If you are traveling in the Cagliari area, wine tasting at Cantine Argiolas Serdiana is a must!
As you often read on this site, there are tons of different things to do in Sardinia: sunbathing at the beach; exploring ancient archeological sites around the island; shopping; museum-hopping and more.
I also recommend visiting a winery, and the good news is that there are many excellent wineries in Sardinia. If you are in the South of Sardinia, Argiolas Winery offers excellent wine tasting experiences and a wide range of other activities.
This is by far my favorite winery in Sardinia. Curious to discover more about Argiolas wine, Argiolas winery and the area? Continue reading as I am about to reveal all its secrets – and trust me, I know them all!
Where Are Cantine Argiolas Located?
Cantine Argiolas are located in the lovely Serdiana, in the heart of Parteolla just 20 km (12.4 miles) from Cagliari, the capital of of Sardinia. This wine and olive oil producing region is one of the most underrated places to visit in Sardinia.
Serdiana is tiny, but it has a fantastic tradition of wine production. No more than 2600 people live there, and it currently has 6 wineries! My mom is from Serdiana and I still have family there, so I go there all the time.
Serdiana is perfect for day trip from Cagliari, and offers some interesting attractions which include the Santa Maria di Sibiola Church and Su Stani Saliu, where you can admire a huge variety of birds – including pink flamingos.
More than anything, Serdiana is famous for the production of top quality olive oil and wine. Argiolas makes the best wine in the area and indeed some of the best wines in Sardinia.
The History Of Cantine Argiolas
Cantine Argiolas were founded in 1938 by Antonio Argiolas. Back then, he owned a mere 3 hectares of land in the countryside of Serdiana. At a time when vines were being eradicated from Sardinia, he persisted with his vision of making wine.
Curious to learn more about the wine making process, Antonio traveled to mainland Italy and overseas. In 1979 he visited Argentina and California and understood the importance of investing in new technology for the production of wine. He also bought more land – specifically, the Selegas-Sa Tanca and the Susini estates, the winery’s largest ones.
Argiolas Winery is now run by the founder’s sons, Franco and Giuseppe (Francolino and Peppetto, as they are known in Serdiana), and his grandsons Valentina, Francesca and Antonio.
Argiolas produces Sardinian wines with endemic grapes – from the most famous varietals to lesser known ones. They have a strong focus on sustainability when it comes to the cultivation of the vines and the production of grapes. They also use avant-garde technology in the wine-making process.
Argiolas Winery is now among the most internationally famous Italian wineries.
The grapes are farmed in fields that have the ideal conditions to provide an excellent product: different grapes are cultivated in different soils, for best results.
The Best Wines At Cantine Argiolas
Argiolas Winery has a huge selection of wines. Here are some of my favorites.
Turriga
By far my favorite wine in the world – and that says a lot! The first bottled of Turriga were sold in 1991, and it was an immediate success.
Turriga is a dark red wine, an incredible blend of various grapes which include Bovale and other Sardinian varietals. It is aged in French oak barriques for 18 to 24 months, then bottled and refined for a further 12 to 14 months before being sold.
It is and excellent wine to accompany meat and aged cheese, with a strong, firm taste. It’s an expensive wine so you want to save it for special occasions.
S’Elegas
S’Elegas is by and large my parents’ favorite Sardinian white wine.
This is a pure Nuragus wine, made with Nuragus grapes – one of the best Sardinian varietals. The wine ferments in stainless steels barrels at 18°C (that’s 64.4°F) for 18 days, and then stored in vats.
It is a fruity, soft yellow wine and one of Cantine Argiolas’ best sellers. It’s great when paired with seafood-based dishes and soft, fresh cheese.
Iselis Monica
Monica is one of the best Sardinian red varietals, and the Iselis Monica is simply delicious. You can serve it with pasta and meat (it’s perfect with lamb), tuna fish and medium aged pecorino cheese.
Argiolas also has another Iselis, made with Nasco grapes, which are lesser known but still excellent. I tried it on my latest wine tasting and loved how fresh and fragrant it tasted.
Is Argiolas
Cantine Argiolas make various kinds of Vermentino wines – made with Vermentino grapes, one of the most famous Sardinian varietals. Costamolino and Merì are their popular Vermentino wines, yet my favorite is Is Argiolas.
This wine is fermented with native yeasts only, at a controlled temperature of 16 or 17°C (60.8 to 62.6°F) for a period of 25 to 30 days.
It can be paired with lots of foods but tastes especially great with fish and seafood dishes, culurgiones pasta, seafood or artichoke risotto, seafood pasta, grilled fish and medium-aged cheese.
Is Solinas
Is Solinas is one of the best Carignano wines you can get your hands on. The wine is fermented and macerated for a period of 10 to 12 days in controlled conditions, then transferred to cement tanks where it continues the fermentation process before being moved to barriques.
It is a ruby red wine with a full, warm taste, excellent with pasta dishes, and the traditional Sardinian roasted suckling pig.
Korem
Korem is one of the so-called “excellences” in Argiolas Winery, meaning it’s one of the wines they are most proud of. It is a pure Bovale wine, so expect something a bit strong and alcoholic.
This red wine is excellent with any meat-based dish such as the traditional roasted suckling pig, Sardinian grilled sausage, and with mature pecorino cheese.
Making The Most Of Cantine Argiolas
Argiolas Winery offers a nice variety of activities for visitors. You can book them directly via their website. Here are the most interesting ones.
Wine tasting
Wine tasting experiences are the most classic way of enjoying the Cantine Argiolas Serdiana and Argiolas wine. You will go around the cellar with your guide, have views of the vineyards, and learn about the process of wine making.
At the end of the tour, you will have the opportunity to try various wines and typical Sardinian products which pair well with them.
The most budget friendly wine tasting tour at Argiolas Winery is the Innovazione experience which includes tastings of Merì, Iselis Nasco, Iselis Monica and Cardanera, but is only available for larger groups, much like the classic wine tasting which includes tastings of Merì, Iselis Nasco, Korem and Turriga.
Other than that, you have the option for the Top Tasting Experience, which includes 4 tastings, or the Prestige wine tasting experience includes the same tastings of the classic experience, plus a tasting of Is Solinas and one of Angialis wines, for a total of 6 tastings.
Wine tasting tours are available Monday to Friday at 11:00 am or 3:00 pm, and on Saturdays at 10:30 am. An additional tour is available in the afternoon in the peak summer months.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes will allow you to pair wine tasting to traditional Sardinian dishes. During these lessons, expert local teachers will show you how to make either Sardinian fregula or ravioli, giving you lots of information about the ingredients needed to create a perfect dish, and helping you master them.
After the class, everyone sits at a table and eats what has been cooked: nothing goes to waste!
The price of cooking classes varies depending on what you wish to prepare. The experience is available Monday to Friday from 10:30 am.
Domu Restaurant
The most recent addition to Argiolas Winery is the Domu Restaurant. It’s located on the other side of the street from the winery, in the building where old Antonio Argiolas used to live and that’s been beautifully refurbished.
Domu has inaugurated on 3 July 2025, and opened to the public on 29 July 2025. Here, chef Alessandro Taras creates contemporary dishes using local ingredients. Needless to say, all the dishes are paired with the best Argiolas wines, so you are in for quite a culinary experience.
There are two tasting menus – one is fish and seafood based, one is meat based.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. You are better off booking a table in advance via email [email protected].
Casa di Nonno Guesthouse
As I have said before, the house where Antonio Argiolas, the founder of Cantine Argiolas, lived in Serdiana has been completely refurbished. There now are five beautiful rooms where you can sleep, and which can host up to four guests.
All rooms have their own bathroom and are decorated with contemporary furnishings that still reflect local traditions.
You can book your room by sending an email to [email protected].
Cantine Aperte
Cantine Aperte literally means “open wineries” and it’s an event that typically takes place every year between April and May and allows you to visit the best wineries in the area of Serdiana and the neighboring Dolianova.
Among them there obviously is Cantine Argiolas, but you can also visit Audarya and Pala in Serdiana, and the Cantina Sociale di Dolianova among others.
It’s a very festive event with lots of locals, and during which you are normally also able to visit historical sites in the area. You will pay a small fee to get a glass and with that you can walk around to ask for tastings.
Argiolas Wine Bar at Cagliari Airport
If you haven’t had time to visit Argiolas Winery in Serdiana, you will be happy to know that there is an Argiolas Wine Bar in the departures terminal of Cagliari Airport. They obviously the best Argiolas wine, and a great menu of sandwiches and light meals to enjoy right before you fly off!
Practical Information
Cantine Argiolas opening hours and contacts
Argiolas Winery can be visited Monday to Saturday. Whichever experience you are looking to have, you will need to book it at least 24 hours in advance by using the form on the website.
The Wine Shop is open Monday to Friday from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and from 3:00 to 6:00 pm and on Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
How to get to Cantine Argiolas
Argiolas Winery is located inside Serdiana, and the village is quite easy to reach from Cagliari – there is only one possible route!
From Cagliari, will need to follow State Road SS 554, turn left towards Dolianova-Ballao and take State Road SS 387 all the way to Serdiana. It takes about 30 minutes to get there depending on your starting point in Cagliari.
Further Readings
These other posts will be useful when planning a trip to Southern Sardinia:
Looking for more unique wineries in Sardinia? Read my posts:
Pin It For Later!
Hi! Argiolas is not participating in Cantine Aperte this time, but Audarya and Pala are – though I was told you need to book in advance so you may want to enquire with them about it. If you read my post about Serdiana, I wrote the contacts there. They are all very good wineries. Argiolas is my personal favorite though! Enjoy Serdiana, it’s a lovely small town!
Thank you for this guide and all the great content! I listened to your episode of Untold Italy in preparation for my trip to Cagliari next weekend. One question – you write about Cantine Aperte here in this post. We will be in Cagliari next Sunday May 28th! What do you recommend we do? Should we just visit Cantine Argiolas? Will there be an open festival in Serdinia? Or should we try to book a tour of Argiolas on that date? Any guidance on how to make the most of Cantine Aperte would be much appreciated!!! Thanks in advance. – Mike