Why this wine is personal to Alessa

For Alessa, Lupus in Fabula begins with a personal meeting. Daniela Pinna came to our restaurant Carne & Cucina to present her Sardinian wines and speak directly about the land, Vermentino and the choices behind every bottle. Hearing the story from the woman who made the wine gave us a connection that goes far beyond a technical tasting note.

Meet Daniela Pinna

Daniela is the agronomist, owner and winemaker behind Tenute Olbios in Gallura, at the northern end of Sardinia. She studied agricultural science and then specialised in viticulture and winemaking, determined to gain the practical knowledge needed to care for the family property and make wine under her own direction.

Her mother played a central part in the story. After being widowed with three children, she resisted every offer to sell the land and kept the farm intact. She also understood how difficult agriculture could be for a woman. Daniela nevertheless followed that path, took responsibility for the property in 2003 and built the winery with her husband from limited beginnings, reinvesting patiently as the estate grew.

A happy land in Gallura

The name Ólbios comes from an ancient Greek word for happy, prosperous and fertile land. The estate lies at Venafiorita near Olbia, in Gallura: a landscape shaped by granite, Mediterranean scrub, wind and the influence of the nearby sea. Beneath the vineyards run natural watercourses travelling from the Limbara hills towards the coast.

Those conditions demand careful farming. The soils are old, sandy and loose, formed mainly from decomposed granite with a light layer of clay. Tenute Olbios limits treatments, avoids chemical fertilisers and preserves traditional skills including pruning, tying, grape selection and harvesting by hand.

Lupus in Fabula: the first wine

Lupus in Fabula was Daniela's first wine selection, first produced in 2006 and dedicated to her mother. It is made entirely from Vermentino and carries the Vermentino di Gallura DOCG Superiore designation. The wine is intended to show that Gallura Vermentino can offer depth, structure and longevity as well as immediate seaside freshness.

How the wine is made

The grapes are picked by hand in small boxes during the first part of September. They are gently pressed under vacuum, then the must is cooled quickly and clarified by cold settling. A slow, temperature-controlled fermentation follows in stainless steel, preserving the grape's aromatic clarity.

After fermentation, Lupus remains on its lees in steel for at least eight months. That extended contact builds a fuller texture and long persistence without covering the fruit with oak. The result feels generous and substantial, yet the mineral and saline character keeps it precise.

What it tastes like

In the glass, look for white-fleshed fruit, pear and peach, then the flowers of Mediterranean scrub, hawthorn and wild pear. Orange and grapefruit peel add brightness. The finish is long, mineral and gently almondy, with the richer golden colour reflected in the photographs above.

How to serve it

Daniela was also an early Italian adopter of the distinctive resealable glass closure, chosen to protect the wine's clean aromatic character. Serve Lupus at 8-10°C in a medium white-wine glass with grilled fish, shellfish or seafood pasta. It is especially suited to a generous long lunch—the kind of wine whose story deserves to be shared at the table.