Best of Mendoza

Day 1: Welcome to Mendoza

Meet-and-greet service at the airport, followed by transfer to the hotel. Day at leisure to explore the city.   

Day 2 – Zuccardi Experience

The world famous Familia Zuccardi, one of Argentina’s most forward thinking wineries with excellent visitor facilities. Wine-making goes back to the early 1960s for this family concern, now in the hands of third-generation oenologist Sebastián.

His grandfather Alberto designed a vine-training system known as the Zuccardi parral, but it was father José Alberto who took the family business to new heights in the 1980s and 1990s, creating accessible as well as high-end wine for export. And the winery – a functional affair located in Maipú’s (relative) lowlands sheathed in the prolific pergola vines – very much remains a family concern.

For lunch we will enjoy a traditional Argentinean barbeque with Zuccardi wines at its restaurant “Casa del Visitante”

Day 3: Luján de Cuyo Tour: Achaval Ferrer - Norton -  Ruca Malén wineries

Founded in 1998 in the district of Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, the winery Achaval Ferrer is a leader in the area of Malbec wines. In the list of the twenty best Malbec in Argentina, it is at the top. In 2009, it was classified as the Winery of the Year 2009 by the American magazine Wine & Spirits. This small Argentine producer can be classified as a boutique, as it produces in small quantities. In addition, its winemakers are famous for the success of their work in Argentina, focused on extracting the best grapes that a given land can produce.

Norton winery was the first to set up south of the Mendoza River in 1895, when the Englishman Edmund J. P. Norton planted his vines, fascinated by the place. A century later, the same fascination led the entrepreneur Gernot Langes Swarovski (known in the crystal industry) to buy the winery. With its own brand and name, it is Argentina's number one winery in exporting high quality wines. The winery combines almost artisanal production with high technology. This historic winery has kept wines from old vintages since 1935. The place preserves the history, with old equipment, corks and bottles. The winery has real nooks for tasting, amid the wines. The architecture resembles a series of arteries or labyrinths that lead to the heart of the winery.

We continue to Bodega Ruca Malén where we´ll enjoy a one-of-a-kind dining experience. From the foothills of the Andes Mountains, the focus of Ruca Malen is producing wines that speak of the land and their commitment to the environment. There, you will taste their entire wine list, including their famous and iconic "Kinien". The dining room is located inside a glass room in the vineyards with a view of the Andes. The menu is amazing and the courses are universally excellent, with clever taste combinations, great presentation and appropriate wine matching.

Day 4 – Uco Valley Tour: Andeluna and Monteviejo wineries

Breakfast at the hotel. We will leave early morning from your hotel in the center of Mendoza towards the Uco Valley. This tour will take us to one of the great stars that rise in the region: Andeluna. It would look quite at home in a remote part of Texas as a hunting lodge. This is not accidental, Andeluna has deep roots in Texas. Ward Lay, the owner of Andeluna is the son of the late Texan Herman Lay, founder of Frito-Lay. Situated at the foot of the Andes just outside of the town of Tupungato in the Uco Valley, Andeluna has magnificent views of the mountains. The huge windows of the dining room are designed to take advantage of the effect, allowing us to enjoy the view as much as the food. Return to the hotel.

Then we will visit Monteviejo. With one of the most accomplished winemakers in Argentina, Marcello Pelleriti, also the head winemaker for Chateau le Gay in Pomerol, this winery is well-known for its high scoring wines; their Lindaflor earned 93 points from Wine Spectator internationally. It is a key winery in the famed Clos de los Siete family, runned by Michel Rolland.

Monteviejo was built under the premise of integrating and harmonizing the building with the natural scenery, without interrupting or limiting the impressive view of the Andes Mountain. The tourist route is oriented around the outside circuit of the winery to give visitors a view into the winery but allow the winemakers to focus on winemaking at all times. Monteviejo produces French-style blends as well as some single varieties which are sold domestically but primarily out of Argentina.

In the restaurant located on the third floor of the winery, on the menu, all the preparations are made with products from the area and at the moment the implantation of an own organic orchard is under project. The menu varies according to the seasonality of the ingredients and is designed to visit the different wines of the Monteviejo winery. An unforgettable experience! Return to the hotel.

Day 5: to home

Check out from the hotel and transfer to Mendoza airport. Ask about optional add-on trips to the cosmopolitan glamour of Buenos Aires, wine tasting in the foothills of the Andes in Salta & Chile. Extra days must be arranged in advance. End of our services.

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