Mendoza Wine Tours & Private Wine Trips in Argentina

Mendoza’s Wine Regions

Mendoza produces around 70% of Argentina’s wine, and its vineyards sit between roughly 700 and 1,500 meters above sea level at the foot of the Andes. Sunny days, cold nights and very little rain give the wines intense color, ripe fruit and fresh acidity. Most wine tours focus on three regions, each with its own personality.

Luján de Cuyo, the Land of Malbec

Just south of Mendoza city, Luján de Cuyo was the first region in Argentina to receive a designation of origin for Malbec. Its districts, Agrelo, Perdriel, Vistalba, Las Compuertas and Chacras de Coria, are home to century-old wineries and old-vine Malbec, alongside some of the province’s best winery restaurants. It’s the easiest region to combine with a stay in the city and the classic choice for a first wine tour in Mendoza.

Maipú, Historic Bodegas Close to the City

Maipú is Mendoza’s most traditional wine region and the closest to the city. Here you’ll find historic family bodegas, olive groves and olive oil producers, and some of the finest Malbec, Bonarda and Cabernet Sauvignon in the province. Districts like Russell, Lunlunta and Cruz de Piedra combine old cellars with a relaxed, rural feel, perfect for a half-day or a full day of tastings.

Uco Valley, High-Altitude Vineyards

About an hour and a half south of the city, the Uco Valley climbs to more than 1,200 meters, with the Andes rising right behind the vines. Its three departments, Tupungato, Tunuyán and San Carlos, include celebrated areas such as Gualtallary, Los Chacayes and Paraje Altamira. This is where Argentina’s most elegant, mineral Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay come from, and where many of the country’s most striking modern wineries were built.

Want to go deeper? Read why the Uco Valley produces Argentina’s best high-altitude wines.

Argentina’s Signature Wines

A wine tour in Mendoza is also a tour of Argentina’s grapes. These are the ones you’ll taste most often, and that we love to compare side by side.

Torrontés

Argentina’s aromatic white, at its best in Cafayate, Salta, with floral notes and a dry finish.

Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends

Many top Mendoza wines are blends of Malbec with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot.

Sparkling Wines

Mendoza makes excellent traditional-method sparkling wine, much of it from cool vineyards in the Uco Valley. Love bubbles? Tell us and we’ll include a sparkling house.

Salta & Cafayate Wine Tours

Torrontés and the World’s Highest Vineyards

In the Calchaquí Valleys of northern Argentina, vineyards grow at 1,700 meters in Cafayate and climb beyond 2,500 meters around Cachi, some of the highest in the world. The road from Salta city to Cafayate crosses the red rock canyons of the Quebrada de las Conchas, one of the most beautiful drives in the country.

In Cafayate you’ll taste Torrontés, Argentina’s signature white, at traditional and modern wineries, along with powerful high-altitude Malbec and Tannat. Further north, the boutique producers of Cachi make tiny quantities of intense wines that rarely leave the valley. Read our Salta wine region guide.

See our 3-day Salta & Cafayate Wine Tour →

Patagonia Wine Region

Argentina’s southern wine frontier, in Neuquén and Río Negro, makes cool-climate Pinot Noir, Malbec and Merlot, including wines from some of the country’s oldest vineyards. It pairs well with a few days in the lakes around Bariloche. See our Patagonia wine region guide, or see our Patagonia Wine Tour.

Buenos Aires

Most trips start or end in Buenos Aires. We offer a private city tour, a tango show, a gaucho day in San Antonio de Areco and Tigre Delta boat trips, plus wine bars and restaurants where porteños actually go. See our Buenos Aires tours.

Iguazú Falls

Our 4-day Iguazú extension takes you to the falls from both the Argentine and the Brazilian sides, a perfect finale after Mendoza.

What a Day on a Mendoza Wine Tour Looks Like

We pick you up at your hotel in the morning and head out to the vineyards with your private driver and English-speaking guide. A typical day combines tastings at two or three wineries with a long, wine-paired lunch at a winery restaurant, often looking straight at the Andes. You’re back at your hotel by late afternoon, with time to rest before dinner in town.

Every tour is private, so the pace is yours. Prefer small family producers over big names? More time in the barrel room and less in the car? Tell us, and we’ll build the day around it. If you’d like to visit iconic wineries such as Catena Zapata, El Enemigo or Norton, we add them on request and book well in advance.

Food & Wine in Mendoza

In Mendoza, lunch is the main event of a wine tour. Expect long tasting menus paired with the winery’s own wines, often on a terrace facing the vineyards and the Andes. Many winery restaurants are now recognized by the Michelin Guide, and Tripadvisor has named Mendoza among the world’s top gastronomic destinations.

Beyond the wineries, we can add a traditional asado, empanadas made the local way, olive oil tastings in Maipú, or a cooking class with a local chef. Discover more in our guides to Mendoza’s Michelin restaurants, new Michelin-starred winery restaurants and Mendoza as a top gastronomic destination.

Mendoza & Argentina Wine Guides

• Complete Guide to Visiting Wineries in Mendoza
• Mendoza Wine Guide: Argentina’s Wine Capital
• Uco Valley: Argentina’s Best High-Altitude Wines
• Salta Wine Region: The Highest Vineyards and Torrontés
• Patagonia Wine Region: Argentina’s Cool-Climate Frontier
• 7 Wineries for the Mendoza Sunset
• Argentina & Brazil: Gauchos, Iguazú Falls & Mendoza