A voyage over an emerald sea, past characteristic coves and beaches of snowwhite sand … this is Sardinia, an island that strikes its visitors with natural contrasts, the lights and colors of a region that boasts old traditions and a wild and pure nature. Escorted food and wine tours exploring Sardinia are a wonderful way to meet the local artisans ,taste delicious local product and visit places you would otherwise never find. Sardinian food satisfies the most demanding palates with its simple and natural ingredients, and with its delicious recipes made with the delicate and strong local products. The main ingredient is wheat, used to make the famous pane carasau, but also the well-known malloreddus, culurgiones and fregola.
Situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Sardinia is a mainly mountainous region, without high peaks, with a vast and charming, yet bittersweet, natural environment.
The sea reigns over this region with its colors that migrate into the coves, along the coasts, towards the beaches and the most popular resorts. An example is the Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) with Porto Cervo set as its gemstone and uniting the history and culture of ancient traditions with a joyful and colourful nightlife. Porto Cervo was named after its enchanting cove that resembles the antlers of a deer; the Old Port is considered the best-equipped touristic port in the Mediterranean Sea. Porto Rotondo is also a famous location; it overlooks the wide Gulf of Cugnana and is full of villas and piazzas swathed by such a splendid natural environment as this.
Among its wonders, Sardinia offers the visitor the Nuragic complexes scattered all over the territory. These monuments are unique to the world, testifying to an ancient culture that – though it endured from the 16th to 15th Centuries B.C. still rains rather mysterious. The Nuragic constructions were built using great blocks of stone and developed around a central cone-shaped tower that communicates strength and power. These are archaeological sites where it is possible to grasp the archaic charm of ancient rituals and domestic life.
The provinces of the region are: Cagliari (regional capital), Carbonia-Iglesias, Nuoro, Olbia-Tempio, Oristano, Medio Campidano, Sassari and Ogliastra.
You cannot leave the island without tasting the savory porceddu, a grilled suckling pig which is served on cork trays and covered in myrtle branches. As for fish, the lobster of Alghero, the bottarga of Cabras and Carloforte tuna fish are excellent. Other exclusive fish dishes are clam soup and spaghetti with sea urchins.
Sausages and cheeses are some of the tastiest local products, and Sardinian pecorino is certainly the most renowned.
And to drink? Accompany your meals with excellent wines, such as Vermentino di Gallura or Cannonau. Myrtle liqueur (Mirto) is delicious as well.
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All photos by the Wine and Food traveller