A travel guide to the best wineries in Mendoza!
Do you love big bold red wines? Are you a Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz lover? If so, this is the destination that you have been dreaming of during your not-so-great wine and cheese work-related activities. In Mendoza, restaurants, and wineries are at the top of their game! This is the only guide you will need for your 3 days in Mendoza.
is Mendoza worth visiting? Absolutely! Mendoza is the perfect couple of friends' destination. We did this trip with another couple and it is a great destination to have fun among friends. I would recommend pairing Mendoza with other Argentinian regions or cities such as Buenos Aires and Patagonia, specifically Ushuaia. This Mendoza itinerary will help you plan the best trip. Check out my awesome 2-week itinerary in Argentina for all the tips to plan an epic vacation!
What makes Mendoza a wine heaven? It's the combination of soil, favourable weather conditions and know-how dating back from immigrants of the 19th century that made this region shine. The region is home to different grape varieties, the most famous one being Malbec. However, you should also try Bonarda, an indigenous type of vine (meaning that it was not originally from Europe). The altitude of this wine-producing region also plays an important factor in taste and production. The region has more than 1,500 wineries. Yes, that means plenty of good wine to drink!
The Mendoza province is huge, and you will need to analyze where you want to go, Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and Valle de Uco (Uco Valley) are the most well-known wine regions in Mendoza. Below you will find the best wineries in Mendoza. Maipu and Luján de Cuyo are around a 30 minute drive from each other and Valle de Uco is 1 hour away from Maipu.
Here is a practical travel guide for you to rock your stay at this wine heaven!
Which Mendoza wine region to choose?
This might be one of the first questions that you will ask yourself after doing a little research. You will quickly notice that Mendoza is quite big. You might not be able to see all the places that you had in mind if you have a limited schedule. I know, having only 2 weeks of PTO sucks! We chose to go to Maipú and Luján de Cuyo because it was closer to Mendoza city and, hence closer to the airport (around a 20-minute drive). There were also key wineries that we wanted to visit, and accommodations are much cheaper than in Valle de Uco. While I heard that Valle de Uco has some of the country’s greatest wineries and a beautiful location at the foot of the Andes Mountains offering a stunning backdrop, the prices for accommodations were more expensive. Valle de Uco is also 1:30 - 2 hours away from the airport. Also, wineries are more scattered and wider apart, meaning you will spend more time in a car, and you might do fewer wineries. Centrally located, Maipú is in and around the city of Mendoza while Lujan de Cuyo is south of the city of Mendoza, about thirty minutes away by car. Here, wineries are closer one to the other so you will be doing less driving and more drinking! The accommodations around this area were also cheaper, I thought that they were a better price value.
How many days?
This guide is the perfect 3-day Mendoza itinerary. I would suggest staying 3-4 days. There are plenty of activities and wineries to visit if you want to stay longer but I think that 3-4 days are enough if you are doing just wineries. If you are doing other activities such as hiking or rafting, then I would recommend staying longer. It all depends on what your interests are. Don’t forget that you have to take into account your transportation time.
Getting in and out of Mendoza
Chances are that you will arrive in Mendoza by plane via Buenos Aires since it is the air hub of the country. Domestic flights within the country are quite affordable and it might be your preferred mode of transportation. We took flights from Buenos Aires (BA) to Mendoza and to Ushuaia. Note that BA is the hub so you will most likely have to go to BA to do your internal transfers. For example, there were no flights that served Mendoza from Ushuaia, so we had to go back to BA. You can also take a bus or drive from BA to Mendoza, but it will take you around 14 hours in total. You can also arrive in Mendoza by road from Chile, I heard that the road is one of the most scenic in the world! Maybe one day I will get a chance to visit it!
10 Tips to master your time in Mendoza like a pro!
Most wineries require reservations and a tour of the winery is mandatory so check beforehand which wineries you want to visit and reserve them. Most of them will explain their winemaking process. You can easily make the reservation by email or on the winery website. Don’t worry if you don’t speak Spanish, they will always have a representative that speaks English or another language.
Tours and wine tastings generally last 60-90 minutes. Have a little extra space in between the wineries so you don’t feel rushed to get to the other one.
Plan your budget accordingly: you will need to pay a fee for all of them. Each visit is around $10 per person. In each tasting, you have around 4 different wines to taste.
Most of the wineries open at 10 am and close around 3 pm. Most of them are closed on Sundays as well as during holidays.
Since the wineries close early, you will only visit three to four wineries per day – three at maximum if you are having a winery lunch.
Plan an activity for after 3 pm since most of the wineries close at that time.
Plan your route by region - as there is quite a bit of distance in between.
Bring cash (pesos) just in case a winery does not accept credit cards.
Drink lots of water! The region is a little arid and during the summer it gets hot.
Obviously, don’t drink and drive! I would suggest hiring a driver to show you around.
Best wineries in Mendoza
Each winery, or bodega, as they are known locally, has its own size, style, and its own specialty. Here are the best wineries and restaurants in Maipú and Luján de Cuyo. During the tours, the Mendoza wineries explain to you everything you need to know about wine production and winemaking. If you ever want to learn more about the process or how to taste certain notes like a pro, this is your chance.
BODEGA LUIGI BOSCA
This is my dad’s favourite wine so I could not miss this winery. I think he would have been very mad at me if I would not have brought back home a bottle purchased inside the winery! The wine is one of the best in the region and has been awarded multiple awards throughout the years. Their premium wines are well-balanced, and it is one of the oldest wineries in the region. Plus, it has an art installation inside. Here, you get to taste 4 different wines from their different ranges and grape types. I enjoyed that I got to taste some of their high-end bottles.
EL ENEMIGO
This one was not on our original list; it was a reference from our driver. It's the vineyard of Adrianna Catena, the daughter of the internationally awarded wine-grower Nicolas Catena. This vineyard has a youthful and laid-back vibe. It has several art installations referring to its name and to the European immigrants who arrived in the region. Adrianna is a prominent historian, and this is shown through the art exposed. The World’s best vineyards academy put this winery at number 41 on a global scale. This winery apparently does great lunches too. Even when we are home, we continue to buy this one wherever it is available. The restaurant is on the Discovery list of the World's 50 best restaurants.
Knowing a little more about this family, made me regret not knowing about Catena Zapata before!
TIERRAS ALTAS
This is from Familia Arizu, the same family as the owners of Luigi Bosca, and their wines are equally as good. We liked their wine tasting experience since they made it under a game format, it was lots of fun! This format was great, and it was a different take on the other tours as it might get a little repetitive. The winery has a young and playful vibe that is kind of reflected in the wines. This is one of the many Lujan de Cuyo wineries.
FINCA AGOSTINA
This bodega has a beautiful garden with a rooftop with roses that overlooks the vines and it is a nice place to hang out with our sparkling wine in hand. They also do cooking classes which could be a great activity on your trip! Funny story, these are Italian immigrants, that arrived in Argentina and then moved to Montreal. During their retirement from their construction company, they moved back to Argentina and created this winery. Coming from Montreal, we appreciated this story. Who knows, maybe one day, we will open a winery too! Another famous and big winery is the Bodega Zuccardi from the Familia Zuccardi, a family that has been making wines for multiple generations. They also do great olive oil. This winery was highly recommended by one of the wine tours that we did, sadly, we had to choose carefully which wineries to visit.
We did not try Domaine Bousquet but it is known for its local wines and organic cultivation, it has a few winning wines under its belt, maybe we will try it on our next visit. Another Mendoza vineyard to visit is the Bodega Carmelo Patti. Bodega Norton and Bodega Familia Cassone are other popular wineries that everyone says are very good.
Winery lunches and restaurants
Bodega Ruca Malen
This one is by far my favourite meal ever! Not only the food is great, but the wine and the setting are simply perfect. The winery offers the views of the Andes mountains and it is a great backdrop for your delicious 6 course lunch, all with generous wine pairings (5 glasses). The restaurant was awarded the “Best Experience in the World's Winery Restaurant” by Global Best of Wine Tourism in 2013. It makes me wonder who has won it since! I will go there in a heartbeat! The fixed menu at the restaurant is updated every 3 months so that it is strictly seasonal. Everything is local, including herbs and vegetables that are grown organically in their garden. If you have any dietary restrictions, they will accommodate you. My lactose-free meal looked even better than the rest of the group! Pro Tip: Ask for a place on their patio or their solarium to enjoy the views. Don’t book anything afterwards, you will want to stay there for a while. Trust me.
Trapiche
Trapiche is the biggest winery in the country and the one that exports the most. If you have tasted Trapiche wines abroad and you did not like it, give it another try as they don’t export their best and quality wines, they keep it for the domestic market. How selfish of them!
Espacio Trapiche is a modern restaurant that has a three-course lunch and a tasting menu of seven courses. Some of their vegetables and herbs are harvested in their garden. A definitely must-try with their wines. This restaurant also won the title of Best Winery Restaurant 2019 by Great Wine Capitals. I like the fact that some of the servings were interactive so, for example, you will spice your soup to your liking by crushing the spices yourself.
1884 restaurant
This is the restaurant of the famous chef Francis Mallman. You might know him from the Chef’s Table series on Netflix. Yes, the series that you stopped watching because it made you hungry and made you want to book your next foodie vacation. The restaurant shines a light on the local gastronomy and know-how, making it the perfect supper. The empanadas mendocinas and steak or lamb are a must-try! The restaurant is located in an old winery and you are sitting in the garden, making it a very romantic setting with the lights hanging. Be sure to make your reservation for this restaurant on a day that you are not doing a winery restaurant, you will still be full, and you will not enjoy it as much as you should otherwise.
Getting around the wine region of Mendoza
As you will be drinking lots of wine, please don’t drink and drive! You have several options to go from one bodega to another. Here are the Mendoza wine tour options I suggest.
Do a DIY tour. You can hire a private driver with your selected stops or rent a car. You can easily find a driver by asking at the reception desk of your hotel. The second option will be to have a designated driver in your group so you can rent a car. However, this option sucks if you are the designated driver. The Pros for the DIY option is that it gives you plenty of flexibility but if you are hiring a private driver it can be more expensive.
If you are into organized tours, you can do group tours there is a wide range of tours, from bike tours to small group tours, you can choose the one that fits you best. Borravino Wine Tours is a popular tour company. The companies can have a one-day or multi-day wine tour. You can also do a private tour.
The last option will be to take the Bus Viticola, the Mendoza Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour. The cons side of options 2 and 3, of doing organized tours is that you don’t get to choose your wineries. The good side is that you don’t have to plan and book in advance. Also, the bus comes with a tour guide so you can understand more about the region and the country.
We took a private driver. We loved this option as we did not have to worry about anything just relax and drink our wine. Since we were picky with our wine, we made our selection beforehand and we gave it to the driver to help us with the logistics.
Things to do in Mendoza (besides wine)
Too much wine? Who are you kidding? There is no such thing as too much wine! However, if you are looking for other activities other than eating and drinking, this wine country also has that. You can go to the highest peak of the Andes (in fact, of South America), Cerro Aconcagua. You don’t need to do a several-day hike or be an experienced hiker to do part of the trail at the base. You can go to one of the many spas, the region is also known for its natural hot springs and thermal baths. Go whitewater rafting in the Mendoza River, to get your adrenaline pumping or you can also visit the historical city of Mendoza with Plaza Independencia being the heart of the city center. Cerro de Gloria has sweeping panoramic views of the city and the mountains beyond. Reserva Natural Villavicencio is a great national park to see wild animals. For these last two activities, it will be preferable to rent a car since they are further away. These outdoor activities can be a great day trip. Wherever there are vineyards, there are beautiful olive groves. Here, you’ll be able to taste some delicious olives and olive oil. Don’t forget to bring some home! 3 hours from Mendoza city, you have the town of San Rafael which is known for the beautiful Cañón del Atuel and the Dique Valle Grande. You can also do horseback riding tours.
Where to stay?
There are multiple hotels and different types of accommodations in the region.
We stayed at Posada Cavieres. This small Wine Lodge features a vineyard and an olive grove. It has around 9 rooms each with its own patio with a hammock. And who doesn’t love to nap in a hammock? The posada was peaceful, affordable and well-located. Buffet breakfast was included in the price and you had the option of having dinner on-site too. The posada is owned by a German who fell in love with the region and decided to have its own vineyard. On-site, you can rent bikes and tour around the area.
Practical information for Argentina
IS IT DANGEROUS?
In general, Argentina is pretty safe. However, due to the economic difficulties that the country is experiencing crime is on the rise, so be careful. In the wineries, I will not be worried since each has its own security. If you are wandering around the city of Mendoza, I would take some precautions with your wallet, camera, and cellphone.
TAP WATER
You can drink tap water so ditch your plastic bottle and fill your reusable bottle at the hotel. Remember to keep hydrated ;)
CURRENCY
The currency of the country is the Argentinian Peso. The sign is $ (so don’t get mixed up with USD or CAD). Due to the monetary crises that have constantly beaten Argentina in the past decades, it is very hard to find pesos outside of the country since they need to stabilize their monetary reserves. I would suggest exchanging money upon arrival. You can also pay with credit cards in most places. Always keep cash for smaller purchases.
POWER
In Argentina, the power plugs and sockets are of type C (characterized by 2 pins) and I (characterized by 3 pins, it kind of looks like a crying smiley face). The standard voltage is 220 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.
So which bottle of wine are you going to bring back home after your tour of wineries?
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