Booking choice: The private Uco Valley wine day with lunch, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
Mendoza is a desert that makes wine. The province gets about 180 mm of rain a year, so its vineyards depend on irrigation with snowmelt from the Andes, plus groundwater. They sit between about 600 and 1,500 m above sea level, and that height and dryness shape the wines you will taste.
The province divides its vineyards into five official zones: Norte, Centro, Este, Valle de Uco and Sur. A day tour from the city usually chooses between three areas: Maipú and Luján de Cuyo, which together form the Centro or Primera Zona, and the Uco Valley. This guide explains each one and which tours on this site go there.
The quick answer
Choose Maipú for a short, easy day close to the city with historic family wineries and olive-oil mills. Choose Luján de Cuyo, about 30 km south, for Argentina's first controlled appellation and vineyards at about 800 to 1,100 m. Choose the Uco Valley, about 90 minutes away at about 1,000 to 1,500 m, for the highest vineyards and the Andes up close. The Uco Valley is worth it if you have a full day; Maipú suits an afternoon.
Why is Mendoza so good for wine?
Dry desert air, Andean snowmelt for irrigation and vineyards high above sea level. Together they give growers control over water and long, sunny seasons.
With about 180 mm of rain a year across the province, and barely 200 mm in Agrelo, rain rarely decides the harvest; irrigation does. Water comes down from the Andes as snowmelt and is spread through the vineyards, with groundwater in support. Altitude adds the rest: from about 600 m to about 1,500 m, the higher sites have warm days and cold nights.
The result is scale as well as quality. Mendoza holds about 140,682 of Argentina's 196,220 ha of vines and makes more than eight in ten bottles of Argentine wine. Malbec is the most planted grape; see Malbec and the wines of Mendoza.
What are the wine areas a day tour chooses between?
Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. The first two are close to the city; the Uco Valley takes a full day.
The table sets out distance, altitude and the tours on this site that go to each area.
Several tours let the day decide: the small-group lunch tour goes to Luján de Cuyo or the Uco Valley depending on availability, and the half-day tour chooses between Luján de Cuyo and Maipú. If the area matters to you, pick a tour that fixes it, such as the Maipú afternoon tour or the private Uco Valley day.
| Area | How far | Altitude | Typical tour on this site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maipú | Closest to the city, to the east and south-east | Varies by vineyard | 3 Wineries and Olive Oil Factory (afternoon) |
| Luján de Cuyo | Roughly 30 km south of the city | About 800 to 1,100 m | Chandon visit, Wine and Bike Tour, Half-Day Wine Tour |
| Uco Valley | About 90 minutes by road | About 1,000 to 1,500 m | Private Uco Valley day, Full-Day Uco option |
| Luján de Cuyo or Uco Valley | Set by availability | About 800 to 1,500 m | Small-group lunch tour, Luxury tour |
What is Maipú like?
Maipú is the closest wine area to Mendoza city, with many historic and family wineries and olive-oil mills. It suits an afternoon.
Because it is near the city, Maipú is where the classic afternoon tour runs. The Maipú tour visits three wineries, an artisanal one, an industrial one and a sweet-wine one, then an olive-oil factory, and returns around 8:00 pm. The full-day tour offers a Maipú option too, which adds an olive-oil mill to two wineries and a 3-course lunch.
Maipú is also where self-guided bike routes run, on flat lanes between vineyards. The guided cycling options are in the Mendoza bike wine tour guide.
Maipú in an afternoon: three styles of winery and an olive-oil tasting, back by about 8:00 pm.
Book thisWhat is Luján de Cuyo known for?
Luján de Cuyo was Argentina's first Denominación de Origen Controlada, in 1989. Its vineyards sit at about 800 to 1,100 m, roughly 30 km south of the city.
The appellation was codified by Mendoza Law 3086 in 1990 and recognised by the OIV in 1991, and it is widely described as the first controlled appellation in the Americas. Its districts include Agrelo, Las Compuertas, Perdriel, Ugarteche, Vistalba and Mayor Drummond, and it keeps 144 ha of vines more than 100 years old. Chacras de Coria, often on itineraries, is a residential and restaurant village rather than a wine district.
Chandon's Argentine winery is in Agrelo, and the Chandon visit is a short way to see the area. The bike tour also starts with a ride here.
Is the Uco Valley worth it?
Yes, if you have a full day. It is the highest of the three areas, with modern wineries, cold nights and the Andes close by, but the drive takes about 90 minutes each way.
The valley is about 70 km long and 40 km wide, across three departments: Tupungato in the north, Tunuyán in the centre and San Carlos in the south. About 24,000 ha are planted, between about 1,000 and 1,500 m, with warm days and cold nights. Wineries there include Salentein with its Killka art gallery, O Fournier, Clos de los Siete, Andeluna, Sophenia, Zuccardi Piedra Infinita and Domaine Bousquet.
Because of the drive, Uco tours are full days with a lunch. The private Uco day lasts about eight hours with two tastings and a paired lunch at a third winery.
The high Uco Valley with your own driver-guide: two tastings and a long lunch at a third winery.
Book thisMaipú, Luján de Cuyo or Uco Valley: which should I choose?
Maipú for a short first visit, Luján de Cuyo for the classic appellation and Chandon, the Uco Valley for altitude and scenery on a full day.
Think about time first. With half a day, stay close: Maipú or Luján de Cuyo. With a full day and an appetite for a long lunch, the Uco Valley is the bigger experience, and the drive becomes part of the scenery.
If you cannot decide, let a tour do it: the small-group lunch tour goes to Luján de Cuyo or the Uco Valley depending on availability, with a multi-course paired lunch either way. The overall comparison of formats is in which Mendoza wine tour is best.
Luján de Cuyo or the Uco Valley with a small group of 8 at most and a three-hour paired lunch.
Book thisIs Mendoza considered Patagonia?
No. Mendoza is in the Cuyo region of western Argentina. Patagonia, with Bariloche, lies far to the south.
Cuyo is the dry, mountainous west of the country, and its landscape is desert and Andes rather than lakes and forests. That is why Mendoza's vineyards need irrigation, and why its scenery is vines against bare mountains.
If you are weighing Mendoza against a Patagonian trip, read one day in Mendoza, which compares the two in general terms.
Can I see two areas in one day?
Usually not comfortably. Most tours focus on one area, though some let you choose the area when you book.
The full-day tour asks you to pick a Maipú option or an Uco Valley option; examples the listing names include Giaquinta and Salentein, “or similar”. The luxury tour visits 3 to 4 wineries in Luján de Cuyo or the Uco Valley. To see two areas properly, spend two days; the best time to visit suggests how many.
Pick Maipú with an olive-oil mill or the high Uco Valley, with two wineries and a 3-course paired lunch.
Book thisFrequently asked questions
How far is the Uco Valley from Mendoza city?
About 90 minutes by road, which is why Uco tours are full days.
Which area is closest to the city?
Maipú, to the east and south-east of Mendoza city. Luján de Cuyo is roughly 30 km south.
What are the five official wine zones of Mendoza?
Norte, Centro (Luján de Cuyo and Maipú), Este, Valle de Uco and Sur.
Is Mendoza in Patagonia?
No. It is in the Cuyo region of western Argentina.
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Choose your wine tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Booked on GetYourGuide.
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
Two Top Wineries & a Long Paired Lunch
- A winery visit with a guided tour and tasting, about an hour and a half
- A multi-course lunch with wine pairings at a second winery, about three hours
- Wineries in Luján de Cuyo or the Uco Valley, set by availability; the listing names examples such as Budeguer and Domaine Bousquet
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
