If you enjoy wine and are planning to visit northwestern Sardinia, I recommend to stop by Surrau Winery (Cantine Surrau), located in the Arzachena Municipality. This is one of my favorite wineries in Sardinia, and I make it a point to visit any time I am in the area.
While most people visit Sardinia in the summer to make the most of the gorgeous Sardinian beaches, the island is also home to mountains, archeological sites, unique cultural traditions, and delicious food and wine.
n fact, there are lots of wineries that you can visit, and that will give the opportunity to get to know more about the history of wine in Sardinia, the most famous local varietals, the most traditional and the most innovative production methods.
Of course, wine tasting is a popular thing to do in Sardinia, and if you are passionate about wines you should not miss a chance to visit a winery or two.
During my most recent trip to the beautiful Gallura, I once again stopped in Arzachena and visited the Vigne Surrau, which is one of my favorites on the island.
Curious to find out more? Just keep on reading this post!
The History Of Vigne Surrau Winery
Even if Vigne Surrau only officially opened in 2000, the experience of its founders make it one of the best wineries in the gorgeous Gallura region.
Located in eastern Gallura, a few kilometers from the sea, on a rocky ground covered by the typical Mediterranean vegetation, Surrau Winery takes advantage of the terrain of this particular area in order to create various types of wine.
Indeed, the region of Gallura is one of the best areas in Sardinia for wine makers, thanks to its climate. The area counts with sunny days and almost constant Mistral wind that blows from the nearby Strait of Bonifacio (the one that separates Sardinia from Corsica), which helps to grow healthy grapes.
This is a land of granite sand, clays and the Mediterranean maquis that gives wine its peculiar scents and flavors.
For the production of its grapes and wines, Surrau Cantine combine traditional techniques with modern technology, with a meticulous quality control.
They use steel tanks to divide the types of grapes, small concrete tanks for the production of Vermentino wine (one of the most famous wines of Sardinia), and the classic wooden barrels for the red wine.
The Best Wines At Surrau Winery
Surrau Cantine has a good selection of wines, ranging from white to red wines. They have a focus on just a handful of varietals: typical Sardinian Vermentino, Cannonau, Carignano, Muristellu (that’s the Sardinian name of the Bovale varietal), as well as Cabernet Sauvignon.
Below are my favorites wines of Cantine Surrau.
Branu
Probably the most famous wine of Vigne Surrau, Branu is 100% Vermentino. It is made with fine grapes picked in the Chilvagghja vineyards of Arzachena, in an area where the terrain is a mix of granite and sand. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks.
Branu has the typical fresh and mineral taste of a good Vermentino di Gallura wine.
Sciala
A bit stronger than Branu, Sciala is another 100% Vermentino wine. In this case, we are talking about a superior Vermentino di Gallura with a more intense flavor. The grapes are specifically picked from the Surrau valley and the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks.
Sciala wine is then subjected to “Bâtonnage”, a wine making technique which is normally used for Chardonnay wines and by which the yeast that falls at the bottom of the barrel is mixed once again with the wine.
Specifically, this is done through a metal tool that is inserted through the bung hole of the barrel and used to stir the wine.
You can serve Sciala with fish based dishes, cheese, meat and pasta.
Surrau
Like many of my favorite Sardinian red wines, Surrau wine is a very strong red wine, made with a blend of Sardinian grapes. Grapes come from the Juannisolu vineyards of Arzachena.
The skins and the must are fermented in stainless steel tanks for a week, during which it is pumped and plunged once a day. It ages there and then it is bottled and matured for a few more months before being put on the market.
Surrau wine has a balanced flavor, perfect for meat dishes, cheese and pasta. It’s probably my favorite of the wines on offer!
Barriu
I bought a bottle of Barriu during my first visit of Surrau Cantine, in July 2022, and opened it recently while having lunch at my parents’ and it had a wow-effect from the first stip. My mom cooked her famous agnello coi carciofi (lamb with artichokes) and we opened the bottle and we all agreed it was excellent.
Barriu is a red wine, a blend of Cannonau, Carignano, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Muristellu grapes of the Juannisolu vineyards of Arzachena. The first maceration process of the skin in the must takes about 3 weeks, after which the wine ages for 18 months in French oak barrels, before being bottled.
Once bottled, the wine ages for a few more months before being put on the shelves for sales.
The intense color of this wine reflects its flavor: an elegant mix of red fruits with the typical Mediterranean taste. Like the Surrau wine, Barriu is great with meat dishes and cheese.
Sincaru
Sincaru is a red wine made with 100% Cannonau grapes coming from the Juannisolu vineyards of Arzachena. The soil there is particularly granitic, which gives the grapes (and hence the wine) a rather mineral flavor.
Vinification takes place in stainless steel barrels and pumping over and plunging is done at regular intervals to enhance its flavor. The wine matures in cement tanks and then in oak barrels before being bottled.
Sincaru had an intense flavor and it is a great choice if you prefer a stronger type of wine to accompany your meat dishes.
Other wines at Vigne Surrau
Along with the already mentioned great wines, Cantine Surrau also produces very good sparkling wines, named Millesimato – you will find the Millesimato Brut and the Millesimato Rosé. If you like Passito wines, be sure to try Sole Ruju and Sole di Surrau.
Practical Information About Cantine Surrau
Vigne Surrau winery is located on the rolling hills of eastern Gallura. The winery is a beautiful, modern building where you’ll find glass façades and thick walls made of local stone.
It overlooks the gorgeous 50 hectares property, so that while you are enjoying your wine tasting experience you get to admire one of the most unique landscapes of Sardinia.
The overall vibe you get when you visit is that of an incredibly tranquil, relaxing place. It’s a mix between a terrace with a view, an art gallery, and a spacious wine shop.
Wine tasting and other experiences
Vigne Surrau offer a selection of wine tasting experience, with or without a guided tour of the winery and the vineyards. The wine tasting takes place in the gorgeous terrace overlooking the vineyards.
You can opt to taste either three or five wines, and the servings are very generous. Tastings are accompanied by a selection of local products which include olives, carasau bread, local salami and cheese and a few sweets too.
To book your wine tasting experience, simply call the winery at +39078982933 or send an email to [email protected]
Surrau Winery also hosts art exhibitions, with pieces of modern art made by local and international artists. In fact, the exhibition room is a work of art in and of itself and the architecture of the winery is simply impressive!
Opening hours of Surrau Winery
The winery is open to visitors from Monday to Sunday, from 10:00 am. Closing time is between 8:00 and 11:00 pm, depending on the season. It usually observes longer opening hours during the summer months.
How to get to Surrau Winery
Cantine Surrau is located in Località Chilivagghja, not far from Arzachena. The best way to get to Vigne Surrau is by car. Surrau Winery is easy to reach from both Arzachena, Porto Cervo, and all other beach hamlets in the Emerald Coast area.
From Arzachena, take the SS125 and go straight until you reach a roundabout. At the roundabout take the SP59 and you’ll find the winery after a few meters. It’s an easy 4.7 km (2.9 miles) drive that will take you no more than 6 minutes.
From Porto Cervo, you’ll just have to follow SP59 for about 13.6 km (8.4 miles). Without traffic, it will take you just 15 minutes to get there.
Further Readings
For more wine tasting experiences in Sardinia, make sure to read my posts:
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Claudia Tavani
Claudia Tavani was born and raised in Sardinia, and after moving between the United States and the United Kingdom, she's now back living in her hometown, Cagliari. She's a travel blogger and certified travel designer who loves planning trips and publishing guides, travel tips, and packing lists so that you don't have to. Owner of Strictly Sardinia, cat mom to Minnie. Loves pizza, hiking, archeology, cities, beaches, swimming, and running. Hates peppers.