I think the most important factor for wine and food entrepreneurs – in particular in times of crisis like these – is to preserve the quality of their products, by rediscovering and enhancing the environmental and social richness of the territory, and to remain faithful to the culture and values of their work.

I live in Mamoiada, a small Sardinian village in the heart of Barbagia with a population of just 2500 people, situated on the slopes of the highest peaks of the island.

Here, viticulture and wine culture have a long history. The undiscussed protagonist is Cannonau,

Most of the families of the village have owned and cultivated vineyards for generations, and they make wine -mainly for their own consumption – in the cellars of their houses just as their grandparents and great-grandparents did,.
Some of them produce it for occasional sales, for sharing and accompanying the many moments of celebration during which rituality, both religious and pagan, has a fundamental role in the coexistence of the community.
In Mamoiada, Cannonau wine – just like the thousand-year-old tradition of the masks of Mamuthones and Issohadores – is a strongly identifying element of significant social relevance.

The peculiarities of this territory, its altitude, the microclimate, the land granitic wheathering, the low-to-the-ground bush- vines – some of which are over a hundred years old – create an ideal context for a Cannonau wine with specific qualities that make it traceable to its land, Mamoiada.
Even, The unbottled Cannonau of Mamoiada has always found great appreciation.

Twenty years ago, for the first time, my family decided to bottle and label its own Cannonau, thinking of finding interested buyers in a valuable market that extended well beyond the island. We started producing ‘Mamuthone’, one of the first bottles of Mamoiada’s wines on the market, and we founded the ‘Cantina Giuseppe Sedilesu’, which has been operating its own winemaking facility since 2002. From there, we also developed the passion for a native white-grape variety, almost unknown, growing in small quantities in the old vineyards of Cannonau: the Granazza, that we decided to propose it in its purity – unblended – , highlighting all the characteristics of this ancient grape that can reveal an enormous potential.
The rediscovery of this hidden resource stimulated the creation of new wine-making facilities in Mamoiada, solely dedicated to the Granazza variety, and of in-depth studies that led, in 2019, to the registration of this vine variety in the National Register of Vine Varieties, a fundamental step for its valorisation and preservation.

Our work as winemakers is rooted in the principles of respect for nature and simplicity, which were handed down by my parents, Giuseppe and Grazia.
Firstly, there are respect and care for our land. Organic cultivation of vineyards and spontaneous fermentations give the wine the possibility to fully express itself without setting any limits, taking advantage of what nature has in store for every single vintage.

This is also highlighted through the work of the whole community.
The passage from unbottled to bottled wine and the studies on Granazza grape variety have opened a door to the future, and encouraged the new generations to feel like an integral part of this microcosm of winemaking as they become more and more aware of the opportunities that their land and traditions hold in store for them. They are themselves the catalysts for the development of the territory in full respect of its rhythm and ecosystem.

Nowadays in Mamoiada, in addition to our winery, there are at least 20 other wineries, reunited since 2015 to form the association ‘Mamojà’. They share the aim of preserving, enhancing and promoting the territory through their wines, showing the world their deep sense of belonging.

Simply put, I think that the principles and work rooted in the community make drinking wine not just a pleasurable exercise, but part of a reality that nourishes the society and is a source of inspiration for those who come from far away.
The origins of taste can be found in a widespread sense of well-being.

Proof of this is the fact that, until a few years ago, tourists came to Sardinia mainly for its clear sea and the beauty of its coastline. Today, they travel with different expectations: they also look for authenticity of culture, and for a deeper connection with the place and its products.

More and more, we observe that people come to Mamoiada driven by the curiosity to discover the origins of its wines, their territory, the people who create them, the environment in which they grow and the approach that guides the producers during their work.

The most satisfying moment for the host is to witness the amazement of the guest when a wine, during the tasting, reveals its different nuances, most of the times unexpected; how it evolves, how connections are created between the wine tasted and the place, and how a bottle contains not only wine but the entirety of multi-faceted experiences.