Mendoza Wine Tour
Length: 4 Days/3 Nights from Buenos Aires
Season: October – April
Refine your connoisseur palette in Mendoza, South America’s premiere wine region. Famous worldwide for its varieties of Malbec, Mendoza has made a place for itself as one of the great wine capitals of the world.
During this 4-day cultural and gourmet experience, you’ll have the opportunity to take in the charming small city of Mendoza, visit several top wineries where exquisite meals and food pairings await, and enjoy picturesque country vineyards backed by the scenic Andes on your choice of bicycle, horseback, or on foot.
Day-by-Day Itinerary:
DAY 01: BUENOS AIRES / MENDOZA
Morning 2-hour flight from Buenos Aires to Mendoza (2,450’). Reception at Mendoza airport and tour Mendoza’s historic sites, culminating with a visit to the expansive and forested San Martin Park and the impressive Cerro de la Gloria Hill monument. A typical lunch is included at Azafran in town or at one of the top restaurants in the outskirts of the city. Afternoon transfer to your hotel Club Tapiz located in an estate built in 1890 and surrounded by 34 acres of vineyards. This hotel strikes a balance between proximity to the small community of Chacras de Coria and the tranquil exclusivity of a rural retreat. This afternoon enjoy the exclusivity of Club Tapiz and explore the vineyard, check out the olive oil production, and dine on your own at the on-site gourmet restaurant to try exquisite dishes cooked using ingredients from the organic vegetable garden. (L)
DAY 02: MENDOZA / CENTRAL VALLEY
The central valley of Mendoza is historically the birthplace of Argentina’s winemaking tradition, which traces its roots to both Italian and Spanish immigrants who arrived over a century ago. This morning we head for the prestigious Catena Zapata, a winery of outstanding architectural design that is recognized as the pioneer of quality winemaking in Argentina and known for its Chardonnay. Our tasting continues at a second winery, Matervini that belongs to Santiago Achaval, one of the most renowned winemakers today. In addition to touring the winery and tasting their most exclusive wines, we will get to know the vineyard, production area and the barrel room. We’ll conclude the winery tour with a stop at Ruca Malen for Chef Lucas Bustos’ five course lunch, pairing food and wine against a backdrop of snow-covered peaks, Cordon del Plata (19,574 ft). Afternoon visit of Belasco de Baquedano’s unique Hall of Aromas, presenting 46 fragrances contained in clear Plexiglas posts. More than just a novelty, the Hall reveals many levels of a well-crafted wine’s fragrance, which adds greatly to its art and appreciation. Return to Club Tapiz to relax and explore the grounds. (B,L)
DAY 03: MENDOZA / UCO VALLEY
This morning we head south for the higher grounds of Uco Valley via a scenic paved road at the foothills of the Andes. Due to its unparalleled soil and climate conditions, the valley came to world recognition in recent years as the gem of all Argentine wine regions. Here, we start biking, horseback riding or hiking through the magnificent landscape. We head for one of the Valley’s finest winery sites: Clos de los Siete. This joint wine venture was initiated a few years back by France’s top winemaker Michel Rolland. Next, we visit Monteviejo and DiamAndes wineries, where innovations like a complete gravity process and fermentation in small temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks set the stage for high quality, award-winning winemaking. Later on we relax over lunch and enjoy a traditional meal at an off-the-beaten path local bodega, La Azul. In the afternoon we reach the Posada Salentein hotel, where we visit Killka, the exclusive Art and Cultural center featuring paintings of 19th century European artists and contemporary Argentine art and sculptures. (B,L)
DAY 04: UCO VALLEY / BUENOS AIRES
Enjoy a leisurely morning at the Posada Salentein before transferring to Mendoza airport (about 1.5 hours via highway) for an afternoon flight back to Buenos Aires. (B)
Prices from:
$2,900 p.p.d. for 2 participants.
p.p.d.= per person based on double or triple occupancy. Price does not include local flights.
NOTES ON THE ITINERARY: Participants choose as a group between biking, horseback riding or hiking according to preferences. Departures during Christmas, New Year, and Vendimia “harvest celebration” (first half of March each year), will be quoted upon request.
HOTEL UPGRADE:
– Entre Cielos. A luxurious and modern boutique wine hotel in nearby Lujan de Cuyo. Under Swiss management this hotel has won several awards and recognitions. Explore the vineyard, spa and dine at the on-site gourmet restaurant and sample its signature “Marantal” house wine.
– Cavas Wine Lodge. Nestled in a 55 acre vineyard, this breathtaking top-tier lodge is strategically located between the best known wineries and the magnificent Andes Mountain range. Only half hour drive south of Mendoza city.
– The Vines of Mendoza. A premier resort and spa, named to Condé Nast’s Hot List of the 33 best new hotels in the world. Here you’ll have a chance to dine at internationally acclaimed chef Francis Mallmann’s Siete Fuegos restaurant.
– Susana Balbo Winemaker’s house. A superb addition to the top boutique hotels in the region, the most exclusive and unique lodge offering luxury experiences with a perfect blend between wine culture, well-being and good living. Access to private tours aboard the only seaplane in Latin America.
ESTIMATED AIRFARE: LATAM & Aerolineas Argentinas both offer flights to Mendoza. Round-trip fares from Buenos Aires are approx. $400-600.
Inclusions/exclusions and how to sign up