This guide is for you if you have one day for wine in Mendoza and want to spend it among the Malbec vineyards, without hours on the road. It covers why this district, which month to come, how the day is put together and the two reservations you need to make.
Why Luján de Cuyo for Malbec
Malbec reached Argentina in 1853. The French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget was hired to run Mendoza's agricultural estate, and he brought the grape with him. On 17 April that year the project for the estate and its school went to the provincial legislature. That is why Malbec World Day, which Wines of Argentina first held in 2011, falls on 17 April.
Luján de Cuyo has more Malbec than any other department, about 23 per cent of the total. It was also the first designation of origin in Argentina, and in South America, and it marked its 30th anniversary in 2022. The wineries inside it work to protect the old vineyards of the area. The national tourism board sums up the district as the land of Argentina's Malbec.
When to go
Summer in Mendoza runs from December to March. Days reach about 33°C, nights drop to around 18°C, and it hardly rains. February and March are harvest time, when the province holds the Vendimia, its harvest festival. Its main show and parades fall at the end of the harvest; check this year's dates.
Two things follow. If you come during the harvest, book the wineries and the lunch as early as you can. If you come in April, you can be here for Malbec World Day on the 17th.
How the day is shaped
The district starts about 20 kilometres south of the city, so the driving is short. The early start, at 07:00, is not about distance. Wineries open from mid-morning, and the first hours go on breakfast in Chacras de Coria, a village of old houses and cafés. If you would rather sleep in, ask for a later pick-up.
From there the day has three parts. A first winery at about 09:30, with a walk through the vineyard and the cellar. A second at about 11:30, large or small as you prefer. Then lunch at a winery from 13:00, facing the vines and the mountains. You are back at your hotel at about 15:00, with the rest of the afternoon free.
The vehicle is yours, so the plan can move. Three wineries fit if lunch is shorter: tell your driver in the morning.
What to book
Two reservations matter. Most wineries take visitors by reservation only, and the lunch is at a winery too. Tell us which bodegas you want when you book and we help you book them. If you have no list, a pairing of one large and one small bodega gives you two different sides of the district.
Visits, tastings and lunch are paid on the day. The price of the tour covers the vehicle, the driver, fuel, tolls and parking, and depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
On your own, or with a driver
You can explore part of Luján de Cuyo without a car. Chacras de Coria works as a base, and from there you can rent bikes or take short taxi rides to the bodegas. That suits a slow trip with a night or two in Chacras rather than a day from the city.
A driver changes the shape of the day. Nobody in your group has to drive after the tastings or the lunch, you are collected at your door, and the wineries can be further apart than a bike ride allows. If you want a shorter taste of wine country, our Maipú half day stays in the district closest to the city.
What to bring
- Sun cream, sunglasses and a hat. The vineyard walks are in the open.
- Comfortable shoes for walking between the rows and through the cellars.
- A card or local cash for visits, tastings and lunch.
- Room in your bag if you plan to buy wine at the cellar door.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits a first wine day in Mendoza, couples and friends who want a long lunch without anyone driving, and travellers who would rather spend the day at the wineries than in the car.
Think twice in these cases:
- You want the highest vineyards. The Uco Valley day is higher and further away, with longer drives.
- You only have half a day. Maipú is closer and takes five hours.
- You land in Mendoza that morning. A 07:00 start is hard after a flight. Take the city tour that afternoon and the wine day after.
- You are more than 16. Two vehicles travel together on one booking. Message us and we will price it.
Questions people ask
Is the Uco Valley better?
It is different: higher, further away and a longer day. Luján de Cuyo gives you more time at the wineries and less on the road. Our guide to day trips from Mendoza compares them.
Can we visit three wineries?
Yes, if lunch is shorter. Tell your driver in the morning.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Choose your month, send us your list of bodegas, and leave the afternoon free after lunch. Timings, the pick-up area and inclusions are on the Luján de Cuyo private wine day page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
