A visit to Argentina is incomplete without a stay in the country’s famous wine region, Mendoza. With over 1,200 wineries in the province, there is no shortage of wine tastings and enjoyable experiences.

In addition to the wine, there are the Andes Mountains. They loom large over the region, especially further south in the Uco Valley.

There are many ways to wine and dine in Mendoza and its surrounding valleys. This blog post will detail our recent four-day stay in Mendoza and the Uco Valley. Hopefully most, if not all, of this itinerary will help with your trip-planning to Argentina’s wine country. 

After spending a few days with friends in Buenos Aires, we flew two hours from the Aeroparque Internacional Jorge Newbery to Aeropuerto Internacional El Plumerillo in Mendoza.

There are flights nearly every hour between the two cities. Uber, taxi, or car service are available at the airport if you are not renting a car during your stay. More on transportation in Mendoza is below.

We spent our only night in Mendoza downtown at the loveliest bed and breakfast – Casa Lila.

Casa Lila is in a nice, safe neighborhood, nestled between Plaza Independencia and Parque General San Martín. A wonderful, made to order breakfast is included with lodging, as are the free kisses from the owner’s sweet Saint Bernard, Violeta.

There are tons of stores,  some more touristy than others, located in downtown Mendoza. If you’re looking to do some souvenir shopping, the following shops are worth poking around in:

• Las Viñas
• Lapacho Talabartería
• Yuchan Artesanías Argentinas
• COSSET (bookstore)

Arístides Villanueva Avenue in Mendoza is a popular nightlife and foodie area. If the weather is pleasant, grab a table on the sidewalk at one of the many bars, breweries, restaurants, and bakeries lining the street.

Recommended restaurants in Mendoza:

• Restaurante Abrasado: Upscale gastronomy, fine wine, and dry-aged meats
• Azafran Restaurant: 1-star Michelin Guide restaurant that offers contemporary tasting menus featuring local ingredients
• Carolino Cocina de Estación: Near Plaza Italia, this restaurant features a mix of Italian and Argentine cuisine
• Antares Mendoza: Laidback brewpub located on the busy Arístides Villanueva Ave
• De un Rincón de la Boca: Very casual dine-in or to-go Argentine restaurant serving pizza, sandwiches, and empanadas
• Barijho Beer Garden: Lively bar with outdoor seating
• Cerveza Patagonia: Craft beer chain in Argentina serving gastropub favorites
• Paloma Bakery House: Artisan coffees and baked goods
• Believe Irish Pub: Classic Irish pub located near Plaza España
• Anna Bistró: Cozy French restuarant
• Angolo Dolce: Ice cream shop across the street from Casa Lila

Our primary reason for spending time in downtown Mendoza was to visit Casa Vigil in the Maipú Valley.

Alejandro Vigil is the founder of Casa Vigil and El Enemigo wines. Vigil is also the Wine Making Director at Catena Zapata, which recently won the 2023 World’s Best Vineyard in the World. El Enemigo Wines placed 10th on this year’s list.

Casa Vigil’s property includes a sprawling garden with many places to relax and sip wine, a vegetable farm that supplies their restaurant directed by Vigil’s wife, a kid’s area, indoor and patio restaurant seating, and of course wine cellars and vineyard.

Casa Vigil is heavily inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy and evidence of this is found throughout the property.

The lunch offering consists of three courses and each course is selected by the guest from a list of several options. The ribeye was one of the best we had in all of Argentina and the strawberry mousse was decadent!

Wine Tasting at Casa Vigil

For the wine tasting with lunch, we selected the Experiencia Gran Enemigo. This tasting included:

• Gran Enemigo Blend
• Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Agrelo
• Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Gualtallary

We were also lucky to be given a complimentary tasting of the award-winning Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Gualtallary 2013. This wine was awarded a perfect 100-point score by Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate.

The score is the highest given to a pure Cabernet Franc and one of the few South American wines to receive this recognition. Our wine glasses were continuously refilled throughout the lunch.

Atmosphere at Casa Vigil

Outside is definitely where the party is! We were seated inside, which I didn’t mind because it was a little chilly, but the vibe inside was much more subdued than on the patio.

If the weather is agreeable, I would choose to sit outside! Alejandro Vigil is often spotted mingling, pouring glasses of wine, and showing off his Casa Vigil to guests. 

Parque General San Martín

Just a mile from Plaza Independencia is the city’s urban oasis – Parque General San Martín. Designed in 1896 and named after General San Martín from the Argentine War of Independence, the park stretches 971 acres and includes a lake, zoo, rose garden, amphitheater, and many walking and running trails.

There is also a short hike to the top of Cerro de la Gloria. At the top visitors can enjoy views of Mendoza and the Andes.

Usually, we don’t pass up a chance for any kind of hike, but since we were short on time before leaving Mendoza for the Uco Valley, we opted for a quick run through the park instead. I highly recommend checking out the park if you have time in Mendoza!

Uco Valley

After a very short stay in Mendoza, we set off for the Uco Valley. Once out of the city, the drive is very picturesque as you follow the Andes Mountains south. We chose to spend the majority of our time in Uco Valley because it is home to some of the most famous vineyards and boutique wineries in the world.

Therefore, most of the wineries on our ever-growing list of “must-visit” in Mendoza were also located in the Uco Valley. For us, we felt that the true Mendoza experience was found in the Uco Valley.

Lodging in the Uco Valley

Deciding where to stay in the Uco Valley can be as challenging as deciding which wineries to visit. We wanted to stay at a resort or hotel instead of an Airbnb since we wouldn’t have a car and wanted to have access to the type of services provided by a hotel concierge and kitchen.

That said, there are many affordable and great Airbnbs in the Uco Valley, and would be a good option for big groups!

Casa de Huéspedes Finca La Azul

Casa de Huéspedes Finca La Azul is the best combination of luxury and coziness that was perfect for a winter weekend in the Uco Valley. The views of the snowy Andes from our room were incredible, as was every sunset and sunrise. If the cozy vibes couldn’t get any better, our room, a superior double, also had a wood-burning fireplace lit daily by staff.

Casa de Huéspedes Finca La Azul’s property is inviting and spacious. Inside you get the feeling you’re staying in a large guest house rather than just a hotel. If you’re planning to visit Uco Valley in the warmer months, there is a lovely pool surrounded by a garden that would be delightful during the summer.

The shared dining and living areas are warm and comfortable, inviting you to spend more time relaxing and mingling with hotel guests and staff than you’d normally expect yourself to do at a hotel.

Shirley Hinojosa, the owner of Bodega La Azul and Casa de Huéspedes, is on-site throughout the day and dines regularly alongside guests in the evenings.

Dinner at La Azul

If you find yourself still hungry after the grand lunches served at wineries in the valley, the dinners at Casa de Huéspedes Finca La Azul will rival your lunches.

The chefs cook up family recipes that draw on the owner’s Spanish, Italian, Arabic, and Creole heritage. The portion sizes were very generous, my husband and I shared every meal since I was usually still so full from lunch, and the price was affordable. Breakfast is included with the stay.

Since Casa de Huéspedes Finca La Azul is part of Bodega La Azul, hotel guests have the opportunity to sample wines from the vineyard during their stay. The staff also doesn’t hesitate to provide complimentary tastings before and after dinner.

Furry Friends

While traveling we are always missing our fur babies at home so any hotel that also comes with furry residents is a big plus. This furry welcoming committee was always ready to greet us upon our return.

Casa de Huéspedes Finca La Azul is a wonderful option for couples or small groups. The hospitality and quality of the stay was excellent. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again next time we are in Uco Valley. Further below are more ideas about lodging in Mendoza.

Francis Mallmann’s Siete Fuegos

If you’re a fan of open-flame cooking or Argentine celebrity chef Francis Mallmann, having lunch at Siete Fuegos in Uco Valley is a must. If you aren’t sure what or who either of those things is, check out Netflix’s Chef’s Table episode featuring Francis Mallmann in season 1.

Mallmann is one of Argentina’s most famous chefs. While he spends most of his time in a remote area of Patagonia, he is also the chef behind successful restaurants in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, the US, and France.

His restaurant, Siete Fuegos or Seven Fires, is housed at the luxurious The Vines Resort and Spa in the Uco Valley.

Siete Fuegos’ dinner and lunch service offers a 3-course menu that features Argentine and Patagonian cuisine. They serve wine by the bottle or glass from a variety of grapes grown on The Vines’ property.

At our 2:30 pm lunch reservation, seating was only offered inside despite the unusually warm weather for July. During lunch and after, guests can enjoy a glass of wine while walking around the stunning pool and vineyard just outside. If you’re lucky, you may be able to see Mallmann’s open-flame cooking in action at one of the structures pictured below.

The views of the Andes Mountains from The Vines Resort and Spa are just surreal! After lunch, we basked in the warm winter sun, sipped wine from nearby winery Super Uco (#93 on World’s Best List 2023), and gazed at the magical Andes Mountains. It was the perfect ending to our first day in the Uco Valley!

The property or finca is named La Azul after Shirley and her siblings drew colors corresponding to plots of land that would be divided between them. The color blue, or azul in Spanish, was drawn by Shirley who made her dream a reality by creating Bodega La Azul, Restó de La Azul, and Casa de Huéspedes Finca La Azul.

Having read many reviews about how lively lunch at Restó de La Azul can be, it seemed like a can’t-miss in the Uco Valley. Even more so since we were staying at La Azul’s guesthouse.

After a relaxing morning at Casa de Huéspedes Finca La Azul, we rented bikes from the front desk and made our way (uphill) through the vineyard to Bodega La Azul. The guesthouse is half a mile from the restaurant and the ride through the vineyard is very picturesque.

Lunch & Wine Tasting at Restó de La Azul

Lunch at Restó de La Azul is casual, fun, and delicious! It is also one of the more affordable bodega lunches you will find on this itinerary (around $18-$23pp with wine in 2023).

Pictures online alluded that the dining space was mostly outdoors. During our visit in July, all lunch patrons were seated in a cozy, enclosed dining room. There was however ample lounge-style seating outside with fire pits overlooking the Andes Mountains. 

Wine Tasting

La Azul offers a basic tasting featuring a sauvignon blanc, malbec, and reserva blend. There is an elevated wine tasting that includes more of La Azul’s gran reserva wines. During lunch, a bottle of wine from each of your tastings is left on the table. There is no shortage of wine being poured at La Azul!

In between our main entrees and dessert we relaxed outside taking in the view of the Andes with a glass of wine, as did many other patrons.

Bodega Alfa Crux

If Bodega La Azul is warm and cozy like your grandma’s kitchen, Bodega Alfa Crux is like your single, rich uncle’s ultra-modern pad.

As you approach the vineyard from the road, the first thing that catches your eye is an imposing geometrical structure. This building looks like it was placed in the middle of the vineyard from another world.

Bodega’s Alfa Crux’s architecture is as much a work of art as its wines. The property is expansive and the cutting-edge design is purposeful. The name Alfa Crux comes from the brightest star in the Cruz del Sur constellation. 

The tour and tasting at Alfa Crux begins in the naturally lit Wine Bar. Its floor-to-ceiling windows provide unobstructed views of the Andes and vineyard. From here the tour continues to the futuristic looking building seen from the road.

This is where the grapes are received after harvest, fermented and conserved. Alfa Crux uses gravity to push grapes down cylinder vats that are incorporated smartly into the building. This is a unique aspect of Alfa Crux’s process!

The tour also visits the wine cellar and barrel room, which lies below the courtyard that separates the three main buildings on the property. This is one of the largest barrel rooms in South America. Bodega Alfa Crux also uses the space for events like concerts and weddings due to its amazing acoustics.

Our tour was the Alfa Crux Tour and Tasting, which is supposed to last 45 minutes and includes a tasting of three wines from the Crux line.

Since we were in a small group and the other members of our group had signed up for Estrella Tasting, our guides gave us complimentary samples of the additional three wines that are offered under Estrella. It was a lot of wine all before noon!

One of the first things they will tell you at Zuccardi Valle de Uco is that “the goal is not to strive for perfect wines, but wines that express the place, the region.”

The architecture of the winery also pays tribute to this quote and was designed to represent the mountains and their many influences in the region. When the land was developed for the vineyard, large stones were found all over the property. Many of the stones are incorporated into the architecture and can be seen during the winery tour.

Lunch & Tasting

For our visit to Zuccardi Valle de Uco, we chose the four-course lunch and 2nd tiered wine pairing option. This included the following wines:

• Polígonos del Valle de Uco Vista Flores Chenin
• Emma Zuccardi Bonarda
• Zuccardi Aluvional Los Chacayes
• Zuccardi Aluvional Paraje Altamira
• Malamado

After a week in Argentina spent mostly wining and dining, Zuccardi’s restaurant Piedra Infinita Cocina managed to blow all other meals out of the water.

The T-bone steak is as much a piece of art as it is food. The oyster mushrooms and white polenta appetizer is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.

The Piedra Infinita Cocina is sleek and cozy, with a modern fireplace, open kitchen, and breathtaking views of the Andes seen through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

We were seated at a table with front-row views of the vineyard and mountains. Our experience at Zuccardi Valle de Uco was the perfect ending to our time in the Uco Valley.

Amazing views, world-class wine, and delicious food, not much more you can ask for on a vacation!

Reservations

• Reservations are a requirement for most wineries and you may not be able to even pass through the front gates of some wineries without one.
• Reservations should be made in advance, some wineries only open reservations 3 months in advance.
• Reservations at in-demand wineries should be made as early as possible to guarantee your place.
• WhatsApp messaging application is the fastest and easiest way to receive and send information in South America. Many wineries use the messaging application to communicate with guests and schedule and confirm reservations. If you are having trouble finding information about tours, tastings, and lunches don’t hesitate to WhatsApp the winery to ask your questions. It is much faster and more reliable than email! Don’t worry if you don’t speak Spanish, an English-speaking staff member will respond.

Our experience was that a tour is offered along with a lunch reservation. Every winery we visited was flexible with the tour start time – could be either before or after lunch – and we never felt rushed to finish our lunch to make a specific tour time.

When to Visit Mendoza & Uco Valley

Mendoza and the Uco Valley can be enjoyed all year with plenty of sunshine. Each season of the year offers a slightly different experience. Remember, the seasons in Mendoza are reversed from the northern hemisphere!

• Spring (September, October, November) –  Temperate weather (highs in the mid-70s), the vines regain their green leaves from the winter months, a chance for fewer tourists since it is outside of popular travel times in South America
• Summer (December, January, February) – Very hot weather (highs in the 90s), a great time to book a hotel with a nice pool, could be crowded because these are the summer vacation months in South America
• Fall (March, April, May) – Cooler temperatures (highs in the mid-70s), a chance to see fall foliage in the vineyards, harvest season is in March and many wineries host special events and festivals attracting visitors from all over the world. Reservations in advance are highly encouraged around this time of year.
• Winter (June, July, August) – Moderately cold weather (highs in the low 60s), downtime at the wineries after the harvest is complete, and while the vines will be brown the views of snow-covered Andes Mountains make up for it. July is a popular winter vacation month for South Americans and many travel to Mendoza. 

Our experience visiting in July

We planned our trip to Mendoza in July only because it worked the best with our schedule and an existing trip to Buenos Aires. We had unseasonably warm days during our stay, with highs touching 80 on one of the days.

This allowed us to still enjoy spending time outside at the wineries and our hotel. Even though we didn’t get a chance to see the lush vineyards in all their green glory, the winter sunrises and sunsets over the snowy Andes were colored with bright pinks, purples, and oranges.

If I could have picked any month to visit, I probably would choose November or April. Traveling on the shoulder season is always the best in my opinion. You typically get the optimal experience with fewer crowds and better rates.

How Many Days in Mendoza & Uco Valley

• Staying in and around the city of Mendoza: 3 days minimum
• Planning to visit the wine valleys outside of Mendoza: 5 days minimum
• If you want to also explore the Andes and do other activities besides wine tasting: 1 week or more

Choosing Wineries to Visit

We are wine novices. We enjoy trying new wines and learning about what makes a wine unique but we did not go to Mendoza with specific wine goals other than to simply enjoy!

With four full days to enjoy Mendoza’s wine, we figured one to two vineyards per day would be satisfactory. Therefore an ideal day consists of:

1 wine tasting & tour
1 lunch plus wine tasting & tour

Based on our preferred list of wineries and their locations, we were only able to visit two different vineyards on the same day when we went to Alfa Crux and Zuccardi.

We didn’t mind having more laid-back days in the Uco Valley with just one winery visit most days. This way we were able to fully enjoy those vineyards, tastings, and lunches without feeling rushed or, honestly, too tipsy. Every wine pour was very generous compared with wine tastings in Napa and Sonoma Valley.

If you are also a casual wine-o, I recommend the following approach to create the right list of wineries for your visit.

Step by step process for narrowing down the list of must visits:

1. We started our list of possible wineries to visit in Mendoza based on word-of-mouth recommendations from friends who had traveled and lived there.
2. From here, we also checked the World’s Best Vineyard list. In 2023, five out of 50 of the wineries on the list are in Mendoza. Another three Mendoza-based wineries are on the 51-100 list.
3. A simple Google search of the following phrases will also help guide your search in the right direction:
   1. “Best vineyards in Argentina or Mendoza”
   2. “Most affordable winery in Mendoza”
   3. “Best kid friendly winery in Mendoza”
   4. “Best boutique winery in Mendoza”
4. After online research, we were able to build a light schedule based on which days and at what times the vineyards on our list offered tastings, tours, and/or lunch. If there are still holes in your schedule that you want to fill, use Google Maps to see what vineyards are located near the ones you already plan to visit.
5. Depending on how much time you plan to spend in Mendoza, mixing in a few non-wine-centered activities like horseback riding, pool or spa day, hiking, or a cooking class isn’t a bad idea for your liver.

Additional wineries to consider visiting in the Uco Valley:

Riccitelli Wines
Bodega Adelma
Bodega SuperUco
Bodega Saltenin
Bodega Monteviejo
Bodega Catena Zapata

Transportation in Mendoza

It is necessary to have a transportation plan in Mendoza, especially if visiting the surrounding valleys like Uco Valley.

Transportation options include:

• Driver for hire: This is the route we went because we did not want to have to worry about one of us being a designated driver during our limited time in Mendoza. Since we already reserved our wineries, using a tour service with pre-selected stops wasn’t an option. Having a personal driver made each of our transfers flawless and comfortable. We paid around $75-$100 per day for the driver.
• Rental: Probably the most convenient and flexible option if the group has a willing designated driver. FYI, Argentina has a zero-tolerance drinking and driving law.
• Tour with driver: A good option for those who just want to do a day tour to the Uco Valley or other wine valleys just outside of Mendoza. You may have less flexibility in deciding which vineyards you visit as part of a tour.

Exchange Rate

Cash is still king in Argentina, for now. Before traveling to Argentina, familiarize yourself with the different exchange rates available for tourists with access to US dollars and/or a foreign credit card.

At the time of our visit to Argentina in 2023, the Blue Dollar exchange rate was nearly double the value of the official rate. This made travel in the country extremely affordable as long as we were able to use Western Union.

Since Argentina’s recent election at the end of 2023, President Milei’s economic policies have weakened the Blue Dollar and MEP (Foreign Tourist Dollar rate given to foreign credit cards) against the official rate.

While we did not try this, we did see tourists using American dollars (cash) to negotiate a better exchange rate at wineries instead of using the official, Blue Dollar, or MEP exchanges.