Ep. 25 Monty Waldin interviews Valentina Argiolas of Argiolas Winery | Discover Italian Regions: Sardinia / Sardegna

Italian wine podcast. Chinching with Italian wine people. Welcome to Italian wine podcast with me Monte Gordon. My guest today is Valentina Argiolas of the Argiolas winery in San Dina. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. So let's talk Sardinian wine? What's going on in Sardinia at the moment? Two word only. Tradition at the same time innovation. Tradition because we are in Ireland. My special island, we are in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Our history is characterized by a Nuragic civilization as a unique civilization in all the over the world. So when were the Nuraghi people in a sudden? Yes. They are No. They as a talk to people. They was native people. They only native people that characterize our history. Sardines called also Isoradi Nuragi, island of Nuragi. And, four hundred here before Christ, four thousand here before Christ. And after this kind of civilization, we was dominating for centuries by Spanishian people, Roman people, Spanish, PM and this, but our, we are very proud to preserve our identity. You can find this identity, identity in the wine. So when we talk about identity, which of the native great varieties do you have? We have, more than twenty. And your winery? No. I know. And our winery twelve, in general. So what are the main ones that you have? The the oldest is, Nuragus from Nuraghi, of course, is a a white grape variety typical of the south part, the color area. And what kind of wines is it a spicy wine? Is it? No. It's a dry wine. Very famous because, at the beginning, was produced in bulk as a cell in France and Germany. They they would say, oh, we'd have a It's an amazing grape, and also the most famous of Vermentino, cardinal, of course. That's a red grape? Yes, sir. Vermentino is a white, and canon is a red. Granache. Or something else? We there is the different theories. One said at the Canal House is a native grape from Sardinia. And then the student, the Spanish domination, the Spanish was planted in the, priorata in the in this area after Sardinia. Another theory said that, a ride with the Spanish people, two different theories. Okay. Another one. Another great. Another one, for the for us, very important. It's a Nasco. Nasco is a finishing white grape variety typical for the alcaglier area, south part of Sardinia. So what's what what is the white wine from the Nasco? What does that taste of? Usually, what I use for to produce, dessert wine Okay. Later harvest. Now we are introducing a new version of a dry nazco. More more than easier to understand for the young people. That's another grape? Another grape is Monica. Monica is a grape red grape. We with a female character. A female character. But I'm I'm sweetness. I have to be very careful what I say. Okay. In terms of your family history, you talked about history and innovation. Now, what are what are the innovations, respecting history of your your historic ropes. Just one side, how how do you innovate? Innovate. Okay. The idea was when we started producing, our brand, we decided to focus on traditional varieties. We don't have any international, but, with a modern international style. Not, for example, Canalau with the seventeen degrees, very difficult to understand also to drink a more modern, that way. And you can match this wine with the international, also food in the world. Japan, chai, Japan, China, and all over the So what are you doing in the vineyard to to be able to pick your grapes that have ripe flavors, but they're not too high in sugar, which means too much in too much alcohol. How are you doing? A lot of the different thing. For example, for white wine, we use the we say cork procedure to in a production. For example, we have, the Maria, Vermentino, and we studied a particular process. We cut the grape. We put the grape in the lorry. We covered the grape with a dry ice at the temperature drops from a thirty degree outside to ten, that's preserve the flavor, aromas, and also avoid the pre oxidation and the pre macilation. So what about, local food? You talked about your local grapes. What would be a typical dish that we could have with the Noragas grape variety, the wine from Noragas. For Noragas, I suggest you bottarga. Botagas, which what's that? It's a dry hex of Mujina, very, very famous, also in of any work. You can taste, alone or in, in pasta, in the, in the top of the pasta. And what about for the, the red wine from the calendar? For a Zaclynpeek is the most well known, the hour as is a Zaclynpeek, roasted. It's a very crispy skin, also fat as perfect with a cut on now. And the suckling pig, they do they go wild in in Sard? Yeah. You can try wild or a boat. And the Nasco, the late harvest Nasco White? For example, Nasco, a sweet version, you can taste with, Alzamaretti, as our typical, dessert, or Seada. Seadas is a has a raviolo inside, there is a ricotta, outside, there is a pasta. You can fry this and the cover with her on it. It's very, very good. The dry version, I suggest you to try with the, for example, Frigula, another, our typical pasta. So what what form is the Frigula? Very small as a as a rice by made by hand, and, with a flour, salt, and, water. That's it. Very easy. But you can, combine with, for example, tomatoes or prawns as to prepare. It's very tasty and it's perfect with an asco dry. So how are you encouraging people to come and visit you directly on on the beautiful island of, certainly, how are you doing that? Because Sardinia is the island of Centenerian. Is an island where we have the most important percentages of a centenarian people, and the secret is because it is, I say as a, healthy island, you know, there is a beautiful weather. We don't have industries, for example, a very healthy food, a good wine, few people, small cities, the style of life is incredible. Yeah. You do have the you have a an incredible some of the villages, as you're saying, on the island, have, incredible populations of people over a hundred years old. Who is still Yeah. Also, my grandfather. Really. Yeah. One hundred and three. So what's his favorite meal? For my grandfather? Yeah. When you're gonna have a family with them. Soup. Every day of soup. Brado. So broth. Yes. Also vegetable, dip and and fish. Okay. Everyday for thirty years, he ate soup and a fish, a glass of wine. Okay. What's his favorite wine? Red wine. Okay. Red wine. But not, not too oaky or just a just an everyday table wine. Yes. Yes. Of No. He, for example, if you ask my father, which is your favorite, he say, they are also my sons. I can choose one. Valentina Arjulis, thanks very much for coming in today. I'm gonna move to Sardinia, and I'm gonna try. I am expecting you. Try and live to a hundred years. Oh, I'm gonna I live in Tuscany, which is a very rich diet, probably not always a very healthy diet. I'm moving. I'm changing its broth and a glass of red wine for me from now on. Thank you. I'm expecting you as an amazing island. Follow us at Italian wine podcast. On Facebook.