Argiolas, founded 1938 in Serdiana just 20 minutes inland, is the reference-point winery of modern Sardinia — the house behind Turriga, the island's most celebrated red. A guided cellar visit walks you through the fermentation halls and barrel rooms before a seated tasting of premium wines (Cannonau, Vermentino, the flagship blends) paired with local pecorino, salumi and carasau bread. For wine lovers it's a genuine bucket-list stop, and the new on-site Domu restaurant makes a long lunch possible.
What to expect
An English-speaking host leads you through the working winery — stainless tanks, the must, the barrel cellar — then sits you down for a structured tasting of the estate's top wines with a Sardinian cheese-and-charcuterie board. It's unhurried and genuinely educational, not a quick pour. Plan ~1.5–2 hours, longer if you add a Domu restaurant lunch. You'll want a driver so everyone can taste freely.
Cruise 'Taste of Sardinia' food-and-wine excursions run roughly USD 90–150 per person but usually pour at a generic agriturismo rather than a marquee estate. Serdiana is an easy ~20–30 min drive, so booking Argiolas direct plus a private transfer lets you taste at the island's most respected cellar for a similar price — direct wins on prestige and depth. If you don't want to arrange a car, a ship taste-of-Sardinia tour is a reasonable convenience play.
Good to know
About 20–30 min from the pier; pre-book the tasting online (limited 11:00/15:00 slots, closed weekends) and arrange a private car so no one has to abstain. Build in buffer time against all-aboard — inland plus a long tasting can run late. Consider shipping or hand-carrying a bottle of Turriga home.
Sail there
Luxury cruises that call at Cagliari — book through us, the fare is identical and your concierge stays on your side.