Booking a wine tour in Mendoza is easy once you know three things: which of the three wine regions you want to see, how you want to get around, and that almost every winery needs a reservation. Get those right and a day among the vineyards, with the Andes in the background and a long lunch at a bodega, is one of the best days you can have in Argentina. Here is how it works and how to choose.
By Pablo, Senior Travel Planner at 01Argentina Travel Agency
In this guide:
- The three wine regions: Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley
- Ways to tour: shared, private, by bike
- How many wineries in a day
- Reservations, and why they matter
- The best time of year for a wine tour
- What a winery visit includes
- Choosing the wineries
- Practical tips for the day
- Booking it as part of a Mendoza trip
- Frequently asked questions
The three wine regions
Maipú is the closest to the city, around twenty minutes away. It has the old, historic bodegas, olive oil producers and the flattest roads, which is why it is the bike-tour district. It is the easiest region to visit without much planning.
Luján de Cuyo is thirty to forty-five minutes south and is the heart of Argentine Malbec: the vineyards of Agrelo, Perdriel and Vistalba, and many of the best-known names. If you have one day and want the “classic” Mendoza wine tour, this is it.
The Uco Valley is an hour and a half to two hours from the city, higher and cooler, with dramatic mountain views and the newest, most architectural wineries. It is worth the drive, but it is a full day on its own; trying to combine it with Luján in the same day means spending more time on the road than at the wineries.
Ways to tour: shared, private, by bike
A shared tour in a small van is the simplest and least expensive: fixed route, two or three wineries, a set lunch. You share the day with other travellers and follow the group timetable.
A private tour with your own driver and guide lets you choose the wineries, linger where you like and go to the Uco Valley without a group. It costs more than a shared van, and for many travellers the flexibility is what they remember afterwards. We arrange either format; tell us which you prefer.
A bike tour in Maipú is fun and inexpensive for a half day between nearby bodegas, best in spring and autumn when it is not too hot. It is not the way to see Luján or Uco, which are too spread out.
One thing we advise against: renting a car and driving yourself between tastings. The distances are real, the roads outside the city are not always well signed, and after three wineries nobody should be behind the wheel.
How many wineries in a day
Two wineries and a lunch, or three if the tastings are short. More than that and the palate gives up, the afternoon becomes a blur, and you have paid for visits you will not remember. A good day has a rhythm: a morning visit, a second winery with lunch among the vines, and perhaps a smaller producer in the afternoon.
Reservations, and why they matter
This is the point that surprises most visitors. Mendoza’s wineries are working farms and cellars, not shops; with a few exceptions in Maipú, they receive visitors by appointment, in fixed tour slots, often with an English-speaking guide who has to be scheduled. The famous wineries and the restaurant lunches fill up weeks ahead in high season and on weekends, and several close or reduce hours on Sundays. If you arrive without a booking, you may find the gate closed.
When we build a Mendoza trip, the wine day is reserved before the hotel is confirmed, precisely for this reason.
The best time of year for a wine tour
Harvest (late February to April) is the most exciting time: grapes coming in, the cellars busy, and the Vendimia festival in early March filling the city with parades and concerts. It is also the busiest season for bookings.
Spring (October and November) brings green vineyards, mild days and fewer visitors. Summer (December and January) is hot, above 30 °C most afternoons, so tours start early and lunch is in the shade. Winter (June to August) is quiet and cold, with bare vines but the clearest views of the snow-covered Andes; the wineries are open and tastings move indoors by the fire.
What a winery visit includes
A standard visit is a guided walk through the vineyard and the cellar, an explanation of how the wine is made, and a tasting of three to five wines, usually a Malbec and a couple of others from the estate. Many wineries also offer a lunch with wine pairing in their restaurant, which for most people becomes the highlight of the day. Some, especially in the Uco Valley, are as much about the architecture and the view as the wine.
Choosing the wineries
The big names in Luján de Cuyo and Uco are famous for a reason, and a first visit should probably include one of them. But the best days usually mix one large, well-known winery with one or two small family producers where the person pouring the wine may be the one who made it. Tell us what you like to drink, whether you want history or modern design, and whether lunch matters more than the number of tastings, and the choice becomes easy.
Practical tips for the day
Have a proper breakfast, drink water between tastings, and bring a hat and sunscreen: Mendoza sits at altitude in a desert, and the sun is strong even when it is not hot. Dress is casual. Most wineries sell their wine at the cellar door, and many will ship.
Booking it as part of a Mendoza trip
The simplest way to organise the wine day is to book it together with the flights, the hotel and the transfers. Our Mendoza tour package by plane includes the flights from Buenos Aires, three nights in a city hotel, a city tour, the full-day High Mountain tour towards Aconcagua and a half-day visit to two wineries with tastings; if you want a full wine day, a private one or the Uco Valley, we add it. There is also a version by bus for travellers with more time than budget. You can see all the options on the Mendoza tours page, and the hotels in Mendoza we work with. If you want Mendoza combined with Buenos Aires, our Buenos Aires to Mendoza itinerary shows how the two fit together.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book Mendoza wineries in advance?
Yes, with few exceptions. Visits are by appointment, in fixed time slots, and the most popular wineries and lunches fill up weeks ahead in high season.
Which region is best for a first wine tour in Mendoza?
Luján de Cuyo: close to the city, the home of Malbec, and the widest choice of wineries. The Uco Valley is the one to add if you have a second day.
How long is a wine tour?
Half a day for two wineries with tastings, which is what our Mendoza package includes; a full day if you add a lunch at a bodega or go to the Uco Valley.
Is a private wine tour worth it?
If you care which wineries you visit, want to reach the Uco Valley, or are travelling as a couple or family that prefers its own pace, yes. If you are happy with the classic route and company, a shared tour is a good value.
Can children come?
Most wineries welcome families for the tour and lunch; only the tasting is for adults. Tell us the ages and we will choose accordingly.
Ready to plan it? Tell us your dates and what you like to drink: contact 01Argentina Travel Agency and we will send you a Mendoza itinerary with the wineries already reserved.