May 29, 2024
Mendoza | 5 Minute Wine Tasting Guide
Mendoza is one of the world’s wine capital, and for good reason. There are 800+ wineries within Mendoza, from international acclaimed wines to local gems. You’ll need to spend months here to visit all the vineyards. Located on the foothills of the Andes, Mendoza is known to produce the world’s best Malbec.
This five (or maybe ten) minute wine tasting guide covers essential information you need to know when visiting Argentina’s wine region.
In This Guide
Three Major Wine Regions
When to Visit
How to Book Wine Tastings
How to Get Around
How Much Time Do I Need
Top Wineries in Each Regions
Wine Tastings Tips
Three Major Wine Regions
The wine region is huge! You can break Mendoza into three wine regions: Maipu, Lujan de Cuyo, and Uco Valley.
- Maipu is the closest to Mendoza city only about a fifteen-minute car ride away from the Mendoza city center. This is the oldest region and considered the area that birthed the winemaking in Argentina. It’s closeness to Mendoza makes it an easy and affordable wine tasting destination. This area also has quite a bit of olive oil tastings too!
- Lujan de Cuyo is about a thirty to forty-five minutes’ drive south of Mendoza city center. This area is probably my favorite. It has a good mixture of household names but also newer and growing wineries. It’s has a little bit of everything: good wine, rewarded gastronomic experiences, and rivers and mountains.
- Uco Valley is the region furthest and most expansive region, and to get the most authentic experience, requires a full day of its own to explore. The vineyards here are incredible and architectural marvels on its own right. Uco Valley borders the Andes and every vineyard you visit will have jaw dropping views of mountain range. This is the epitome of luxury wine tourism and the prices here are higher than the other two regions.
When to Visit
The weather is Mendoza is ideal to visit year-round. Peak season for wine tourism is summer (December – April) and considered the best time to visit. The weather in this time can range from 70-90F.
Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia is held annually during March to celebrate the harvest and brings a large crowd from all over the world to celebrate the festival.
My recommendation is to go during the shoulder seasons, spring (October – November) and autumn (April – May) where the weather is still very manageable and the crowds are low.
How to Book Wine Tastings
The easiest way to book wine tastings without a hassle is through a pre-booked tour that will take you to three to four different vineyards for tastings. I, however, recommend you book wine tastings yourself. This gives you freedom to spend more time at wineries.
You can easily book tastings and experiences directly from the wineries’ websites. Some places, however, may require you to reach out to them via WhatApp.
Local Tip: Reservations for wine tastings and lunches require bookings ahead of time – usually about 1-3 weeks ahead of your planned visit. I made all my bookings about ten days ahead of when I wanted to visit and was able to get reservations no problem.
How to Get Around
Depending on which region you choose to visit, you will need to plan your transportation appropriately. Below are the ways to get around the vineyards. Walking is not a possibility since the vineyards are spread apart.
Biking | The most authentic way to experience wineries is by biking to wineries. Maipu and certain areas within Lujan de Cuyo are very bike-able (and encouraged). The wineries in Uco Valley are spread apart and a car or private transfer is recommended (and Uco Valley is about a two-hour drive from Mendoza city center). You can find most bike rental companies scattered throughout the city and should cost about USD 8 -15 a day.
Recommended regions to bike: Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo
Local Tip: Most bike rental companies require you return your bike by 5PM. Make sure to plan your vineyard visits accordingly.
Public Transportation | There are bus routes from Mendoza city center and Lujan de Cuyo, however, the further away from the city center you go, the bus stops lessen. Additionally, the bus does not stop directly in front of wineries and you will be required to walk a distance to your wineries (especially in Lujan de Cuyo and Uco Valley).
Recommended regions to use public transportation: Maipu
Uber or Cabify | Ride sharing is abundant in Mendoza and should have no problem getting to the wineries in Maipu and most wineries in Lujan de Cuyo. You are, however, dependent on their timeliness especially if you are tight on schedule.
Recommended regions to ride shares: Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo
Car | Renting a car yourself gives you the most freedom in experiencing Mendoza at your own pace (and taking many breaks to take pictures of the scenery). Parking is free at wineries.
Recommended regions to car: Lujan de Cuyo and Uco Valley
Private Transfer or Tour | With the heavy wine tourism, you can easily hire a personal driver for the day who will drive you from vineyard to vineyard, which is convenient so you don’t have to worry about pacing yourself at wineries. Tours can get expensive in comparison to making your own reservations at wineries. If you want to skip the logistical hassle, many tours will take you to 3-4 wineries plus a stop for lunch at a bodega.
Recommended regions to car: Uco Valley
How Much Time Do I Need
Many wineries will offer tastings three to five times throughout the day and last about one and half to two hours. You will need to consider how long your tasting is and travel time to your next destination. Many lunch experiences at bodegas run up to three hours long!
My recommendation is book no more than three tastings a day.
We dedicated one full day to wine tasting in Lujan de Cuyo. We booked a wine tasting in the morning at 9:30AM (which is perfectly acceptable in Mendoza), had lunch at a bodega at noon, then finished with an afternoon tasting at 3PM. We enjoyed this pace because it left us time to explore and walk around the vineyards itself after the tastings ended.
Top Wineries in Each Region
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Maipu
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Lujan de Cuyo
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Uco Valley
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