There are only five places in the world where people live on average much longer than the rest of humanity. They are called Blue Zones. One is in Japan, one in California, one in Costa Rica, one in Greece. And then there's Sardinia.
Not just any part of Sardinia: the interior. Those mountain villages in Barbagia and Ogliastra where men reach 100 years of age with an unparalleled frequency in the world.
Many ask: how do they do it? The answer is simpler — and more fascinating — than one might think.
What are Blue Zones?
The term "Blue Zones" originated from a demographic study published in Experimental Gerontology by researchers Gianni Pes (a Sardinian doctor) and Michel Poulain (a Belgian demographer). Analyzing global longevity data, the two scholars circled areas with the highest concentration of centenarians in blue ink on a map — hence the name. The research was then extended globally and popularized in 2004 by National Geographic with explorer Dan Buettner.
In Sardinia, there are approximately 20 centenarians per 10,000 inhabitants, twice the Italian average. And the ratio of male to female centenarians is 2 to 1 — much more balanced than elsewhere: a sign that cultural, social, and environmental factors make longevity a reality for men too.
The five recognized Blue Zones are:
- Sardinia, Italy — the highest concentration of male centenarians in the world
- Okinawa, Japan
- Loma Linda, California
- Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
- Ikaria, Greece — where almost 1 in 3 inhabitants reach 90 years of age
Where are the Sardinian centenarians found?
Not on a beach. Not in a coastal city. The longest-living villages in Sardinia are in the mountainous interior, far from mass tourism.
There are three main areas:
- Ogliastra — the area with the highest concentration of male centenarians. Strisaili, Arzana, Talana, Baunei, Urzulei, Triei.
- Barbagia di Ollolai — Tiana, Ovodda, Ollolai, Gavoi, Fonni, Mamoiada, Orgosolo, Oliena.
- Seulo — a single village in Barbagia di Seùlo, with 20 centenarians in the last 20 years. It boasts the title of "the longest-living village in the world."
What do centenarians in Blue Zones have in common?
Researchers have analyzed the habits of these populations, looking for common traits. From a genetic perspective, they are very different from each other, so it's not a matter of DNA. The causes are related to environment, diet, and lifestyle.
Recurring factors include:
- Strong family ties — having a role in the community, feeling useful and necessary to others.
- Low chronic stress — a fulfilling life, capable of finding value in small things.
- No smoking — almost no centenarians in Blue Zones have ever smoked.
- Natural daily movement — not gym or competitive sports, but walking, working the land, moving as part of the day. Centenarian shepherds are accustomed to walking up to 8 kilometers a day.
- Simple, local diet — fresh produce, few preservatives, little meat.
What do Sardinian centenarians eat (and drink)?
The diet of the Sardinian Blue Zone is an extreme version of the Mediterranean diet. Low in meat, rich in legumes, whole grains, local cheese, seasonal fruits, and vegetables.
But one thing must be stated honestly: the diet of Sardinian elders was not a conscious choice driven by well-being, but a necessity imposed by poverty and isolation. It was a subsistence diet, frugal and repetitive. Yet, that very frugality has proven, over time, to be extraordinarily effective.
The most common foods on centenarians' tables:
- Legumes — fava beans, chickpeas, common beans, lentils, as a primary source of protein
- Whole grains — malloreddus, fregola, pane carasau from local durum wheat
- Sheep and goat cheese and dairy products — especially Pecorino Sardo, Caprino, ricotta, and fermented yogurt: more digestible than cow's milk products, with a better anti-inflammatory profile
- Fresh vegetables and fruit — seasonal, often home-grown, with wild herbs from the maquis, cardoons, and chicory
- Extra virgin olive oil, walnuts, and almonds — monounsaturated fats that protect the heart
- Little meat — local lamb or pork, a few times a month; unlike Okinawa, fish is rarely consumed in the interior
And then there's the wine.
One or two glasses a day, always accompanied by food and preferably in company. The most consumed wines among Sardinian centenarians are Cannonau, Vermentino, Vernaccia, and Malvasia — all local wines, produced just a few kilometers from where they live.
Cannonau, in particular, has become internationally famous thanks to studies that have measured exceptionally high levels of resveratrol, anthocyanins, and polyphenols — natural antioxidants — up to 2-3 times higher than other red wines, due to the island's climatic conditions and traditional winemaking techniques. Some research suggests that these molecules can contribute to cardiovascular health if consumption remains moderate.
It's not magic. It's a good glass of wine, in good company, at the end of the day. The keyword is moderation: Cannonau is not a magic potion — it's part of a lifestyle that includes movement, community, simple food, and no rush.
What we can learn
The Sardinian Blue Zone is not a model to be mechanically replicated — it is a philosophy to be understood. Frugality, seasonality, conviviality. Eating together matters as much as what you eat. Walking matters as much as going to the gym. A glass of Cannonau matters as much as the company you share it with.
The wine of longevity, from the region that made it famous
At Colline del Vento, we produce wines from indigenous Sardinian grape varieties — Cannonau and Vermentino — cultivated in Villasimius with respect for the territory: not in Ogliastra, but on the same island, with the same philosophy. We don't add what's not needed. We work so that in the glass there is wine, not chemicals.
We don't promise a hundred years. But we do promise a good glass, to share with those you love.
→ Discover our Sardinian wines on the shop
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Sardinia a Blue Zone?
Because the province of Nuoro — particularly Barbagia and Ogliastra — has the highest concentration of male centenarians in the world. Researchers attribute this record to a combination of diet, lifestyle, strong social ties, and the absence of chronic stress.
Is Cannonau really good for you?
Some research suggests that Cannonau contains higher levels of resveratrol and polyphenols than the average red wine — up to 2-3 times more. These compounds are associated with cardiovascular benefits. That said, no study claims that drinking Cannonau will make you live a hundred years: it is the combination of all factors — diet, movement, social relationships — that makes the difference.
How many Blue Zones are there in the world?
Five: Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Loma Linda (California), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), and Ikaria (Greece).
Where are the longest-living villages in Sardinia located?
In the mountainous interior, not on the coast. The main areas are Ogliastra and Barbagia di Ollolai, in the province of Nuoro. The village with the absolute record of centenarians in the last twenty years is Seulo.
What do Sardinian centenarians eat?
A frugal diet of peasant and pastoral origin: legumes, whole grains, pane carasau, sheep and goat dairy products, seasonal vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, little meat, and one or two glasses of wine with meals — almost always Cannonau.
100 Centenarians: the photographic project by Luigi Corda
If you want to get closer to Sardinian centenarians not through data but through faces, there is a book worth knowing about.
Luigi Corda, a photographer from Cagliari, spent about two years traveling Sardinia to photograph one hundred centenarians on the island. The result is "100 Centenari," published by Silvana Editoriale in a bilingual Italian/English edition.
It is not a book of science or statistics. It is a book of portraits: close-up, full-page, black and white photographs. Each image tries to convey, through a glance, a smile, a gesture, something that numbers cannot express. Each portrait is accompanied by a short text — habits, diet, memories, a curiosity — like a flash on that person's life.
The result is an anthropological document of great tenderness, with a preface by the Sardinian anthropologist and writer Giulio Angioni, professor at the University of Cagliari. The work has also been exhibited in Milan, in collaboration with the Bìfoto Festival of Photography in Sardinia.
When flipping through it, readers say, what is most striking is the pride in these faces as they show the signs of time. Not nostalgia, not fragility — pride.
→ Discover Luigi Corda's book "100 Centenari" on Silvana Editoriale
Sardinia is not just famous for its beaches. It's famous because somewhere in that rugged and beautiful interior there is something that works — in the food, in the wine, in the way people come together. It's worth learning something from that tradition.
Salude e trigu — and may you live a hundred years.
