The Calasetta Winery, an Agricultural Cooperative Society founded in 1932 by 13 winemakers, is located in the northern part of the island of Sant’Antioco, in the extreme southwestern part of Sardinia. The territory in which it operates is characterized by predominantly sandy soils, which allow it to be able to raise vines “franca di piede,” that is, without resorting to the American vine rootstock. The vineyards have an average age of around 50 years, in some cases reaching 200 years. Grape yields per vine are very low, maximum 1 kg of grapes per vine; this allows the grapes to reach an optimal degree of ripeness. The characteristics of the climate and soils allow cultivation of the vineyards with very low environmental impact techniques, due to the environment unfavorable to the spread of vine diseases. The combination of the factors of the Carignano vine variety, the free-standing alberello vine form of cultivation, a typically Mediterranean climate with plenty of ventilation and predominantly sandy soil, concurs in obtaining a wine with unique and unmistakable characteristics. The production philosophy followed over the years by the Calasetta Winery has worked to preserve diversity, to enhance flavor complexity, to enhance the original Mediterranean scents, to give Carignano wine great harmony and elegance. Carignano del Sulcis doc produced on the Island of Sant’Antioco is a wine of great compositional richness and is distinguished by its intense ruby red color, its olfactory fragrance and its high concentration in extracts, rich in noble and sweet tannins, which give the wine an intense, persistent and very balanced taste. Cantina di Calasetta currently produces about 250,000 bottles a year, distributed mainly in the domestic market, with encouraging prospects towards the main foreign markets.
