Mendoza is one of the most important wine regions in the world, immersed in breathtaking landscapes with the backdrop of the Andes, and a destination we love with all our hearts. For wine lovers and adventure travellers Mendoza is paradise!
We want to share our handpicked wineries which guarantee incredible experiences; our favourite adventure programmes for everybody, and the hotels we love.
Oriunda’s Tips For Wine Lovers:
Luján de Cuyo, cradle of Malbec (40’ car drive South of Mendoza city), Maipú the historical region
(20’ car drive South of Mendoza city) and the Uco Valley at the foot of the Andes (1,5 hs car drive
South of Mendoza city) are the most important wine regions and they are a must. There are many
great wineries which offer wonderful experiences.
Some considerations before your trip:
- All wineries require reservations in advance.
- Visit a maximum of two wineries per day to really enjoy the experience: we suggest a private visit and wine tasting and a wine paired lunch. Lunch time at a winery is an occasion to really enjoy and relax.
- To make the most of this region, hire a well designed wine tour. Don´t miss the opportunity we give you to meet the makers and owners in their wineries to feel the passion and magic of wine making.
- If you decide to stay in Uco Valley you can cover Lujan de Cuyo and Maipú at your arrival or on your way back to Mendoza airport.
- Most of the wineries in Luján de Cuyo close on Sundays and many wineries of the Uco Valley close on Mondays.
Wineries we especially love in Lujan de Cuyo and Maipú:
Viña Cobos: definitely one of the premium and most awarded malbec wines signed by oenologist and founder partner, Paul Hobbs. The best experience: a private visit and tasting the five malbec wines from Bramare Vineyard Designate and Cobos.
Matervini: The latest jewel by Master oenologist Santiago Achaval and Roberto Cipresso. The best experience: taste their sublime malbecs in a private visit.
Domaine St Diego: A tiny family winery made with total love and passion by the renowned winemaker Angel Mendoza. Their visits are private, focused on the vineyards and led by lovely Laura, his daughter. Another highlight is their olive oil tasting.
Ave María Purísima: A charming wine cellar by oenologist Karim Mussi, ideal to explore wines from all over Argentina. Don´t miss their wine paired cheese tasting.
For a perfect wine paired lunch in these wine regions:
Casa Vigil: A must by the great enologist Alejandro Vigil, this winery is inspired in the Divine
Comedy by Dante. The best experience: a 3 course lunch paired with Colección Enemigos (it
includes the 9 wines in the Portfolio of Enemigo wines).
Lagarde: A traditional winery that offers a superb and unforgettable 6 course wine paired lunch.
Dominio del Plata: the great winery by renowned oenologist Susana Balbo. It offers one of the best 5 course wine paired lunch in Lujan de Cuyo. Don´t miss their private cooking class, it´s a blast.
Familia Zuccardi: this traditional family winery in Maipu offers a wide range of fun programmes for everybody. Our top three are: taking part in this process of harvest from February 1st to April 15th; their classic wine tour in a vintage car and wine tasting in the vineyards; a hot air balloon flight to enjoy the magnificent views from above while tasting some great sparkling wine on board.
In the Uco Valley, our favourite wineries are:
Solo Contigo: A homey small winery that gathers excellent wines, music and art. What we love about this winery: their private visit and wine tasting with Pablo Marino, their oenologist; the blending game to make your own wine and the unmissable picnic in the vineyards.
Corazón del Sol: A winery we definitely love in Uco Valley with the best international wine tasting covering their whole portfolio of wines from Argentina and Napa Valley.
Salentein: One of the most beautiful in terms of its architecture. The best programme for us is their private visit and Salentein´s luxury wine tasting. Plus Killka, the art gallery which is worth a visit in this large winery.
Our handpicked wineries for the perfect wine paired lunch in the Uco Valley:
Zuccardi Valle de Uco: The most beautiful winery in Mendoza which is a must, with an unmissable four course wine paired lunch at Piedra Infinita, its restaurant. Impressive architecture and breathtaking views of the Andes.
Monteviejo: A superb combination of wines by remarkable enologist Marcelo Peleritti and dishes by our dear chef Nadia Haron. Our luxury and unforgettable proposal: a lunch prepared in private by Nadia specially for you. If you happen to be in Mendoza on Saturday April 6th, don´t forget Monteviejo Wine Rock festival, blending the best rock Argentinian artists, great wines and delicious cuisine with the backdrop of the Andes to celebrate the end of harvest!
La Azul: A lovely family winery with wonderful five course wine paired lunch and a beautiful and relaxing scenery. Our travellers love this winery with its great hosts, Ezequiel Fadel and his team.
Gimenez Riili: A great option for a six course wine paired lunch or dinner we love to recommend. They also offer horseback riding and biking in the vineyards.
Oriunda´s Best Experiences To Pair With Great Wines
The mountain and the Andes range are the protagonists and stars of our experiences with our adorable guide. Everything happens in Tunuyán area, very near to the Uco Valley. If you are staying here, you will be walking or riding in the mountains in twenty minutes.
Our memorable experiences include horseback riding, trekking, yoga or painting in the mountains for the artistic souls; 4×4 truck rides, mountain biking, fly fishing, and mountain motorcycling for the more adventurers.
Depending on your preferences, there is a wide range of options, from a 2,5 hs soft trekking or horseback riding to get to Cerro San Pedro. For more adventurer souls you can experience with us a climb at Cajón Arenales a favourite climbing area in the Andes Range at 2500 masl, or to Salto Chorro de la Vieja (a 40 mt high water fall in the mountain) a more demanding and beautiful spot, or to Cerro Torrecita with a most demanding trekking, where you will feel the might of the mountains.
In each of our programmes, the wow moment apart from nature is gastronomy and excellent wines, always present in the shape of gourmet picnics or great asados which are prepared in the middle of the mountain or in a nice ranch by the Andes.
One of our landmarks is without a doubt to experience a sunrise or sunset mountain horseback
ride to witness the changing colours and shades of the mountains.
The icing on the cake at the peak of the mountain?
To see the sun rising in the Andes with a delicious breakfast in the morning, or a great leg ham, cheeses and sparkling wine in the evening. The magic is complete when you also listen to our violinist in this unforgettable scenic spot.
For those staying in Lujan de Cuyo, to visit the different wineries by bike, closing the experience with a basket picnic in the vineyards is a blast.
For the bon vivant spirits staying in Lujan de Cuyo or the Uco Valley, we have spectacular rides in classic vintage cars along different wineries in both wine roads to end the experience with a premium tasting wine plus an incredible wine paired lunch, when you leave your car and are taken back to your hotel with our drivers. Along the way, we include a visit to a typical knife factory in the Uco Valley wine road or the antique Giol Winery if you are in Lujan de Cuyo.
Lodging We Love At Oriunda:
Entrecielos Luxury Wine Hotel and Spa:
A fantastic hotel in Luján de Cuyo which is a whole experience in itself, with 24 unique rooms, suites
and lofts of different sizes and styles, surrounded by its own vineyards and stunning views of the
Cordón del Plata in the Andes range. Katharina, its great gourmet restaurant is inspired in regional
cuisine. What makes Entrecielos unique? their authentic six-stage circuit spa + hamam, the first one
of its type in Latin America. Don´t miss the outdoor programmes the hotel offers including barbecue, picnics in the vineyards, wine tasting of their own Marantal wines, etc.
Casa de Uco:
An amazing hotel in the Uco Valley, deeply rooted to the fascinating culture of wine, in touch with a
superb view of the mighty Andes. It features 16 very comfortable rooms and 3 villas from 100 to 150
square metres. Apart from its fantastic restaurant and spa, Casa de Uco has a wine cellar definitely
worth a visit with excellent wines. This hotel offers a wide range or activities including horseback
riding, bike rides in the vineyard, cocktail and cooking classes, blending sessions, wine tasting and
the traditional Argentine barbecue in the vineyards which you can not miss among others.
Until April 30th Casa de Uco offers a super 4 day all inclusive programme to celebrate Harvest time.
It is a fun programme from minute one; you will not need to worry about anything. The experience includes: transfers from/to airport, cocktail class, the magic of treading the grapes and participating
in the harvest itself, horseback riding and biking, blending session and wine tasting, 2 massage
treatments, all meals and the pleasure of traditional barbecue at the foot of the Andes; plus you can
choose 2 wineries to visit in the region with a wine paired lunch.
What else could you dream about for a mindblowing experience in the wine country?
The Vines Resort and Spa:
This is without a doubt one of our favourite hotels in Argentina. This luxury hotel is a true pleasure
for the senses, with 21 fabulous villas in a privileged location in the Uco Valley within the majestic
Andes.
Their restaurant, Siete Fuegos, signed by acclaimed Francis Mallmann is a real pleasure and one of
its kind.
This is the perfect hotel to pamper yourself and experience unforgettable sunsets.
At The Vines everything is unparalleled. They can make magic and organize incredible private
dinners with your own chef in the vineyards, delicious picnics overlooking the lagoon, enjoy your
own chef in your villa, and anything you can think of.
Within The Vines you can visit its own winery, or visit other amazing wineries within the property:
Corazón del Sol, Gimenez Riili, Solo Contigo and Super Uco.
How to enjoy harvest season at The Vines?
Taking part in the amazing Wine Camps you will become an expert. This means participating in the
joyful harvesting process and stomping grapes as in the past, you will learn a lot about when the grapes are ready to pick and the fascinating process from grapes to a bottle of red wine. Of course you will challenge your palate with incredible wine tasting, finishing your great day with an unmissable barbecue lunch with fabulous wines.
The Wine Camps will be held each Tuesday and Friday, from early March through late April of 2019.
Alpasion:
A lovely 5 room lodge in the Uco Valley, with great gastronomy, beautiful landscapes and a nice swimming pool.
Ideal for high end adventure lovers, perched on the Andes mountains, it offers thrilling horseback riding, amazing trekking, fly fishing experiences, delicious cuisine. Hosted by the warm Palma family to feel at home from minute one.
An unforgettable programme for the most adventurous is their trekking and climbing program to get to the base of Nivero del Plata glacier (4300 masl) which includes a camping night in the mountains at 2900 masl to appreciate the mind blowing view of the south wall of Cerro del Plata (6100masl).
Other favourite options we like to recommend:
Lares de Chacras: a classic and very comfortable hotel with eleven rooms in charming Chacras de Coria, at 20’ car drive from town and very near the wine road.
Club Tapiz: a good option with eleven comfortable rooms in the wine road. It has a nice restaurant, spa and its own winery, Bodega Tapiz.
Finca La Azul: a lovely six rooms lodge in the Uco Valley hosted by adorable Shirley and Pablo, next to our favourite Bodega La Azul.
Posada Gimenez Riili: This is a five rooms lodge within Gimenez Riili winery. If you stay at this hotel, you have quick access to all the wineries within The Vines Property. They offer cooking classes, bike rides and horseback riding.
Casa Petrini: A new and nice hotel with eight rooms in the Uco Valley. It has its own winery and its restaurant is open all day.
Tell us your interests and style and we will create for you a super programme in this land which is one of a kind.
Oriunda team.