Living in Argentina for four months – the country with some of the world’s greatest wineries -, doing a wine tasting tour is most definitely a must. And what better place to experience the wine culture of this country and get a taste of some of the supposedly best wines you’ll ever taste, than Mendoza, home to the largest wine producing area in all of Latin-America. The city itself, which counts as one of the great wine capitals of the world, is a small, laid-back place, only a couple of hours from the Chilean border. After an interesting 11-hour, border-crossing bus ride from Santiago to Mendoza, all of us were ready to finally get on our bikes, cycle around the marvellous scenery with the magnificent Andes mountains on the horizon, and catch some rays, while tasting those wonderful wines that everybody was talking about. 

From the centre of Mendoza, you can easily reach the winery region ‘Maipu’ by taking the Metrotranvía (MTM) at Avenida Belgrano. The Red Bus Card which you need to use public transportation can be bought for $20 [0,50€] pesos at any Kiosko and one ride costs $8,50 [0,20€] pesos. Getting off at the second to last stop ‘Maza’, you can take the bus 171 to the bike rental Maipu Bikes. After your day of tasting countless wines, bus number 173 will take you right back to the centre. Renting the bikes at Maipu Bikes for an entire day only costs $100 [2,40€] pesos and you’ll receive a map with all the Bodegas (“wineries”), including prices and opening hours. It does pay off to arrive at the rental around 10 or 11am, in order to get good bikes and not be left with the last ones, whose saddles are uncomfortable and whose gears don’t work. Regarding the route, there’s not really one way to do the tour, so everyone should just decide for themselves which wineries they want to visit. Generally, prices range from $70-$180 [1,60-4,20€] pesos for the tastings – which usually include 3 glasses -, but if you’re with a group of at least 3-4 people, it might be more economical to just share a bottle or two, as we did. That might sound like a lot, but there’s certainly no such thing as too much Argentinian wine. Following that motto, you can join the happy hour of Maipu Bikes from 5-6pm, after all the wineries have closed, and enjoy some free house wine with the lovely owner of the rental. So, pack some snacks, don’t forget your sunscreen, and enjoy all the Malbecs, Chardonnays, and Cabernets that the wineries of Mendoza have to offer.

MY WINERY RECOMMENDATIONS:

MEVI Boutique Bodega – very modern, 3 taster glasses for $70 [€3,50], or a bottle for $190 pesos [€9,20], great view over the Andes mountains

TRAPICHE – historical winery, option to do a one-hour tour through the production facilities of the winery for $150 [3,50€] pesos (needs to be reserved beforehand), including a tasting at the end

TIERRA DE LOBO – Swiss owner, only liquors, 3 tasters for $100 [2,40€] pesos, nice outside terrace to sit in the sun

View from the MEVI Bodega

Although going on a wine tour is certainly the coolest thing to do in Mendoza, there are a couple of other things the region has to offer:

• The Termas de Cacheuta are a nice option to relax in bubbling warm water for a day. However, a full day might be a bit too much steam and sunburn potential. Taking the bus at 10:30am from the bus terminal, you’ll arrive around 12pm, and taking the bus back at 3:45pm is more than enough time to relax in the sun for a couple of hours. Just make sure to apply and reapply sunscreen – the high altitude and reflection of the water make for a toxic combination (especially for whities like me). The return bus ticket costs $65 [1,50€], and entrance to the thermal springs $180 [4,20€] pesos.
• If you’re looking for another activity, beside the wine tour, taking a bus to the Embalse de Potrerillos could be an option. The bus costs $85 [2,00€] pesos, takes about 1:20h, and leaves from the main bus terminal. Besides the lake, there’s not a whole lot to do out there, but the turquoise water and the mountains around it make for a beautiful scenery.
• Two restaurants that are highly recommendable include La Lucía and El Asadito. While La Lucía is a rather fancy Steak restaurant (around €20 per person), El Asadito offers slighly lower prices (€15 p.p.) and bigger portions (including several sides for one steak). Both places are very popular and making a reservation is therefore, recommendable.
• We stayed at the Hostel International Mendoza for €5,60 a night. The staff is super friendly and helpful, beds are comfortable, breakfast fairly good, and the hostel is conveniently located (10 minutes from the bus terminal, 15 minutes from the airport).