. After several years of massive investments and researches about the soil and plants (conducted by the famous oenologist Donato Lanati) the Feudi della Medusa is today a young but strong and incredibly promising winery, as a long list of fabulous reviews by the most important guides and magazines may testify. The company has chosen to create high quality products, divided into three distinct product lines, that may do justice to the local wine-making tradition while exploiting to the full the natural properties of the land: the Indigenous Wines, the Antique rare Vines and the Wines of Mith.
After the visit there will be time for a panoramic drive along the coast toward Cape Teulada. Dinner and overnight in a 4 star Hotel near Cagliari.
Day 7
Cagliari – Arbatax – Nuoro – Tempio Pausania
Time to go back to Noth Sardinia: this time you could take the road Orientale Sarda which goes along the eastern coast line. First stop can be Arbatax, known for its porphyry rocks, named Rocce Rosse (red rocks). Afterwards you will go further towards the Barbagia area, famous for its handicrafts and the Cannonau wine. Here you may decide to visit the Bue Marino Grottos, which can be reached by boat from Cala Gonone, or go to Orgosolo. This village is the symbol of the Sardinian culture, well known for its murales: paintings that depict the way of life and represent the social unrest and a silent protest against the government during the late 1960s. In the city of Nuoro, placed in the very heart of Sardinia, you will have the chance to visit the Museum of Sardinia Popular Life and Traditions. Dinner and overnight in a 3 star Hotel in Tempio Pausania or in its surroundings.
Day 8
Tempio Pausania – Airport
Transfer to the airport for the departure.
.jpg)
