VEMPRA
Mendoza has more than a thousand wineries, so choosing which ones to visit is usually the first decision of the trip. The goal isn’t to see more, it’s to see better: go where regular tours don’t, meet the winemaker in person, and book the best hour of the day. This is our pick of the best wineries to visit in Mendoza, organized by region, for travelers who would rather have a private visit than share a tasting room with a crowd.
Uco Valley: Altitude, New Ideas, and Cult Wines
The Uco Valley is the most sought-after wine region in Argentina, and for good reason. At more than 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level, its stony soils produce taut, deep, expressive wines.
- Zuccardi Valle de Uco: Its Piedra Infinita winery was named the best in the world. Stone and concrete architecture, and single-parcel wines that show the terroir like few places can.
- Salentein: A pioneer in the valley, with an art gallery, a cross-shaped winery, and some of the best sunsets in the province.
Luján de Cuyo: The Home of Malbec
Luján de Cuyo was Argentina’s first fine-wine region and is the historic home of Malbec. World-famous names share the area with small cult projects.
- Catena Zapata: The Mayan temple of Malbec, the winery that showed the world Mendoza could compete with the great names of Europe.
- Viña Cobos: Paul Hobbs’s project, with some of the highest-rated Malbecs in the country. A visit for collectors.
- Luigi Bosca: More than a century of family history and one of the most complete food and wine programs in the region, at Finca El Paraíso.
- Piattelli: An amphitheater of vineyards with one of the best-known views in Mendoza, and a kitchen that lives up to it.
- Kaiken: The Argentine project of Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes. High-altitude wines that, like the wild goose the winery is named after, cross the Andes.
- Nieto Senetiner: Tradition and century-old vines in Vistalba, a benchmark for Bonarda and for long, traditional Argentine lunches.
- Bodega Norton: One of the historic houses, with an underground cellar and the best blend-your-own-wine workshops in Mendoza.
Maipú: Classic and Small-Scale
Maipú is where wine tourism in Mendoza began, and today its smallest producers are giving it a second life.
- Bodega Sin Fin: Maipú at its most personal, a small-production winery where the winemaker welcomes you in person.
Mendoza City: Wineries Minutes from Your Hotel
If you’d rather stay close to downtown, there are excellent wineries a few minutes from the city, ideal for a first afternoon or a special dinner.
- Los Toneles: Historic architecture and Abrasado, one of the most celebrated wood-fire restaurants in the province.
- Escorihuela Gascón: Founded in 1884, it’s home to Francis Mallmann’s 1884 restaurant. A heritage visit and a serious dinner in one stop.
Where to Stay
The best days don’t end at sunset. If you want to wake up among the vines, we plan your route around a winery lodge, combining your stay, winery visits, and chef-driven meals in a single itinerary.
Plan Your Own Wine Route
There is no single “best winery in Mendoza.” There’s the best one for you, depending on what you care about most: the wine, the architecture, the food, or the landscape. At Vempra we don’t sell one-off visits. We plan private routes that match the right wineries to your time and your interests. Start with our winery directory, or tell us what you have in mind and we’ll plan it around you.