From Napa in San Francisco to the Ruta Del Vino just outside Tijuana, Mexico, Rachel and I LOVE going wine tasting. Getting outside of the city and trying some new wine is one of the things that most excited us about visiting Argentina. When we found out that the capital of Argentina’s wine country (Mendoza) was a required stop on the trip from Buenos Aires to Santiago we included a few extra days so we could thoroughly enjoy. Valle de Uco (or the Uco Valley) sits about 1.5 hours outside of Mendoza and it is the “new and more trendy” wine region of Argentina. It is full of classic winery charm and sweeping views of the snow-capped Andes.
Read about all of our wine tasting recommendations here and our complete Argentina travel guide here.
Where to stay in Valle de Uco
We stayed in one of our favorite Airbnb’s of the whole trip while in Valle de Uco. We had a cool cabin with a huge outdoor grill and our host was super great. She ended up being an avid trekker and took us on an amazing day hike. Check it out here.
Haven’t tried out Airbnb yet? Click here to get a $40 travel credit.
If you would rather say in a luxury hotel check out The Vines. We drove by and it looked super nice. Make sure to get a reservation in advance as we have heard they fill up.
What to do in Valle de Uco
Wine Tasting
Malbec is the name of the game and the main attraction in Valle de Uco. There are hundreds of wineries and we definitely wish we had more time to check them all out. Below are the best wineries in Valle De Uco that we visited.
Valle de Uco Wineries
O Fournier – This was the first winery we went to and it ended up being our favorite of the whole trip. The architecture of this winery is literally out of this world (it is designed to look like a huge spaceship!) and the wine was equally as impressive as the building. We did not have reservations but were easily able to walk in and get a private wine tasting and tour! We especially enjoyed the Alfa Crux Blend. The reserve tour is only a few dollars more than the regular and definitely worth it.
Wine y Circo – This is a much smaller mom and pop style winery with a circus theme. Our wine tasting was scheduled for 9 am and the wine is definitely different but we had a lot of fun. The host of our tour was super knowledgeable about the region and the included tour was fantastic (they had just done the harvest so we got to see a lot of wine get processed).
Andeluna – This vineyard is absolutely stunning. The inside looks like a modern open concept farmhouse and outside you get sweeping views of the vines and mountains. We had a reservation but ended up opting for individual glasses rather than a tasting.
Zuccardi – We stopped by Zuccardi for a quick glass of wine and it had beautiful views and a relaxing yet stylish interior.
Salentain– If you are going wine tasting in Argentina you will undoubtedly hear about this behemoth of a vineyard. This is the most famous of the wineries in the region and it is supposed to be one of the best. We took too long at our other tastings and unfortunately Salentain was closed when we tried to go so we will have to plan a return trip.
Go Hiking
We did not realize it when we booked our Airbnb but out host also leads epic treks over the Andes mountains. Rachel and I have done a few big hikes but we prefer them to be more relaxed. We ended up doing a day hike to a huge waterfall with our host and I am SO glad we did as it was a highlight of our whole trip.
Visit a Monestary
There is an active monastery right in the heart of the wine region. We stopped by thinking that it was a vineyard but it is not. When we visited it was fall (April) and absolutely stunning. The smell of the fresh air and beautiful fall leaves definitely made up for the lack of wine.
Where to Eat in Valle de Uco
There are some good spots to eat near all of the vineyards but other than that Valle de Uco is hurting in the food department.
Tupangato Divino – This place was actually great. Located right next to all of the major wineries and offering a fancy yet affordable daily lunch menu we LOVED it. They also offer bottles of wine from all of the nearby wineries so if you don’t get a chance to see them all you can still give them a try.
La Azul – This has to be the most recommended restaurant in Valle de Uco. We kept getting told about this place and really want to check it out. It is supposed to be a low key BBQ joint that serves up amazing food and wine “until its gone”. Unfortunately, when we tried to go they were full. Definitely make a reservation so you do not miss out. The smells that were coming out of this place on the day we tried to go were incredible.
Where to Eat in La Consulta
Valle de Uco has a few super small towns. We stayed in La Consulta. There are a few restaurants but we could never seem to find a time when they were open. Typical Argentina! We tried early in the evening and then again late (thinking they took after their porteño neighbors). But in both cases most places seemed closed. We did end up getting an okay pizza one night and empanadas the other. For breakfast there is a nice cafe in town, Peperina, that serves up good pastries, but other than that it is a food desert.
Cook- Given the lack of options in our little town we decided to visit the local butcher, vegetable vendor, and wine store to create our own amazing dinner. The costillas we got from the butcher turned out to be amazing. And our $15 at home dinner ended up being one of the best we had in Argentina!
We loved our time in Valle de Uco and even recommend it more than the main part of Mendoza. We found the wineries to be very relaxed and the natural beauty to be incredible. Enjoy!
Want more information to plan your trip wine tasting in Valle de Uco? Check out the Argentina Lonely Planet here.
Salud,
-Grant
