Vermentino made with grapes that rested in the sea was born in Sardinia. The oenologist Andrea Pala made it on the island of Culuccia, in the extraordinary scenery of the La Maddalena Archipelago, one of the naturalistic wonders of Sardinia.
Almost a year after last year's harvest, the precious "nectar" has finally been bottled .
Just water is a central element in the production of this Vermentino: its grapes, in fact, rested in water for a short period to then be literally "fished out" and to start a classic winemaking process.
The production is presented as a unicum in the Sardinian wine scene, among the very few examples tested at national level. A long process, with passages in steel tanks, which lasted many months.
Research, experimentation and innovation: these are the words that pushed Andrea Pala, elected a few months ago by a jury of experts as the best young winemaker in Italy , to create a wine, "Donna ma '", which has its natural element in the sea .
The non-profit project is intended more for scientific research and the amazement of enthusiasts. Since ancient times there have been examples of this type: on the Greek island of Chios, grapes were kept in sea water before being left to dry on racks and vinified. And as in ancient Greece, clusters were selected here too without the slightest tearing of the skin, to prevent the salt water from damaging the berries, only to be placed on the seabed.
In Culuccia , in addition to the wine made with grapes that have rested in the sea, a second Vermentino is also produced, a sparkling wine made with the classic method, honey, myrtle, gin and even oysters, the result of the restoration of the ancient breeding facilities of the mussels also thanks to the precious collaboration with Agris, an agency of the Sardinia Region for scientific research, experimentation and technological innovation in the agricultural, agro-industrial and forestry sectors.
(Unioneonline / vl)