If you are a bit of a wine buff, but didn’t come all the way to Argentina just to fill up on the stuff, you may want to spend two days covering Godoy Cruz, Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo.

If you are merely intrigued to see what an Argentinean vineyard looks like, one day in Lujan de Cuyo will give you more than enough exposure.

Tips for Visiting the Vineyards

In many ways, the vineyards of Mendoza are very similar to those of the Napa Valley, only with scenery and without the hoards of tourists. Keep in mind when you are planning your trip that unlike the vineyards of the Napa Valley, most of Mendoza’s wineries are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. The hours of the wineries and the timing of their English tours vary depending on the season and the demand for English tours. The best thing to do is contact the wineries via email a week or so before you arrive to find out when they can accommodate you. Many of the wineries take visitors by appointment only, so don’t expect to just drop in the way you can in Napa.

Most vineyards provide tastings after their tours. Unlike Napa, most of the vineyards in Argentina do not charge for their tours or their tastings.

The ideal time to visit the vineyards is during the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia in March, which is a weeklong celebration of the harvest. However, this does not signify the end of the harvest, which lasts from February through April. If you prefer to avoid the crowds, April is a fantastic time to visit. Fall is descending on Mendoza and the leaves are turning striking colours of red and yellow, adding to the natural beauty of the area. The months leading up to the Fiesta are warm and sunny and provide equally beautiful scenery as the grapes are at their fullest.

The best way to see the vineyards is either through a tour or in a rental car. Public buses can be taken as well although this is a lengthy process that involves an hour-long bus ride (at least) and long walking distances between vineyards. If you chose to do this, Bus #170 departs from La Rioja, between Garibaldi and Catamarca to many of the vineyards in Maipu. Several buses run up and down the rural roads in Maipu once you are there. Buses to the wineries in Lujan de Cuyo leave from Mendoza’s bus terminal.

Renting a car is a good option if you like to do your own thing and are up for a bit of  adventure. The vineyard roads themselves are difficult to navigate but the main Route 40 is easy to get to from the city and passes right by Maipu, Lujan de Cuyo and Valle de Uco. Beware on this road for despite the fact that it is a 4-lane highway (it becomes 2 lanes south of Lujan de Cuyo), in many cases there are no official off ramps and you are essentially turning onto a dirt road from the highway. It is a casual atmosphere here – in the mornings there is a guy selling newspapers from his bike on the side of the highway. Once the highway gets down to 2 lanes, you should be extra careful. They are filled with fruit transports and anxious drivers who overtake them fully expecting that oncoming cars will stop to let them pass. Another annoyance is the lack of signage. Although many of the wineries have posted signs to indicate their presence, they end up getting stolen and it becomes a futile exercise. As a result, it is extremely difficult to navigate your way through the rural roads. A good map will help, but they are hard to come by in the city. Here's one we found that will help (click to enlarge).


The easiest way to see the vineyards is on an organized tour. Check out our restaurant, hotel and tour recommendations in the Mendoza section.

---

Other Things to Consider:

Be sure to check the import restrictions to your country if you plan to buy wines to bring home. Canada is two bottles per person.

Argentina has its own version of the Appelation Controllee, which is the DOC. One of the qualifications of a DOC wine is that over 80% of the grapes as well as the vinification if from Lujan de Cuyo.

Tours are generally best during production season when you can see the plant in action. Mendozan winery tours are unique in that you can stand right over an open tank and see the grapes inside. This would never happen elsewhere, both for reasons of safety and spoilage.

Wineries

Bodega La Rural


This is one of the most popular tours, both due to its proximity to Mendoza and the fact that it houses the Museo del Vino which provides a detailed collection of antique winemaking tools. The vineyard dates back to 1885 and today has four separate vineyards throughout the Mendoza region and a capacity to produce over 10 million liters of wine per year.

The drawback of being the most popular is always the crowds. This is certainly the case here. Try to go early in the morning to get a smaller tour group.



Bodega y Cavas de Weinert


Established in 1890 by the Otero family, this beautiful winery maintains many of the same traditions today that it did back then. The winery changed hands in 1975 when it was purchased by Brazilians of German descent and became Weinert. Today, this mid-sized winery has a capacity to produce 4.2 million liters of wine per year. Weinart is known for its Malbecs.. especially the ’94 Malbec which was a great vintage. Steer clear of the ’98 as it was a ‘lesser’ vintage due to the effect of El Nino. 60% of Weinert’s wine are exported.

The bodega itself is a stunning building with many traditional features including an enormous 65 year old barrel that contains 44,000 liters of wine. The roof is original from 1890 and is made of cane and mud, supported by poplar beams, a combination that keeps the building cool in the summer heat. The barrels are kept 7 meters underground so as to naturally maintain them at 16 degrees celcius.

English tours are available - call or email in advance to arrange. Tastings are provided after the one-hour tour as well as an opportunity to purchase wines from the bodega shop.



Bodega Nieto Senetiner

Guardia Vieja, Lujan de Cuyo; 0261-4980315; info@nietosenetiner.com

This bodega is set back towards the Andes and provides a beautiful setting with snow-capped mountains emerging from behind the vineyards. Outdoor tables in the well-kept gardens allow you to enjoy the view while having lunch from the barbeque and a bottle of wine from the bodega shop indoors. The bodega was built in 1904 and run by two families from Spain and Italy: Nieto and Senetiner. In 1998 it was sold to Perez Componca, who is an important figure in Argentinean wine circles.

Although the production facilities have been modernized, the mentality has not. The bodega is built in the local style with a cane ceiling and adobe walls. The tasting room downstairs was carved out of a wine fermentation tank into a stunning and welcoming seating area. The winery has a total of 300 hectares of land, but only 20 in this location. 1.5 million liters of wine are produced each year, of which 40% is exported abroad.

English tours are available as is a garden barbeque lunch. Be sure to book in advance. Tastings are provided after the 40 minute tour for free. The lunch is P$45 per person. Wine can be purchased from the bodega shop and opened for lunch.



Catena Zapata


Upon entering the security gates of this state-of-the-art winery, you feel as though you have accidentally made your way to a Mayan temple. This bodega is one of the most architecturally stunning bodegas in Mendoza and should not be missed on a day in the vineyards.

Nicolas Catena is the visionary behind this well-known winery. His grandfather came from Italy in 1899 and established the vineyards and today Nicolas has turned the Catena name into an internationally recognized wine label. He is a big fan of the Mayan culture and pre-Columbian architecture is very near to his heart….hence the pyramid structure of the bodega.

The interior of the bodega does not disappoint. Built in 1997, the slate walls and marble flooring provide an aura of modern luxury while the furniture looks like it has come straight out of an upscale Pottery Barn catalog. Nicolas got his inspiration from Robert Mondavi while visiting California and decided that Argentina was ripe for producing premium wines and showing them off to the public. The tanks were officially opened to the public in 2001. Although the Catena family today has left Mendoza to live elsewhere, the building is used to host lively parties when they return to town.

The winery has capacity for 3 million liters per year and exports 90% of its production abroad. Nicolas Catena Zapata is the label of the winery’s most exclusive line to which Wine Spectator awarded 94 points. It has a limited production and produced for export only, so wait until you get home to try it out.

Catena also owns other local wineries such as La Rural and Caro, which is a joint venture between Catena and The Rothchild family.  

English tours are available and last one hour. Remember to book in advance. Tastings are provided after the tour – the first one is free and then you have to pay to try other varietals.



Septima


Although not yet a well-known label, this winery is spectacular to tour, mainly for its architectural attributes. The land was purchased in 1998 by the Spanish wine group Cordonia. Although they own 306 hectares, only 100 were planted in the first planting in 1999. It was named Septima in reference to the fact that it was Cordonia’s seventh major wine project.

The building is a gorgeous combination of rustic and modern features, built by the same architects from Mendoza who built the Salentein bodega in Valle de Uco. The stone walls were constructed using the Pirca technique of the Huarpes natives, which involves piling natural stones on top of each other. There is a large function room that opens onto a terrace with incredible views. For anyone in the market, the bodega can be rented out for functions such as weddings at a price of P$3,500.

The production facilities are very modern with stainless steel tanks. The yearly production to date has been about 900,000 bottles. 80% of the production is exported abroad.

English tours are available with tastings provided after the tour.





Bodega Salentein


Salentein was born out of the dream of a Dutch man named Pon who came to Mendoza and fell in love with it. He brought on Carlos Pulenta, whose family once owned the Trapiche winery, to be his partner and oversee Argentinean operations. This modern brick building was built by the same people who built the stunning Septima facility. This futuristic building looks much like a spacecraft rising out of the vineyards.

The interior is equally as intriguing… entering the tasting room you feel as though you’ve stepped into a nightclub. The barrel room, which is 11 meters underground to maintain a natural temperature of 11 degrees Celsius, has a giant Rose of Winds built into the floor with three types of rocks from different areas around Mendoza. The symbol represents not only the Cardinal points, but also the opening of Salentein to the world.

The bodega is tastefully decorated and contains a beautiful painting from Boccaccia, an artist from Buenos Aires who is a favourite of the owner’s wife. In fact, she is such a large art collector that an art gallery is currently under construction adjacent to the bodega where local art will be displayed.

The bodega sits on 2000 hectares of land of which only 500 has been planted with grape vines. Another 400 has been planted with other fruits such as peaches and apples, providing significant flavours to the wines. Salentein’s state of the art operations produce over 9 million liters per year of which 70% is exported.

Despite the impressively modern exterior, the tour itself is only average and probably not worth the two hour drive from Mendoza. What is worth the drive is the rustic guesthouse that is part of the Salentein complex. This is an excellent way to relax and enjoy a remote part of the vineyard. There is an outstanding chef on site as well as hiking and horseback riding, available only to guests of the posada. There are only four double rooms available, so book well in advance as there is very little else in terms of accommodations in the Valle de Uca.

If you do decide to make the drive, there are other vineyards in the area that you can visit such as O.Fournier, Vinedos Luca, and Finca La Cella.

If you are looking for a place to have lunch you can try Posada del Jamon (Ruta 92, you’ll see signs when you drive from Salentein towards Vista Flores). However, if possible, hold out until you get back to Lujan de Cuyo, where there is a much better variety of restaurants.