Choosing which Wineries to Visit in Mendoza, Argentina
/Mendoza is one of the premier wine destinations in the world. It also benefits from a spectacular location, at the foothills of the pre-Andes and a day trip away from the highest peak outside of the Himalayas. With more than 1,500 wineries, it can be quite overwhelming to decide which wineries are right for you. In this post, I rank the wineries that we visited from our least-favourite to most favourite. Enjoy your tastings!
A few orienting details. Mendoza is both a city and a province in Western Argentina, which borders the Andes and the Chilean border. While there are wineries in every direction outside of the city of Mendoza, the three main wine regions that attract visitors are 1) Maipú (25 minutes southeast of the city center); 2) Luján de Cuyo (30 minutes southwest of the city center; and 3) the Uco Valley (75 minutes south of the city).
All three regions are very different. Maipú is further removed from the Andes, so you will not have those spectacular mountain panoramas that you would get in Luján de Cuyo or the Uco Valley. It also has a grittier, more developed agricultural and industrial feel to it. That being said, it is the closest region to Mendoza's city center and offers the possibility to visit several wineries and agritourism destinations, such as olive oil producers, by bike. Keep in mind that, if you bike, be very careful on Urquiza, the main north-south thoroughfare for visiting the numerous wineries, as there are a lot of heavy trucks also using this route.
Luján de Cuyo is adjacent to the road that connects Mendoza and Santiago, Chile, and which crosses through the Andes. Most vineyards in this area will offer breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks, and tend to feel a bit more high-end next to the Maipú wineries.
The Uco Valley is a bit of a trek from the Mendoza city center, but offers some beautiful scenery (on a clear day) and some of my favourite wineries that we visited on this trip.
You will need reservations to visit most of the wineries in and around Mendoza. Your accommodation can secure these for you.
From my least-favourite to most-favourite, here are the wineries that we visited in Mendoza:
8. Bodega Salentein, Uco Valley
If a James Bond vilain owned a winery, it would be Bodega Salentein. With a massive structure made out of concrete, unbelievable amounts of public art everywhere and large open spaces, from the giant windows in the entry hall, to the piano in the middle of the cavernous underground cellar (where the Bodega occasionally hosts concerts), to the dimly lit tasting room, everything at Bodega Salentein leans towards the dramatic. While the wines that we tasted were good, the experience was overall a bit too cold, formal and commercial for my taste. Definitely my least favourite winery during our time in Mendoza.
7. Casarena, Luján de Cuyo
Casarena has a beautiful setting, enclosed by tall trees and with pretty views of the Andes from the upstairs tasting room. However, their tasting room was not particularly inspired and there was no place where you could linger outside to soak it all in with a glass of wine.
6. Viña Cobos, Luján de Cuyo
Viña Cobos is one of the most high-end wineries in Mendoza. Needless to say, you cannot enter the property without a reservation! I can't recall the exact prices for the tastings, but the low-end tasting will set you back at least $25 USD / person, whereas the higher-end ones are over $100 USD /person. And this is just for a tasting! Granted, you will experience a private tasting with a very professional host, and your tasting will be bottomless and the wines out of this world. But is it worth the extremely high cost? Only if you're a very serious wine lover. The tasting room has a very sterile feel and there are no enjoyable outdoor areas to linger at with a glass of wine post-tasting. They were doing some construction at the time of our visit to expand the facility, so maybe outdoor seating is in the works.
5. CarinaE, Maipú
CarinaE is a tiny winery that you can visit while biking around Maipú. When we visited we were the only ones there! The winery definitely has a family vibe to it, and the whole thing is very casual, cute and cozy. Don't expect any high-end wines.
4. Bodega Ruca Malen, Luján de Cuyo
A wonderful stop for lunch with stunning views over the Andes. We didn't get a chance to visit their tasting room (instead savouring all of our wine in a glass-box dining room overlooking the vineyard and the Andes in the distance), but everything we ate and drank was superb. The grounds were beautiful, offering a perfect place to wander post-tasting or lunch.
3. El Enemigo, Maipú
Artistic, hip and just happening, El Enemigo makes such a great stop in Maipú. Initially we didn't have this winery on our list but our driver, after seeing the types of wineries that we had enjoyed thus far, highly suggested we check out El Enemigo. And he was right. The artistic and quirky vibe of the place, paired with some great wines, suited us perfectly.
2. Bodega La Azul, Uco Valley
La Azul offers such a beautiful setting for lunch or for a glass of wine. Rustic and romantic tables and couches under a pergola, with splashes of turquoise and pink to contrast with the surrounding greenery. The wines and food are affordable and delicious.
1. Andeluna Cellars, Uco Valley
The stuff of what my winery tasting room dreams are made of, I loved Andeluna. Gorgeous patio? Check. Beautiful tasting room? Check. Meaningful snacks with your tasting? Check (cheese and chocolate!). Professional and kind hosts? Check! They also serve lunch, but we were told the lunch was a bit fussy and opted to have lunch at Bodega La Azul instead, although the setting for lunch looked marvellous!
