Sella & Mosca, the estate that turned a marsh into a vineyard.

A good part of the wine you see on Alghero's menus comes from a single estate, north of the city, on the Nurra plain: Sella & Mosca. Its story begins in 1899, when two Piedmontese, the engineer Sella and the lawyer Mosca, began to reclaim a land of marshes and scrub to plant vines. From that came one of the largest wine estates in Europe, with its own village at the centre.

What you visit

The heart of the estate is a group of buildings from the early 20th century: the cellars, the houses built for the workers, a school and a small church. Around them, the vines stretch as far as the eye can see on a very open plain.

The winery offers three tours, which it presents as three chapters of the same story:

• A short one, a walk and a toast, for those with little time.
• Another through the borgo, the estate's village and its origins, more leisurely.
• A longer one with a tasting of its great classics.

The website publishes neither the duration nor the price of each: you see them in its online booking system, or ask at [email protected] or on 079 997746. Visits are always by reservation.

The wine shop

From 15 May to 31 October, the enoteca and its square are open every day from 10:00 to 20:00. It is the easy stop if you do not have time for the visit: you buy wine and Sardinian products or have a glass. On the estate there is also the restaurant La Cucina di Casa Villamarina, which opens for dinner Thursday to Tuesday, by reservation.

Getting there and how to combine it

It is on the SP 42 dei Due Mari, the road from Alghero to the airport and Porto Torres, about ten minutes by car from the city. Right next door is the Neolithic necropolis of Anghelu Ruju, and the airport is a few minutes away: it is a good morning for the day of arrival or departure. If you taste, let someone else drive.