Experiencing Wine Hotels in Valle de Uco, Argentina

If you’re planning a trip down to wine country–in Argentina that is– then prepare to fall in love and not just because of the stellar wines. Over the last 20 years, the Valle de Uco in Mendoza province has steadily been growing it’s wine industry and now produces some of the best wines in the world. This region specifically is known to produce some of the premium wines in Argentina.

Argentina’s signature wine, Malbec, may be relatively new to the game, but Argentina bodegas have been producing wine for about 100 years. The story of Malbec in Argentina started around 20 years ago—a variety of grape which was not very successful in France was planted in Mendoza, Argentina. It turned out that the conditions, such as the altitude and climate in Mendoza were perfect for producing a superb malbec.

Before coming to Argentina I probably bought a bottle of malbec a week for a year, it is my favorite wine and coming from a family that loves to grill steak it fit perfectly with a lot of our family dinners. With that said, coming to Argentina I looked forward to exploring the coveted Malbec region, but of course the wine production is not limited to Malbec. From Cabernet Franc to Syrah to a Pinot Noir, there are so many types of wine and 900 registered wineries.

If you plant to visit Mendoza you should consider taking a wine tour in one of the wine districts, there are three: Maipu, Valle de Uco and Chacras de Choria. Wine tours are offered at any budget, but the ones in Maipu and Chacras del Choria may be the least expensive options because you can easily access them with public transportation. Valle de Uco is a little over an hour from Mendoza’s city center so the ideal way to arrive here is by car. You can hire a driver or rent a car to visit the different vineyards. The other option is by bus, both Buttini and CATA Internacional service Valle de Uco from the Mendoza Bus Terminal. From the bus terminal you would need to get a cab from the terminal to the vineyard. This is only a good option if you plan to stay in the area for a night or two.

Valle de Uco is Dionysus’s second home, I’m pretty convinced of it. What you will find here is unbelievably stunning landscapes and some of the most prominent vineyards in Argentina such as Salentein, Trapiche and Azul. Trust that there is more. This valley is also new to the wine game as for many years, it was overlooked by entrepreneurs as a wine destination. Now it has many tourists coming in from the US and Europe, as well as locals from Mendoza.

Where I Stayed

Salentein Posada

What’s a really great opportunity is that many of the vineyards also host guests in various lodging on their property and they seem to all be a class act. I spent my first two nights at Salentein Posada. Salentein happens to be the oldest winery in Valle de Uco and they have one of the best wineriesI have ever seen.

The Posada is located on the Salentein property on the foothills of the Andes. Just imagine, waking up in your room, stepping outside underneath a canopy of grapevines and surrounded by jasmine plants and walnut trees.

Guests staying at the Posada can borrow a bike to ride around the vineyard or to out to other vineyards on a self guided tour. We only rode our bikes out to the Salentein winery which is about 3km away and took part of the wine tour and tasting that is open to the public, but is also complimentary for anyone staying at the Posada.

Tupungato Divino

The second two nights in Valle de Uco, I didn’t stay in a winery, but in a vineyard lodging that produces grapes for various wineries in Mendoza, called Tupungato Divino. Tupungato Divino has four accommodations that are pueblo style and a restaurant with wine from all over the region. Tupungato Divino is most popular for its restaurant that serves really great three course lunches from steak to salmon with a variety of desserts. They also have breakfast and dinner, but for guests only unless you make prior arrangements.

All four of the accommodations have a spectacular view of the vineyard and the mountains with a porch to sit out and watch the sun go down. I highly recommend that anyone staying here to do some stargazing. There is almost no light pollution so the evenings twinkle with a blanket of stars and if you’re lucky you might see a shooting star!

Tupungato Divino is surrounded by different vineyards so it really is a great place to go for lunch, then check out the neighboring wineries like Domaine Bousquette and Las Jarrillas. If you’re staying at one of the accommodations, then you can take some time out of your wine tasting to kick back on the hammock and enjoy the scenery.

How to Get There

By Bus

You can get to Valle de Uco on almost any budget. The most economic option if it’s only 1 or 2 people traveling would be by bus from the Mendoza City Bus Terminal. Both Buttini and Cata Internacional drop passengers off in the Tupungato Bus Terminal for 40 pesos. From Tupungato you would need to take a metered cab to the vineyard of your choice, which can cost 150-250 pesos.

By Taxi

You can take a taxi from Mendoza city center to a vineyard in Valle de Uco which may cost about 450 pesos. You can try to agree on a price ahead of time or go by the meter. In my experience, I’ve asked how much a trip from point A to point B and they still turn the meter on which is probably better

By Hired Car

You can arrange a day trip that will take you and your group to Valle de Uco with a private car. They’ll take you to each vineyard included in the itinerary and stop somewhere for lunch for about $100 USD.

 

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