Following pickup from your Mendoza hotel, venture southwest to the rural Uco Valley ─ one of Argentina’s finest wine regions ─ to begin your full-day wine tour.
Your first stop is Domaine Bousquet winery, nestled in the foothills of the Andes mountains at an elevation of 4,000 feet (1,200 meters). Run by the Bousquet family, who hail from Carcassonne in southern France, Domaine Bousquet combines France’s rich winemaking heritage with Mendoza’s high altitude, cool microclimate and fertile soil to produce wines of rare distinction, and the results are delectable.
Wander the rows of vines with your guide and enjoy views out over the mountain terrain. Head inside for a tasting session to sample a selection of wines.
Continue driving to Bodegas Salentein, bordered by spectacular mountain scenery. Boasting a winemaking heritage stretching back 2,000 years to the time of the Jesuit missionaries, Bodegas Salentein wines are widely considered among the finest in Argentina.
Tour the fertile vineyards, wind through the impressive underground cellars, and savor a selection of premium pinot noir, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc wines.
The last stop on your Uco Valley winery tour is Andeluna Cellars, a newer, state-of-the-art winery sitting beneath the imposing Tupungato volcano just south of Mendoza. Gain insight into Andeluna’s special winemaking methods on a tour of the vineyards and cellars. Grape varieties such as malbec, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay thrive among these vineyards, and you’ll taste the fruit of Andeluna’s diligent labors in the tasting room.
After your wine tasting, sit down to a gourmet lunch of regional specialties with your fellow wine enthusiasts.
Then zip back to Mendoza to conclude your full-day Uco Valley tour.