So when we arrived in Mendoza there are some tough decisions to be made. Mendoza, home to over 1,500 wineries, has vineyards that are amongst the highest altitude vineyards in the world, averaging between 2,000-3,600 feet) above sea level. The three wine regions nearest the city of Mendoza include Valle de Uco, Luján de Cuyo, and Maipu, all of which are situated in the Andes eastern foothills. Fortunately the Atuel, Diamante and Tunuyán rivers that have their origin in the Andes provide the essential water for Mendoza’s vineyards. This unique geography contributes to making Mendoza one of the top wine areas in the world. When Spaswinefood returned to Mendoza Province our hardest task was coming up with a short list of wineries to visit.
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| Vines of Mendoza Vineyard, Mendoza © Spaswinefood |
On the plus side given there are so many excellent wineries, many with stunning views of the Andes, it is easy to fill up your calendar.
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| The Vines of Mendoza © Spaswinefood |
Our Mendoza Wine Country Travels
Yes, you will need a plan because there are so many wineries. I suspect that many visitors are likely to stay in Mendoza City, as we did. From Mendoza city the Valle de Uco is 75 minutes away, Luján de Cuyo (40 minutes), and Maipu (15-20 minutes). Within these regions there are many wineries, spread over a large area. Moreover, finding the wineries can often be problematic given driving directions to many wineries are often not clearly marked. You will find some areas where a number of wineries are in close proximity, whereas others are not. We soon discovered that it was difficult to do more than three wineries in a day. Public transportation is certainly not recommended. Renting a car is an option but make sure you have a cellphone or GPS. The other options are to do a tour, or hire a driver to take you. Because we had a week we rented a car.
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| Top Views, Bodega Septima © Spaswinefood |
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| Bodega Septima Vineyard © Spaswinefood |
My overall recommendation would be to select a number of smaller and larger wineries to visit. I would strongly recommend making appointments for tasting. An important fact to consider is that the cost of some wine tastings can be on the expensive side, especially if you want to taste their premium wines, which we did. Afterall, why travel to Argentina to taste wines you can easily get at home. Many of the wineries have restaurants where they offer wine pairings with lunch. We did a number of winery lunches and totally enjoyed the overall experience. In fact, I would highly recommend it.
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Vines of Mendoza Vineyard, Uco Valley © Spaswinefood
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We began our explorations in Valle de Uco, the furthest way from Mendoza. We then worked our way back towards Mendoza city. This article is an overview of some of the wineries we visited. In future articles I will focus on the wineries. Here is an overview:
Valle de Uco (Uco Valley)
Domaine Bousquet (lunch), lunch at Siete Feugos Restaurant followed by wine tasting at Vines of Mendoza. These were two awesome days for us. Zuccardi has opened a new winery in the Uco Valley. We did not visit this winery however, we heard that it is awesome from very reliable sources.
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| Lunch, Domaine Bousquet © Spaswinefood |
On our way back to Mendoza after Domaine Bousquet visit we took the scenic route at the base of the Andes.
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Zuccardi, Valle de Uco, Tito 2013 © Spaswinefood
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Luján de Cuyo
Bodega Norton (tasted great premium wines), Bodega Lagarde (excellent wine tasting and lunch), Bodega Septima (another good tasting; we toured its restaurant), Bodega Caelum (wonderful tasting at smaller winery), and lunch at a local restaurant filled two days of explorations in Luján de Cuyo.
Bodega Norton, Luján de Cuyo, Gernot Langes 2010
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| Bodega Norton, Luján de Cuyo, Gernot Langes 2010 © Spaswinefood |
Caelum Winery Vineyard
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| Caelum Winery, Argentina © Spaswinefood |
Bodega Septima
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Bodega Septima, Mendoza © Spaswinefood
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Maria Restaurant, Bodega Septima © Spaswinefood
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Bodega Lagarde
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| Lagarde Lunch with Wines © Spaswinefood |
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| Wine Time, Bodega Lagarde © Spaswinefood |
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| Wine Tasting, Bodega Lagarde © Spaswinefood |
During a previous trip we visited Ruca Mulen for lunch and loved it.
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| Ruca Mulen, Mendoza © Spaswinefood |
We also enjoyed visiting Alta Vista, and Belasco De Baquedano on a prior visit. Driving by these wineries this time brought back happy memories.
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| Belasco De Baquedano, Mendoza © Spaswinefood |
While in Luyan de Cuyo area we tried to arrange a visit at Catena Zapata however, did not have any luck on short notice.
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| Catena Zapata, Mendoza © Spaswinefood |
We did manage, with the guard's approval, to take a peck at the vineyards and winery in the distance.
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| Catena Zapata Vineyards © Spaswinefood |
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| Catena Zapata © Spaswinefood |
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| Catena Zapata through the Vines © Spaswinefood |
Maipu
Names like Trapiche, Zuccardi, and Lopez come up often, others Flichman and La Rural have been recommended.
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| Onwards to Maipu © Spaswinefood |
Then we passed by vineyards before the final exit sign.
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| Vineyard, Maipu © Spaswinefood |
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| Maipu Exit © Spaswinefood |
The end result is there are so many wineries in Mendoza that it might be best to hire a good wine touring company, especially for a brief visit. If you have a week then renting a car is a good option. Moreover, there are wineries, like Luigi Bosca whose winery is located in Luyán de Cuyo but they have vineyards located in Valle de Uco, Luján de Cuyo, and Maipu.
Luigi Bosca, Viognier Chardonnay Riesling 2014
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| Luigi Bosca, Viognier Chardonnay Riesling 2014 © Spaswinefood |
No Argentine wine country travels are complete without visiting Mendoza’s wine region, the largest wine-producing region, accounting for over two thirds of the country’s wine production. When most people think of Argentine wines they are most likely to first think of Malbec. While Mendoza produces great Malbec it also produces other great wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Torrontés, Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot and Bonarda.
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| Wine Tasting, Bodega Caelum © Spaswinefood |
For us a week was not enough time to tour Mendoza's wine regions. The fact that we stayed in the city also cut into wine touring time. We stayed at the Sheraton Mendoza, a great downtown location, with so many restaurants and sidewalk cafes all within walking distance. Downtown Mendoza has good hotels options however, for those looking to getaway from it all then the option of a vineyard stay is a must. You can check out my travels in Argentina and elsewhere at Spaswinefood.
Sharon
February 2017
Mendoza, Argentina
© Spaswinefood
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| Mendoza City, Argentina © Spaswinefood |
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