Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
279
Tips
Make the Most of Your Bodega Day!
• Schedule three or four
bodegas
to visit per day at the most. Select a variety of sizes
(large, medium, small) and styles (modern, traditional, boutique). Stop for lunch at
the middle
bodega
or at a restaurant in the wine areas (see below).
• Rest well the night before you hit the
bodegas.
Tours provide plenty of information
and sampling, and you will want to be alert enough to soak it all in.
• The sun is hot in Mendoza, and weather can be dry, given the high altitude. The
wineries and cellars can be chilly, however, so bring a sweater, even if it's hot out-
side.
• H ire a
remise
driver or guide for most days, but treat yourself to 1 day spent roam-
ing the vineyards on bicycle. You will be forced to go at a slower pace and to ride
the back roads of the rolling countryside.
• Don't wear perfume or lipstick, which distract from the aroma of the wines.
• Note that many bodegas accept only cash for wine purchases, particularly those
that do not have on-site restaurants. Be sure to stop by an ATM before heading
out.
Renting a car is another alternative, but beware of drinking and driving! Finally, renting
a bike gives the day a leisurely pace, but be war y of Mendocino drivers!
Practically all local
bodegas
now open their doors to tourists; some ev en offer guest
rooms—a fabulous trend that is definitely on the rise. If you fall in love with a particular
vineyard, ask if they hav e guest rooms and see if y ou can stay the night. What makes a
good
bodega
tour is a bilingual, educated, and charming guide, and an oppor
tunity to
taste some of their best wines at the end.
The
High Zone
that surr ounds the M endoza River includes L uján de C uyo
and Maipú. This first zone is best r egarded for its pr oduction of Malbec, although cab-
ernet sauvignon, chenin, merlot, chardonnay, and Syrah are all bottled here as well. Many
of the
bodegas
in this zone lie within 1 hour's drive of Mendoza, making tours very con-
venient. I suggest y ou begin y our touring her e, where there is gr eat variety and many
visitor-friendly
bodegas
to choose fr om. South of Mendoza, the beautiful and r ural
Uco
Valley Region
, including Tunuyán, Tupungato, and San Carlos, produces excellent
Malbec, Semillon (a white), and Torrontés (another white, v ery floral, like a M uscadet,
and more common in Salta). Allow at least 2 hours to reach this area. It's a long drive but
certainly wor th the effor t. Farthest away, the
South Region,
between S an Rafael and
General Alvear, is fed b y the A tuel and D iamante rivers. Its best v arieties are Malbec,
Bonarda, and cabernet sauvignon. O ff the tourist track, y ou will need at least a day to
visit this region.
The
Mendoza East Region
is the province's largest wine-producing area in terms of
quantity (not necessarily quality). There is little tourism infrastructure here.
With so many wineries (mor e than 650 at last count), it can be difficult to figur e out
which to visit. Some are massive, modern industrial complexes funded by foreign investors.
Others are traditional “boutique” wineries run by the same family for generations. Most are
open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, and S aturdays 10am to 3pm; some ar e
now open fr om noon to 3pm on S undays, although the S unday visit slots ar e usually
booked up early . R eservations ar e usually r equired for visits. Wineries ar e incr easingly
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