{ SOMMjournal.com } 45
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island wines
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Wine appreciation, among many things, is a never-ending journey of learning
and discovery. To wit, I once heard a famous winemaker say that by the time he dies, he hopes to
know a thing or two about wine.
As I weave and sometimes stumble along on my own wine adventure, I keep his humble ob
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servation close to heart, as a new or previously unknown factoid often comes along to surprise
and delight me. The story of Sardinia's Sella & Mosca is a case in point: Brimming with revelatory
moments, the winery's heralded history, pioneering spirit, picturesque vineyards, and terroir-driven
premium wines never fail to impress.
Sella & Mosca's story began in 1899, when two adventurous businessmen from Piedmont,
Erminio Sella and Edgardo Mosca, arrived in the Alghero region of Sardinia. What they saw dazzled
them: a Mediterranean jewel of an island shining with idyllic charm and enchanting landscapes.
Sella and Mosca knew immediately that the hot, dry climate, sandy soils, and biologically diverse
ecosystem would be well-suited to grape-growing, but they soon uncovered two more surprises.
At the same time many European vineyards were being decimated by the phylloxera infestation,
Alghero's vines—including those of a nearly-extinct indigenous white grape called Torbato—were
happily thriving on their own rootstocks.
Tה Sardinian
vi*yards -
Se/a & Mosca.
Sardinian
SURPRISE SURPRISE
DISCOVERING SELLA & MOSCA, SARDINIA'S
FOREMOST WINERY, AND THE NEARLY-
EXTINCT TORBATO GRAPE
by by Cliff Cliff Ras Ras
