In all honesty, Mendoza underwhelmed. It’s our own fault – we didn’t do enough research to understand the importance of reservations. Luckily, if you’re reading this post, you’re already a step ahead! Mendoza has a ton of potential with its mountains and vineyards. You just need to do some planning.
Without a doubt, Mendoza’s primary draw is its collection of delicious Argentinian wineries. While Malbec is the star of this region, you’ll be able to find a variety of delicious wines across the vineyards in this area.
You have a few options when deciding how to visit Mendoza’s many wineries. Some, however, take more planning than others.
The region’s best vineyards are about 1-3 hours outside the city. Renting a car is technically an option, but don’t drink and drive. Instead, look into the many bus tours that shepherd tourists daily from downtown Mendoza to a collection of the region’s vineyards. This option will cost you a pretty penny, but it is without a doubt the preferred way to make the most of a visit to Mendoza.
These tours, however, take planning. We unfortunately did not do enough research in advance of our trip, and all the tours were sold out when we arrived at our hotel.
There are other options, though! A handful of wineries are within 20 minutes of town. If there is a specific vineyard you want to visit, you can always take a taxi. If you want to visit multiple vineyards on one trip, you can also rent a bicycle down the street from those vineyards at Mr. Hugo’s. We chose to go this route.
Imagine riding a bike through wine country, going from vineyard to vineyard, taking the time to sample a flight at each stop. Sounds romantic, right? It’s a shame the experience didn’t live up to the ideal. Rather than lush hillsides, we rode along a dusty road with cars whirring by. Add in 90° weather and it was a hot, sweaty ride. To exacerbate things further, some of the vineyards along this route require reservations or don’t accept bikers. Without an easy way to contact each vineyard or learn of these policies, you’ll have to ride by to see if you can actually visit.
All of that said, Mr. Hugo’s still provides a good way to visit multiple vineyards if you want a budget-friendly option or missed out on reserving a bus tour. We suggest working with your hotel to confirm which of the vineyards in that area are open, allow bikers, and/or require reservations. Our favorite stops along this road were Bodega Trapiche (great wine, requires a reservation), LAUR Olivícola (olive oil producer), Bodega Viña el Cerno (friendly service and also great wine), and Bodega MEVI (terrific views).
Happy traveling!
Kitrina & Jordan
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