Uco Valley Wine Tour

The Uco Valley is Argentina’s most exciting high-altitude wine region: vineyards planted between 3,000 and 5,600 feet (900-1,700 m) at the foot of the Andes, roughly 90 minutes south of Mendoza city. This is a full-day private wine tour designed and curated personally by Peter, visiting three wineries chosen for what is actually happening in the cellar and the vineyard on the day you travel.

Why the Uco Valley is different

Uco is often compared to Napa Valley, but the comparison stops at quality. Here, altitude does the work: wide day-to-night temperature swings, intense mountain sunlight and stony alluvial soils give Malbec its firm structure, floral aromatics and freshness. Within Uco you’ll find three very distinct districts — Gualtallary (limestone, the highest and most mineral), La Consulta / Paraje Altamira (deep gravel, rounder fruit) and San Carlos & Tunuyán (older vines, classic Malbec). Tasting across them in a single day is the fastest way to understand Mendoza terroir.

What the day looks like

We pick you up at your hotel in Mendoza city, Chacras de Coria or Lujan de Cuyo between 8:30 and 9:00 AM in a private air-conditioned SUV. The drive south along Ruta 40 takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, with the Andes on your right the whole way.

• First winery (10:30 AM): a vineyard and cellar walk-through — rows, soil pits, concrete eggs or amphorae depending on the house — followed by a guided tasting of 3 to 5 wines.
• Second winery (1:00 PM): lunch. A multi-course paired menu with Andes views, or a lighter regional lunch, according to your preference.
• Third winery (4:00 PM): a smaller, boutique or family-run producer — often with the winemaker present — for a final tasting including reserve or single-vineyard bottlings.
• Return: back at your hotel around 6:00-6:30 PM.

Which wineries will I visit?

Uco is home to more than 100 wineries, and the best ones limit daily visitors. Rather than repeat a fixed circuit, Peter books the combination that gives you the most depth on your date — harvest work, blending sessions, barrel tastings or a winemaker who is on site. Houses we regularly work with include Salentein, Domaine Bousquet, Andeluna, Casa de Uco, Alpasión, SuperUco, Corazon del Sol, Monteviejo and DiamAndes. You can read individual profiles in our guide to the wineries of Mendoza.

What’s included

Private late-model SUV with a bilingual (English/Spanish) driver-guide, all winery bookings and lunch reservations, bottled water, insurance and hotel pickup and drop-off. The Standard option (from USD 140 per person) leaves tasting fees and lunch to be paid at each winery; the Full option (USD 250 per person) includes all tastings and a full paired lunch, so there is nothing to pay during the day.

Practical details

• Duration: approximately 9 hours, door to door.
• Drive time: 1h30 each way from Mendoza city; 30-45 minutes between wineries inside the valley.
• Group size: private departures from 2 people; ideal for couples, families and small groups.
• Best season: year-round. September to November for flowering and green vineyards, February to April for harvest, June to August for clear Andean views and quiet cellars.
• What to bring: layers (mornings are cool even in summer), sunscreen, a hat and comfortable walking shoes for the vineyard.

Uco Valley or Lujan de Cuyo?

If you only have one day, choose Uco for the landscape and modern high-altitude winemaking. If you are short on time or prefer to stay close to the city, Lujan de Cuyo is 30-40 minutes away and home to the historic Malbec estates. Travelling for several days? Do both, and let Peter build the sequence so the tastings escalate rather than repeat.

Tell Peter your dates, the number of travellers and how deep you want to go, and you’ll get a proposed itinerary with specific wineries — not a generic package.