Mendoza: Touring the Wine Country

Mendoza´s Wine Region is divided into Four Zones

Less commercialized than their Europan and American counterparts, Mendoza´s wineries are easily accessible along wine roads known locally as Los Caminos del Vino. These roads are as enticing as the wine itself, weaving and winding through tunnels of trees to vast dry valleys dominated by breathtaking views of the snowcapped Andes. 

Some roads climb as high as 5,000 ft. in the High Zone surrounding the Mendoza River, while others lead to lower-level v ineyards in the south. Mendoza´s wine region is divided into four zones: the High Zone, Mendoza East, Uco Valley and Mendoza South. Different wine roads branch out through these zones and can be driven in part or total, allowing you to tour as many of Mendoza´s bodegas as you like. 

The High Zone 

The High Zone that surrounds the Mendoza River includes Lujan de Cuyo and parts of Las Heras, Guaymallen, Lujan and Maipu. This first zone is best regarded for its production of Malbec, although cabernet souvignon, Chenin, Merlot, Chardonnay and Syrah are all bottled as well. 

Catena Zapata´s Barrel Storage 

Mendoza East Region

The Mendoza East Region is the second zone, comprised of Junin, Rivadavia, San Martin, Santa Rosa and La Paz. This is the province´s largest wine producing area, where the vineyards irrigated by the Tunuyan and Mendoza rivers harvest Malbec, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah.

Catena Zapata - Lujan de Cuyo

Uco Valley 

South of Mendoza, the Uco Valley Region, including Tunuyan, Tupungato and San Carlos, produces excellent Malbec, Semillon (a white) and Torrontes (another white, more common in Salta). 

Clos de los Siete - Uco Valley 

South of Mendoza 

The final zone is the Mendoza South Region, between San Rafael and General Alvear. Fed by the Atuel and Diamante rivers, its best varieties are Malbec, Bonarda and Cabernet Sauvignon. You will need at least a day to visit this region.

Salentein - Valle de Uco 

Los Caminos del Vino

Throughout your drive you will stumble upon wineries old and new, some producing on a large scale and exporting internationally, others small and focused on the local market. It is difficult to say which bodegas excel over others, as each has its own focus and success. Among some of the best -known are Bodega Catena Zapata (Lujan), which is a boutique winery of the larger Bodgeas Esmeralda; Bodegas Chandon (Lujan), a subsidiary of France´s Moet and Chandon; Salentein (Tunuyan); Norton ( Lujan); Lopez (Maipu); Etchart (Lujan). 

Close to Mendoza in neighboring Maipu, Bodega la Rural has a small winery museum that exhibits Mendoza´s earliest wine production methods. Another excellent winery close to town is Dollium, one of the only bodegas producing underground to allow for natural cooling. 

At most bodegas, a tasting follows a tour of the laboratory and winery, and there is little pressure to buy. 

Salentein - Art Space

Valle de Uco

According to experts, Valle de Uco is the finest wine region in Mendoza. Situated on the Tunuyán River around 55 miles (90 kilometers) south of Mendoza, it’s home to over 100 wineries, many of which have been set up by international investors. The average annual temperature of 57°F (14°C), more than 250 days of sunshine per year and altitudes that vary between 2,625 and 3,936 feet (800 and 1,200 meters) are what give this valley its revered grape-growing qualities.

Bodega DiamAndes - Valle de Uco 

Consequently, this region of Mendoza features significantly on the Mendoza wine route. The traditional grapes grown here are Malbec and Semillón, with the latter being used to produce sweet white wines. Other grapes include Bonarda and Barbera, Cabarnet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, all of which can be sampled at the region’s bodegas.

Notable bodegas here include Bodega Salentein (cnr Ruta 89 and Videla, Los Árboles), Clos de los Siete and O Fournier.  

Barrels at O Fournier - Uco Valley

Each February, the wine season culminates with the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia (National Wine Harvest Festival) which includes a parade, folk dancing, a coronation of the festival´s Queen. March 2015 is expected to bring the best harvest season in 19 years due to ideal weather conditions and improved grape quality, giving Argentines a much-needed reason to celebrate. 

Miss Andrea Sofia Haudet´s Coronation of the Queen 2014

Ideas Turísticas arrange private custom tours with bi-lingual wine experts.

Ideas Turísticas offer two types of tours:

1. Organized, carefully planned tours in small groups: Every winery we visit shows winemaking in Mendoza from a different angle. The visits are exclusive and we have worked extensively with the wineries to tailor and fine-tune them specifically for us. For example in one bodega (=winery) you may taste wines from different terroirs, in another we will focus on the winemaking and taste directly from tanks and barrels, and a third winery has the history of the owners’ family that has made wine since the 19th century.

At the moment we offer small group tours to two destinations, our Luján de Cuyo Wine Experience and our Uco Valley Wine Experience. We have found that the most enjoyable tours are those where you share the experience with a small group of like-minded people. This is why we have a maximum group size of 8 people.

2. Private Deluxe Tours: Our regular tours in small groups and our private tours already include medium and top range wine tastings, however, as wine lovers know, with wine there is virtually no limit on tasting even more top wines. In our deluxe tours we include tour elements of the highest possible quality, like tasting that 98 point bottle that Robert Parker liked so much, tasting different vintages, special lunches, and encounters with winery owners or enologists. If you want the best of the best, on our deluxe tours we will pull out all the stops for you.

Dinner at "Siete Fuegos" Francis Mallman´s new Restaurant 

Siete Fuegos Asado Experience 

Inspired by Francis Mallmann’s Siete Fuegos techniques, the ramada and outdoor grilling space were built amongst the vineyards in a location where The Vines staff had been preparing asados for years. The team’s vision was to bring an authentic Argentine outdoor asado experience to guests under the shelter of a typical ramada. The surrounding area has been built out to include a designated space for each of the seven fires, kitchen prep area, bocce ball court, hitching post for guests who arrive on horseback, restroom, and even a siesta space where you can relax in a hammock after stuffing your belly full of delicious asado and wine. 

The area is now full of guests enjoying the full Siete Fuegos Asado experience every Wednesday through Sunday.

Contact us for more information about Mendoza and our featured Wine Tours or book your wine tour and ensure availability.