Mendoza Wineries on a Budget
As the wine capital of Argentina, Mendoza does not disappoint. When planning my South America trip with one of my best friends, I knew that Mendoza was a must-do.
When it came time to planning, I was a bit overwhelmed and confused with the different wine regions within Mendoza and the affordability of the wineries. Was going to Mendoza going to break our budgets, or would we be high-rolling during our 4 night stay here?
It probably didn't help with Argentina's inflation issues that reached over 200% whilst we were there, however it did also take us quite a lot of research to find wineries that were affordable on our budget.
We did manage to stick to budget in Mendoza, and found Maipu Valley to be far less expensive and more accessible than Lujan du Cuyo, Uco Valley and their surrounding areas. However, the wineries are absolutely gorgeous in those areas, so going back to Mendoza with a larger budget is a must in my future!
We still had an incredible time, and I've outlined more of our activities and our stay in Mendoza here:
But this post is all dedicated to the regions most popular attraction and export, WINE!
Self-guided bike tours:
Rental Cost: AUD$11.10/USD$7.40
Each tasting cost between AUD$7-$14/USD$4.60-$9.20 for min. tastings
The first (and in my opinion, best) bike tour we did was through Maipu Bikes Rental Bikes. It’s pretty much a standard bike hire but there are certain wineries they recommend you visit, where they have special discounts for their customers. They provide a detailed map listing out the wineries and discounts, ranging from 10-20% off.
Maipu Valley isn’t the most scenic of wine regions – but it’s got it’s own special charm to it. Compared to the flashier wine regions in Mendoza, it feels a lot more local and unpretentious. It’s also a lot cheaper to do tastings than the other wineries in Lujan de Cuyo and Uco Valley, and for most you don’t need to book ahead.
At first I was a bit nervous about riding our bikes on the side of the road, as you need to ride down a main road in the area to get to the wineries which are about 20-30 minutes away. However, all the locals seem to be used to bike riders in the area and give you plenty of space, and the roads are wide enough.
The wineries we visited were:
Bodega Tempus Alba – probably my favourite, and our first stop! We took a self-guided tour around the winery learning about the history and the wine, before sitting down for a tasting looking amongst the vineyards.
Bodega MEVI – another beautiful winery, there was no tour but we sat out on the terrace overlooking the vines and the mountains and enjoyed three tastings.
La Melesca Resto – we stopped here for a bite to eat (some delish freshly baked bread and spreads) and a glass of malbec, in a cute, low-key garden restaurant.
Bodega Trapiche – here we did a self-service wine tasting, where you pour your own tastings out of their dispensers and pay at the end. As this is one of the more popular wineries in Mendoza, you need to book ahead for a tour and proper tasting, but this suited us just fine after a long day of biking and wining!
Top Tips for Self-Guided Bike Tours:
Allow yourself at least 1.5 hours for each winery, especially if you are doing a tour.
In Lujan du Cuyo, most wineries you need a reservation, so book at least a day in advance - longer if you have your heart set on certain wineries. We booked two days in advance and had to miss out on our first picks.
Lunch reservations are also crucial, these need to be booked further out. Lujan du Cuyo try to book a few weeks out if possible, even longer if you are going on a weekend. For Maipu Valley, at least a few days out.
Don't underestimate the amount of bike riding you will do - some distances between wineries can be upwards of 30 minutes.
In summer, prepare for the heat - drink LOT's of water and wear sunscreen!
Rental Cost: AUD$13.90/USD$9.30
Tastings in this area (Lujan de Cuyo) are more expensive. The wineries recommended by Vistabla Bikes fall between AUD$10-$35/USD$6.70-$23.50.
The second bike tour we did was a bit of a fail! We only got to one winery by bike, which was about a 35-minute ride from the bike hire shop. By the time we finished there it was over 30 degrees celsius, and it was more than 40 minutes by bike to our next winery. We dropped the bikes back early and Uber-ed instead!
We did have a flat tire on one of the bikes, which they did warn us could happen due to the rough countryside bike paths. They came and switched the bikes over when we were doing our wine tasting, so apart from an extra struggle for the last hundred meters when it punctured, it was hassle-free.
The wineries we visited were:
Alta Vista - there was just the two of us so we had a private tour, followed by a very generous tasting and an extra glass of wine on their charming property. That extra glass also may have contributed to what turned the bike tour into a bit of a fail!
LUI Wines - a relatively new winery, which commenced operations in 2002 and opened their cellar door late 2023. Despite their young age, we loved this winery – it had a more modern feel to it than the others we had visited, in an equally gorgeous setting. Once again, it was just the two of us, and it was a great personalised experience. It was a bit more expensive, at $25 for three wine tastings, but he did pour us an extra one at the end!
As we had a horse riding adventure booked in for later in the afternoon, we only had time for two wineries.
Tempus Alba
Alta Vista
Wineries we lunched at:
Bodega Lopez – Maipu Valley
What I ate: Grilled chicken on steamed spinach and creamy cheese
What I drank: Glass of Malbec
What I spent: AUD$14/USD$9.30
I actually had to go back and double check my receipt from this lunch four months later, because I could not believe how cheap it was for a nice winery restaurant. But alas, that was what we paid! It was in the middle of Argentina’s inflation crisis so I can only guess maybe they were delayed in updating their pricing…?
Anyways, even though it was unbelievably cheap compared to any other meal I had in Argentina, it was delicious! It wasn’t the fanciest of restaurants and there are plenty of more aesthetic ones, but for the price and the quality of the food, we were extremely happy.
La Guapas Bodega y Restaurante – Maipu Valley
What I ate: 3 course meal – 2x empanadas, steak with potatoes, dessert (a trifle-like creation!)
What I drank: 3x pairing wines – a Rose, and two Malbecs
What I spent: AUD$34.70/USD$23
We treated ourselves to a three-course meal at this boutique winery/restaurant, and we were not disappointed! It was a quaint Italian-esque setting, with beautiful views over the vineyards. All the courses were delicious, but the highlight was the empanadas – some of the best traditional empanadas I’ve had!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to Argentina's ever-fluctuating currency, please check prices before planning your travels. These prices were correct as at January and May 2024 when I visited. For more on Argentina's money situation, click here.
FUN NOTE: Tasting sizes here in Mendoza are LARGE - normally a standard glass or just under! A lot larger than what you would get in Australia or New Zealand.
Bodega MEVI
Bodega Trapiche
Alta Vista
LUI Wines
Other wineries we visited:
Bodega Cavas de Weinert - this winery is located in Lujan de Cuyo, and is set in a grand building erected in 1890. Although we didn't have a booking here, we were able to turn up and be taken on a private English-speaking tour - a rarity in Lujan de Cuyo!
This winery plays a key role in the history of Mendoza, as their 1977 vintage of Malbec was one of the first 100% Malbecs to be showcased internationally as a fine wine. Malbec is Mendoza's most popular variety, so one could say their wine put Mendoza on the map.
Tour + Tasting Cost: AUD$25/USD$16.70
Bodega Pulmary - this is a quaint organic winery, located in Lujan de Cuyo. Given it's small size, we booked ahead the day before, but there were only a few other people when we were there so it may not have been needed (granted, this was mid-week in late April, so not peak season).
This was an interesting experience as it wasn't just four tastings of standard wine we were given, it was four tastings of the same wine at different stages of the wine-making process. The first one tasted like a grape smoothie, while they slowly tasted more and more like Malbec! It was a unique experience, and it was nice to mix it up a bit given the number of wineries I had already been to by that stage!
Tasting Cost: AUD$9.60/USD$6.40
Bodega Cavas de Weinert
Bodega Cavas de Weinert
Bodega Pulmary
