Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady is full of fun on board but the shore excursions are worth your time, too. Photo / Supplied
Neil Porten takes a drinks break on a shore excursion in Sardinia during his Mediterranean cruise
Under the Sardinian summer sun a pair of unfortunate souls toil along the vines on a low hill as we arrive at Ferruccio Deiana Winery. A mama dog and her three pups are at turns curious and cautious about our small group, advancing and retreating from the shade of a pergola heavy with grapes. In techno-contrast to this rustic tableau, a red robot lawnmower busies itself beneath an olive grove by the gate.
Here we are in Su Leunaxi, a short drive north of Sardinia’s regional capital Cagliari, day-tripping during a seven-night Virgin Voyages Mediterranean cruise. Wine and sun-seared hinterlands I was expecting, but robots and cute canines are but two delightful bonuses - along with other treats such as flourishing flamingos and tales of sainted ladies.
But first, with thirst forefront of mind, the wine.
Mr Ferruccio Deiana greets us at the threshold of his winery, his blue polo shirt a match for the cloudless sky, but vineyard guide Vera’s English is better so she does the talking. After studying viticulture and oenology, and a career as a wine broker, Mr Ferruccio - as he is known - started the winery in 1990. The first vines were planted here in 1991 and the first wines bottled in 2002.
Duty done, Mr Ferruccio disappears as we amble into the shade of a tree near the vines. The puppies have followed, scuffing up dust on the path and bewitching a sun-frocked girl, here with her parents. Vera tells us the winery has 120ha under vines, with 40ha here at the original site. Nearby salt lakes contribute to the minerality of the soil, and each vineyard has its special characteristics. Only local, native cultivars are planted and are chosen carefully to suit each location.
Dario Deiana, Mr Ferruccio’s son, joins us. The doggies have retired to the dark recesses of a concrete shed as we step into the winery’s production area, which is cool, and pungent with musty grapiness. Preparations are underway for this year’s harvest, which is only about 15 days away; the lower legs of a man stick out the hatch of a tall steel vat, signs of cleaning in progress.
Vera leads us down a staircase into the cellar. It’s 7m below ground, she tells us, kept at 75 per cent humidity and around 17-18C. There are galleries of barrels, large and small, and a gated area of individual bottles, racked up to the ceiling.
We follow Dario back up to the bottling area - around 350,000 bottles, or 29,000 cases, are produced annually - and then into his small lab, crammed with devices old and new for measuring alcohol levels, acidity, and other vital factors in the oenological process. The robot lawnmower now makes sense, seeing Dario’s enthusiasm for innovation and the technical intricacies of winemaking.
Finally, to the tasting room, a bright upstairs gallery with long tables and white tablecloths, set with food to accompany the three wines we’ll taste: the winery’s own olives and Gutia brand olive oil, wild boar sausage, ship’s salami, manchego cheese and a Sardinian crispy flatbread.
First, the Donnikalia, made from native Vermentino grapes, a fresh, dry straw-hued white to wake up the taste buds. The Bella Rosa is a pink and perky beauty from Bovale grapes. Aged for 10 months in oak barrels, the Sileno Reserve is a spicy, ruby friend to the cured meats and manchego I’m unselfconsciously devouring.
Shawn O’Toole, a Miami man also from our cruise, insists on shouting the whole party a magnum of the winery’s best red, the 2015 Ajana. Shawn’s a top bloke and so is the wine - the nose is warm, the taste sweet and full.
Back on the coach, our guide, Candida, warns us that Sardinian wine, due to the hot sun under which the grapes ripen, has a high alcohol content. But it is also balanced. She tells us of Sardinia being in a “blue zone”, studied for its high numbers of centenarians. Red wine drinking, particularly for men, was one factor contributing to longevity, she says. I’ll drink to that: Salute!
The return to the port passes in a sated happy haze. I’m just capable enough to take in Candida’s story of the recent immigrant flamingos and the tale of Our Lady of Bonaria.
When salt harvesting was abandoned in the wetlands near Cagliari in the early 1990s, a mauve miracle arrived as the area returned to its natural state. Migrating flamingos from France dropped in to eat the tiny crustaceans that feed on the pink plants. They liked it so much they decided to stay and now thousands dance their silt-sifting routines in the shallow ponds.
On the Hill of Bonaria, a 1370 cloister of the monks of Our Lady of Mercy venerates a maritime miracle. During a fierce storm, a crated statue of the Virgin Mary was tossed overboard and the seas quickly calmed, saving the ship. The crate washed up on the Cagliari coast and on opening, the candle in the statue’s hand was burning brightly.
Our ship Valiant Lady is in no danger of strife, moored in the still Sardinian sunshine. I’m reflecting on the day’s more recent spiritual experience: savouring the age-old miracle of turning grape juice into wine.
DETAILS
Virgin Voyages ships sail the Caribbean, Europe, the South Pacific and Transatlantic. Its newest ship, Resilient Lady, will be homeported in Melbourne from December this year, with itineraries visiting New Zealand. See the website for itineraries and more information. virginvoyages.com