Booking choice: The full-day wine tour with a three-course lunch, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
In Mendoza, summer runs from December to February and winter from June to August. The wine year follows: the vines grow through the warm months, and the grapes are picked in late summer into autumn. The harvest festival, the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia, crowns that season every year.
This guide covers the best months for a wine trip, what the Vendimia is, how winter differs, how many days to plan, and how a late dining culture fits around an afternoon tour.
The quick answer
The best months for a wine trip to Mendoza are the harvest season, late summer into autumn, roughly February to April, with the Vendimia festival in early March. Spring and autumn are comfortable for long winery days, and winter brings snow to the Andes behind the vineyards. One day is enough for a wine tour; two or three days let you see two areas; five days work well if you add the mountains.
What is the best month to visit Mendoza?
For wine, the harvest months, roughly February to April, are the most rewarding. Spring and autumn are also good, and winter has snow on the Andes.
The harvest runs from late summer into autumn, roughly February to April in the Southern Hemisphere. Wineries are busy, the vines are full and the region celebrates with the Vendimia festival. Spring, when the vines turn green, and autumn, when the leaves turn, are calm and pleasant seasons for a long lunch outdoors.
A day tour works outside the harvest too; the Maipú afternoon tour runs daily, per its listing. Opening days vary by winery, and the tour operator handles the bookings, so the season changes the scenery more than the plan.
When is the grape harvest in Mendoza?
In late summer into autumn, roughly February to April. Seasons are reversed from Europe and North America.
Because summer is December to February, the harvest falls when much of the northern world is in late winter and spring. It is a good reason to plan a February, March or April trip if you want to see the vineyards at their fullest.
A full day with lunch suits the season well. The full-day tour runs 8 to 9 hours with two wineries and a 3-course paired lunch, with a Maipú option that adds an olive-oil mill or an Uco Valley option with Andes views.
Harvest season on a full day: two wineries and a 3-course paired lunch in Maipú or the Uco Valley.
Book thisWhat is the Vendimia festival?
The Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia is Mendoza's grape-harvest festival, founded in 1936. The 2026 central event was held on 7 and 8 March.
The 2026 Acto Central, the 90th edition, took place on Saturday 7 March and was repeated on Sunday 8 March at the Teatro Griego Frank Romero Day in Mendoza. Both nights sold out. Departmental festivals run through the summer before the central event.
If your trip falls around early March, book the festival and your wine tour well ahead. Each tour on this site offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before, per the listings, which helps if plans change.
Is winter a good time for a wine tour in Mendoza?
Yes, if you like mountain views. Winter, June to August, brings snow to the Andes behind the vineyards, and a winery day is still a winery day.
The vines are bare in winter, but the snowy Andes on the western horizon are at their most striking, especially from the high Uco Valley. Pack layers for cold mornings and evenings.
The private Uco Valley day is a good winter choice, with door-to-door transfers and snacks and water included, per the listing. You visit two wineries and finish with a multi-course paired lunch at a third.
Snowy Andes, high vineyards and a private driver-guide, with two tastings and a long lunch.
Book thisHow many days should I spend in Mendoza?
One day is enough for a wine tour. Two or three days let you see two wine areas, and five days work if you add the mountains.
A single day can hold the Maipú afternoon tour after a morning in the city. With two or three days, add a full day in the Uco Valley or a long lunch in Luján de Cuyo. The areas are explained in Mendoza wine regions.
| Days | A simple plan |
|---|---|
| 1 | Morning in the city, Maipú afternoon tour, late dinner |
| 2 | Maipú afternoon tour, then a full day with lunch in Luján de Cuyo or the Uco Valley |
| 3 | Add a short Chandon visit or a bike day in Luján de Cuyo |
| 5 | Wine days plus time in the Andes, with rest days between tastings |
Is 5 days in Mendoza too much?
Not if you add the mountains. Five days give you two or three wine days with rest between them, plus time in the Andes.
Wine days are long, and a lunch tour fills most of the day. Spacing them out with a mountain day keeps each tasting enjoyable. The wine and bike tour is a good middle ground: a ride in Luján de Cuyo, one winery tasting and a ride by the Potrerillos dam, in a group of up to four.
If you are short of time instead, one day in Mendoza shows how to fit a tour into a single day.
Mix the wine with the mountains: a guided ride, one tasting and the Potrerillos dam, for four at most.
Book thisWhat time do Argentinians go to bed?
Late, compared with many countries. Dinner in Argentina is usually a late-evening affair, and the night starts later than visitors expect.
Restaurants fill late, and a relaxed evening out is part of the culture. That rhythm fits Mendoza's wine tours well: the Maipú afternoon tour returns around 8:00 pm, which leaves time to rest before dinner.
If you choose a lunch tour, the long winery lunch may be your main meal of the day, and a light late dinner is plenty. Drink plenty of water after a day of tastings.
How do I plan tours around the season?
Match the tour to the light and the weather: afternoon tastings in any season, long lunch days when you want to spend the day outdoors.
In summer and at harvest, a full day with a terrace lunch is a pleasure; bring sun protection. In winter, the snowy views reward a trip to the Uco Valley. Around the Vendimia in early March, book earlier than usual.
For the full comparison of tour formats, read which Mendoza wine tour is best. Whatever the season, never drive after a tasting.
A full day of wine at harvest or any time of year, with a 3-course lunch and paired wines.
Book thisFrequently asked questions
When is the Vendimia festival?
The central event is in early March. In 2026 it was held on 7 and 8 March at the Teatro Griego Frank Romero Day, and both nights sold out.
Are Mendoza's seasons reversed?
Yes. Summer is December to February and winter is June to August.
Can I do a wine tour in winter?
Yes. Winter is June to August, and it adds snow to the Andes behind the vineyards. The Maipú afternoon tour runs daily, per its listing.
How many days do I need for wine?
One day for a tour, two or three to see two areas, and five if you add the mountains.
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Choose your wine tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Booked on GetYourGuide.
Full-Day Wine Tour with 3-Course Lunch
Two wineries and a three-course lunch with pairings, as a Maipú day with an olive-oil mill or an Uco Valley day under the Andes
Maipú Afternoon: 3 Wineries & an Olive Oil Factory
- Three wineries in Maipú with three wines at each: young against aged, white, red and rosé
- An olive-oil factory to finish, with bread, olive oil and olive paste to taste
- Pickup from central hotels around 2 pm in an air-conditioned or heated vehicle; back around 8 pm
Uco Valley Wine Day with Private Driver & Lunch
- Private door-to-door transfers with a professional driver and guide
- Guided visits and tastings at two Uco Valley wineries, about an hour and a half each
- A multi-course lunch with wine pairings at a third winery from about 1:30 pm
