Wine tourism is quickly becoming synonymous with Argentina and we couldn’t wait to taste to our hearts’ content. Malbec is the name of the game however we’re still partial to our red blends, blame it on Napa! After taking a 14 hour first class bus ride (it was seriously so nice!) to the Mendoza Province of Argentina we rented a car and set out on our Argentina wine tasting adventure.
Because of our flexible schedule and love for wine, we spent about a week in the wine region. We split our time between Mendoza and the Uco Valley (Valle de Uco) the two most popular spots for Argentina wine tasting.
Getting Around Mendoza and Valle de Uco
The heart of Valle de Uco is about 2 hours from the city of Mendoza and we totally recommend renting a car. I can’t imagine doing it any other way. We had to return our car a day early due to poor planning and a national holiday so we ended up taking a cab to our tastings on our final day. It was way more expensive and a total pain. If you don’t want to rent a car, using a personal driver is the best option for Argentina wine tasting.
Wine Tasting in Valle de Uco
Valle de Uco has the perfectly beautiful vineyards you imagine when you think of wine country. The architecture of the wineries is quite impressive as well. There are a few scattered super small towns but it is mostly the countryside filled with vineyards. In addition to wine tasting, there are some amazing hikes. It is so beautiful here and was definitely our favorite place for Argentina wine tasting.
Check out all of our Valle de Uco recommendations here.
Wine Tasting in Mendoza
Mendoza is a surprisingly big city so it doesn’t have quite the farm-feel and charm of Valle de Uco. However the wine tasting is still great. The vineyards are outside of town and are lovely. The perks of Mendoza is there is more to do. They have much more restaurant and nightlife options including a nice street, Aristedes Villanueva, which is filled with trendy bars, restaurants, and young people.
Check out all of our Mendoza recommendations here.
Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires and nearby Montevideo
While Buenos Aires is a bustling city lacking vineyards, it has some great tasting rooms. Pan et Vin was our favorite. If you want another passport stamp and some more wine, take the ferry over to Uruguay and wine taste at Bodega Bouza in Montevideo. We heard Salta has amazing wine tasting as well, however we didn’t have time to make it up north this trip.
Read about our entire Argentina trip here and check out all of our South America wine tasting recommendations here.
At a minimum you must sample some Malbec in Buenos Aires. If you have the time, head out to the Uco Valley for a first class wine tasting experience.
Want more information to plan your trip to Argentina? Check out the Argentina Lonely Planet here.
Salud,
-Ray
