‘800

The “Servant Shepherd”

This story begins in the 19th century with my great-grandfather who was a “Servant Shepherd”. The “Servant Shepherds” took care of the flocks on behalf of the powerful landowners. They owned almost nothing. For their work they received food and lodging and, at the end of the year, maybe one or more sheeps.

When the Town of Berchidda put some land up for sale, the Sini family decided to buy about 300 hectares. However to pay such a huge debt there were no savings. So three of his many children, driven by need, emigrated to the United States in search of work and fortune to honor their family commitments and keep the property.

When the great-grandfather died, he left the property only to the three children who had thus sacrificed themselves to save it. With their sacrifice as migrants, they had made the big dream of “owning their own land” possible.

The War

The first vineyard at “Su Cabrileddu”

At the beginning of 1900, with the outbreak of war, the three Sini brothers: Giommaria, Andrea and Gioacchino Sr., were forced to return to Italy to enlist.
My grandfather Gioacchino Sr., also known as “Babbu Mannu” (Great Father) for his recognized wisdom, after the war, got married and had four sons and a daughter.

• Here, at “Su Cabrileddu”, where the winery is today, my ancestors’ family lived from agriculture and especially from sheep farming (Su Cabrileddu, in Sardinian language means: the place where goats are raised).
• Here, in 1949, Babbu Mannu planted his first vineyard, cultivated his orchard and vegetable garden.
• Here the first well was dug with a shovel and pickaxe.
• Pietrino, my father, lived here and he was forced as well to emigrate to find a job.

Life in Su Cabrileddu was hard and the family was in difficulty again, there was not enough water in the house and there was no electricity (it will arrive here only in 1990). The family once again experienced “Su Bisonzu”, the Sardinian word for “the need”.

Life in Milan

Dreaming of Sardinia

The Sini brothers had in turn generated many children and the properties inherited by each became increasingly smaller and insufficient to support them all.

My father Pietrino was a hard worker, he helped in the house (he was an excellent cook!) and worked different jobs. Everyone contributed but it was not enough so Pietrino decided to emigrate to Northern Italy in search of a good job.

Pietrino left for Milan in 1960 and worked as a truck driver.
He had a dream: to return in Sardinia and own his own flock. In the family we still keep my father’s drawings of how, one day, in Sardinia, he would build a stable for his animals.

In Milan my father met and married my mother, who worked as a housekeeper and nanny. My mother was also Sardinian, born and raised in Ala dei Sardi. In fact my father knew her family and brothers well. Right before winter, every year, they would walk (transhumance ) with their flocks, from Ala, down to Berchidda in search of milder temperatures.

In 1964 they got married and I was born in Monza, the only child of this couple who was no longer (for the at the time standards) very young.

1990

Sacrifices and achivements

In 1990, my father and I purchased the first vineyards planting rights.

There are specific reasons why we were allowed to acquire those rights despite the, at the time, difficulties in viticulture: we commitment to deliver the grapes to the local, very important Cantina Giogantinu and to “improve the land”, our property.

One of the many things we did we brought electricity to Su Cabrileddu in 1990.
The property also needed a fence because there were, and still are, many wild boars that threatened the vineyards. Still then the two great actors of the Sini family’s destiny continued to be present: Dreams and Needs.

There is once again the need to earn money to make the dream (the vineyard) come true. I enrolled in a course of study for animal husbandry and dairy farming in Reggio Emilia and specialized to work in the dairy sector, which has always been a great resource for Sardinia. I have dozens of interesting stories in my dairy experience including finding myself, as a young cheesemaker, producing parmesan for one of the major producers in Emilia, and returning to Sardinia to work in a dairy.

2000

Su Cabrileddu

10 years went by and in 2000 I was finally able to plant the new Su Cabrileddu vineyard. No need to say I had the full support of my father and my uncle.

Four hectares total: one hectare of Vermentino, the rest is a mix of Carignano, Muristellu, Sangiovese Grosso, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In the meantime, in 1996, the DOCG Vermentino di Gallura had been approved (first and only docg in Sardinia). In 1995, I had married my wife Caterina. In 1996 my first daughter, Marika, was born.

It is not difficult to understand that I had a “time” problem. Working in the dairy business did not leave much time to take care of the vineyards. That is when my passion for the sea came in handy. I decided to switch and use my nautical license and work as a skipper during the summer months. In 2002 I started working on yachts and, at the same time, enrolled in the Faculty of Oenology in Oristano.

Seasonal work provided me with an adequate income. I was able to attend classes at university and, very important, I was able to work in my vineyard the rest of the time. I was thus able to provide adequate support for both my family and my vineyard.

2002

The first harvest!

In 2002, the year of my first harvest, a hailstorm destroyed much of the production in Gallura but saved my vineyard! Was it a sign of some kind?

My experience as a skipper/winemaker brought me the right contacts to start with, and I began to deliver my wine to some of the richest yacht owners on the Costa Smeralda. My first labels! Looking at them now I can see how they really bordered on naivety.

From these VIP contacts, with word of mouth and tenacity, I got in touch with the best Restaurants and Hotels on the Costa Smeralda and started selling them “Biancosmeraldo” and “Rossosmeraldo”.

Around 2007 the brand Unmaredivino was created and in 2009 the Winemaker Michele Tamponi joined the winery.

At “Su Cabrileddu” today I produce: Rossosmeraldo IGT Colli del Limbara, Biancosmeraldo Vermentino di Gallura docg Superiore, Oltremare, a red IGT Colli del Limbara, Terra&Mare red IGT Colli del Limbara and Terra&Mare Rosé IGT Colli Limbara.

In 2009 Arianna, my second daughter, was born.

2018

Pietrino my greatest support

By my side I have always had dad Pietrino who helped me, encouraged me and dispensed wisdom until he passed away in 2018.

In 2010, the wine I produced at Su Cabrileddu was no longer enough for the clientele I had built so I bought a plot of land, just over five hectares, in Muros.

The preparatory work began in August 2011 and on March 13, 2012 I planted the new vineyard: 4.2 hectares with a “very dense” planting pattern, unusual for Berchidda, 2.40 meters by 0.9 on the row.

This vineyard began production in 2014. In Muros I planted only Vermentino to produce “Terra e Mare” Vermentino di Gallura docg.

In 2015 my small cellar, at Su Cabrileddu, was transformed into a rational, well structured cellar, equipped with all the necessary technology to further make my dream come true, to produce wines of the highest quality.

In that same year, 2015, after careful research, many tastings, and a lot of information acquired, I rented a vineyard, almost 3 hectares, in Sorso-Sennori, in the Montiscia area, just above Tres Montes. This, in my opinion, is the best land to produce Cannonau. Here I started producing: “Nerosmeraldo”, Cannonau di Sardegna doc and “Su Mere” (“The Boss” in Sardinian language) a Cannonau doc Riserva, a Super Wine to celebrate what would have been the 90th birthday of Pietrino Sini, my father, “The Boss”.