Argiolas

Producing archetypal wines from native varieties, Argiolas is the foremost wine estate on the island of Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean located roughly 190 miles west of Italy’s mainland. Formed in 1938 when Antonio Argiolas inherited seven acres of vines from his father and became the first on the island to convert to modern viticulture in the pursuit of quality over quantity. His sons, Franco and Giuseppe, replanted the vineyards in the 1980s with the goal of reducing yields and focusing exclusively on Sardinian grapes, including Bovale Sardo, Carignano, and Cannonau.

The island can be divided into three principal viticultural areas: the North, imarked by the marine influence of the Costa Smeralda; the Southwest, where Carignano is at its best; and the Trexenta hills north of the capital of Cagliari. The vineyards of Argiolas are located in the areas of Trexenta and Sulcis where the family controls 600 acres where the family has worked diligently to become the leader in Sardinian enology.

The winery produces both a classic and prestige line of wines. The classic wines are fresh in style and bottled under various DOCs, including Vermentino di Sardegna and Cannonau di Sardegna. The late, great oenologist Giacomo Tachis believed southern Sardinia possessed the “true soul of the island,” and helped create the prestige offerings of Argiolas, bottled under the Isola del Nuraghi IGT and aged in French barriques. These include Korem, based on Bovale Sardo, and the benchmark Cannonau blend Turriga.

The winery has also become a point of reference for the promotion of the culture of wine, food and hospitality and fertile ground for projects and new ideas. Collaboration with the artistic, intellectual and creative strengths in Sardinia is a driver of constant growth, a crossroads of narratives.

In addition to protecting local vines and investing in sustainability, Argiolas experiments with cutting-edge cultivation techniques, uses the advice of international experts and speaks the language of the future.