Valle de Uco became the best place for the best expressions of Argentine viticulture, with this guide to the most outstanding wineries of Valle de Uco we want to bring you detailed information about each one of them so that you can decide which ones to visit.
In the travelers articles, in restaurant menus and in the rankings of the best world wineries, Valle de Uco has been placed in recent years as a coveted piece for its powerful and fresh reds, its tasty whites and aromatic, the luxury hotel offer and the incomparable beauty of top-quality vineyards.
Among the red varieties with the greatest development in the region can be found: Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Bonarda. Among the whites stand out, the Chardonnay, Semillón and Torrontés.
The climate in the Valle de Uco is temperate with cold winters and warm summers, of cool nights. The average annual temperature is 14° C. It has around 13,000 hectares of vineyards, at the foot of the Andes Mountains.
Our selection in Tupungato
Rutini
The
Bodega Rutini is located located between
altitudes ranging between 1,050 and 1,200 meters above sea level,
it has 160 hectares planted, an area to which another 66 hectares are added in fields in the process of implantation of vines.
In this unique geography, benefited by a sunny, fresh ecosystem and with good use of water resources that help to maintain the natural health of the vineyard, a avant-garde architectural concept is harmoniously added.
This modern architecture that covers a surface d e 10,500 square meters is characterized by the use of huge concrete panels. Inside, the circulation is particularly tight to the transmission by gravity, which makes it possible to move and handle the grapes with greater care, preserving their invaluable qualities of freshness, aromas and flavor.
The Rutini Winery was one of the pioneers to settle in the area in the 1920s. The site also has a picturesque landscape, with a majestic mountain panorama in the background.
Among the recommended wines to taste are: the high-end lines (Trumpeter, Encuentro, Rutini Collection, Anthology, Apartado and Felipe Rutini). Also you can enjoy other highly valued families of wines, such as San Felipe, La Vuelta, Cepa Tradicional, Small Vasija and Cruz Alta.
To get to this wonderful winery, you can do it by the National Route 40, until joining the RP86 are 89 kilometers by car from the city.
Casa Petrini
It is a wine tourism project that integrates wineyard, accommodation, restaurant and spa. It is located just 90 minutes from the city from Mendoza. It can be easily accessed by taking the RN40 and then heading down the RP86.
Casa Petrini is located in front of the majestic Cordillera de Los Andes and next to the Río Las Tunas. The presence of this river located next to the vineyards, generates a natural microclimate. This is evidenced by a 4 ° C drop in temperature in relation to the furthest points from the river, which, together with the thermal amplitude, contribute to the contribution of freshness and elegance to the wines.
The vineyards are located at 1,170 meters above sea level. They have 75 hectares planted with the varieties Chardonnay, Malbec, Tannat, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc.
In addition, Casa Petrini has its own restaurant "Enrico". His name means "owner of the house." A historical review tells that Don Enrico Petrini, the eldest of eight brothers, landed from Italy to Argentina in 1919. Once settled in these lands and as a result of hard work and admirable passion for agriculture, he planted vineyards and made his patero wine, replicating customs of his native Italy.
At the Enrico restaurant you will be able to enjoy authentic and gourmet cuisine with delicious flavors of yesterday and today, fused in an autochthonous and Mediterranean gastronomy paired with its own wines.
The restaurant offers an exclusive view of the Andes Mountains and the natural landscape of vineyards and native plants. It is open all year round for lunch, dinner and afternoon tea.
Regarding your accommodation has 8 modules of premium rooms. Each module combines quality with high equipment to provide the best warmth and comfort.
In addition, they are carefully designed and harmonized with the natural landscape that surrounds them. Also, they have individual terraces to enjoy the best views.
Jean Bousquets
The modern winery
Jean Bousquet is the third generation of a
family of French winemakers who fell in love with the area and settled his winery in
1997.The philosophy of its owner Domaine Bousquet is to focus on the preservation of high quality grapes, for that reason the delicate handling of the raw material is the principle that governs the production.
The team that works in this place focuses on the details to combine the methods The traditional ones with the modern ones and produce wines of high quality and style.
The winery has capacity for 2.5 million liters of quality wine premium , in stainless steel tanks, cement and French and American oak barrels. The grapes arrive at the reception area of the winery in small boxes, where they are selected manually before going to the destemmer.
After a gentle destemming, the grapes are transferred to the tanks to carry out the maceration process and then fermentation for approximately 30 days. Fermentation is carried out with selected yeasts at a controlled temperature. In the case of red wines, this process is followed by malolactic fermentation (it is the process by which the malic acid, present in the pulp of the grapes, is chemically transformed into lactic acid).
As a result, extraordinary wines are obtained with incredible color, delicious fruit notes and a well-balanced structure of ripe tannins and acidity.
Jean Bousquet is located 87 kilometers from the capital and can be reached in a very accessible way through the RN40 and the RP86 (1 hour 16 minutes of travel).
Altos de Gualtallary
It is a old boutique, of limited production, which has a strict and personal finalized control of the quality and evolution of the wines.
Since its foundation in 1938,
Altus de Gualtallary represents an exceptional case within the Argentine wine industry. Today it continues in the hands of the founding family, always offering the best quality. Carving a history from work, love of detail and passion for great wines, supports a style of its own cultivated for four generations.
Its most recognized products are reds: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovesse, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah.
After the production process, the Red wines are aged in oak vessels from Nancy and France from 5,000 to 35,000 liters, with a total of 440 between barrels and vats.
Aging is one of the most important points of the winery, it gives softness and unctuousness, since the wood softens the tannins of the wine, thickens its structure and prolongs its life favoring a later stowage in the bottle by several years, resulting in a wine of greater complexity.
White wines are kept in tanks for a maximum period of one year. The purpose of the winery is to obtain whites without wood, fruity, fresh and young.
Altus de Gualtallary is located 83 kilometers from the city and it can be reached through the RN40 until it merges with the RP86 which finally takes you to its main access.
La Azul
La Azul is a
small winery modern. Directed by Alejandro Fadel and Gustavo Larghi, they have their own vineyards that allow them excellent control of the entire production process.
On the farm Malbec and Cabernet varietals are tasted, as well as a Reserve. Its wines are made with high quality technology, seeking a perfect balance between French and American Oak.
The visits are personalized and small groups. They consist of a tasting of three wines through a relaxed chat with the guide, who will guide you and inform you about the activity of the winery. It also has a wineshop.
To get to La Azul you have to go along the RN40 until the intersection with RP86, they are approximately 91 kilometers.
Domaine Bousquet
Domaine Bousquet is the legacy of a long and prestigious history: a family with four generations of winemaking tradition, originating from the Carcassone region, in the south of France.
The winery is located 86 kilometers from Mendoza capital (it is reached through the RN40 and RP86), surrounded by vineyards at 1200 meters above sea level at the foot of the Andes.
Domaine Bousquet's mission is to produce high quality organic grapes that express purity and intensity of varietal and terroir character. While its philosophy is to focus on the preservation of the high quality of the grapes, for that reason the delicate handling of the raw material is the principle that governs the team that works in the winery, combining traditional methods with modern ones and producing wines of high quality and style.
Domaine Bousquet has a capacity for 2.5 million liters of Premium quality wine, in stainless steel tanks, cement and barrels of French and American oak.
The winery's production capacity is 100,000 hectoliters per year, for which it is equipped with the latest generation of European machinery, Mainly French and Italian.
You will have included the transfers to the winery and you will be able to taste the wines of the underground cellar, make tastings gourmet (Premium Pinot Grigio, Premium Rosé, Premium Sauvignon Blanc, Premium Chardonnay Torrontés, Premium Cabernet Sauvignon) with chocolate pairing. You are going to feel like a winemaker of the most organic wines in the world.
Atamisque
It presents a very new architectural design, especially its flagstone roof typical of the French and Italian Alps. A 15-hectare wooded park surrounds the Atamisque winery, where respect for nature is privileged, so you will find a specimen of “Atamisque”, a native shrub that gave rise to the name with the one that was baptized this farm a century ago. In its restaurant "Rincón Atamisque" you can taste different dishes but its specialty is trout from the hatchery of the same property.
In
Atamisque, you can notice a respect for nature and care for the environment. The harvest is done manually, with reduced yields from small vineyards in order to achieve high varietal typicity. During the tour you will taste 2 wines from the Serbal line and 2 from the Catalpa line.
In addition to the classic Malbec, They develop Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc vineyards strains that exalt their qualities when grown in these climatic conditions.
The hours to visit this place are from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm from Monday to Saturdays. On Sundays and holidays, visits are only taken under advance reservation and for a minimum of 8 people.
The tour is conducted in Spanish, English, Portuguese or French. The duration of the guided tour is approximately 1 hour 30.
Our selection in Tunuyán
Bianchi
Located at 1,100 meters above sea level, Bodegas Bianchi has the characteristic of having in Valle de Uco, vines that receive the benefits of solar rays and the Andean waters, which generates an ideal microclimate for the production of whites, reds and sparkling wines of the highest quality.
The winery offers the possibility to walk through the vineyards, learn about the production process of mi products You enter, you visit their farm, or you can simply sit and enjoy a glass of their best award-winning and recognized exponents in the world.
Bodegas Bianchi is today a global brand with presence in more than 40 countries representing the values and quality of Argentine wine throughout the world.
El terroir de Valle de Uco is a milestone because it marks the beginning, the first movement of the strategy of this global brand. The winery has a history of 90 years in the country being the heritage of Argentina for being the with the longest track record in making excellent wines and sparkling wines.
In 1887, Valentin Bianchi was born in Italy, beginning history and tradition. At only 23 years old, in 1910 he left the town of Fasano, Italy and set out on a trip to Argentina, more precisely to Mendoza.
In 1928, after Years of effort and perseverance, he managed to realize one of his greatest dreams: to have his own vineyard and to inaugurate a winery that he called El Chiche, “the small winery of great wines”. Over time the vineyards grew and today the family owns two large establishments located in San Rafael and Valle de Uco.
To learn more about the history and flavors, I recommend guided tastings of wines and sparkling wines: Stradivarius Chardonnay, Particular Malbec, Particular Cabernet Franc, Extra Brut Premium.
During the tour and the tasting, visit the farm and end with a Creole lunch in the garden of the house.
Bodega SuperUco
The Michelini brothers (owners of the winery) decided to conceive a design in a circular shape; from the planting of the vineyards and the family organic garden, to the animal pens. Even the winery is an octagon, right in the middle of the farm, in the main circle, which is joined to three others by paths.
In the single frame offering the mountain landscape, SuperUco welcomes its visitors with a restaurant at the height of the surrounding environment. Genuine field meals are prepared on the grill and in the clay oven.
SuperUco offers the experience of knowing the winery, the gastronomy and enjoying it in a unique sunset at the foot of the mountain range.
If you are interested in knowing the variety of its exquisite wines, I recommend you
the tasting at the Superuco, it is an hour and a half walk where you are going to visit the facilities of this important and traditional Mendoza winery.
You are going to do a tasting of their wines accompanied by a delicious bread or cheese board. The wines to be tasted are the following: Calcáreo, SuperUco and Genitori.
Casa de Uco
The philosophy of Casa de Uco is to produce wines that express the authenticity of their terroir. To discover its flavors, visitors are offered a tour of the telescopic winery from the upper walkway, with a global vision of the production process.
This activity is designed to quickly understand the wine industry in a experimental boutique winery, contemplating how it all happens, and enjoying towards the end a tasting of the best wines in the Tasting Room. The visit can conclude with a barbecue among the vineyards or a lunch in the restaurant.
In the winery, you can also enjoy exquisite dishes prepared in the restaurant, where they use local and seasonal products, preferably organic, working together with neighboring producers to achieve an international menu, although genuinely inspired by the Valle de Uco.
Its gourmet universe is not limited to the exclusive main restaurant of the Wine Resort. In the various fire areas, with stunning views of the mountains and vineyards, roasts and other delicacies are prepared.
There is also a bar, where a menu designed especially for Casa de Uco is offered, by the well-known Renato Giovannoni, noted for combining his drinks with local raw materials.
To get to Casa de Uco, you can access from the city through National Route 40 for 110 kilometers.
Bodega Salentein
Salentein is one of the largest producers in the region, it houses a winery with a capacity of 5000 barrels! It is designed in the shape of a cross with two floors, one for making wine from grapes and the underground one nine meters below the surface is where the wine is aged in oak. Salentein is extremely interesting and produces top quality wines that I recommend you try.
Salentein is located 100 kilometers from the city of Mendoza (97 kilometers along the RN40 and RP86). Since 1996 it has been determined to transform the area with a project that leaves no aspect to chance, in the same space there are vineyards, an art museum, a restaurant, an amphitheater and even an inn.
The three estates are located between 1,050 and 1,700 meters high. On the San Pablo estate there are the highest vineyards in the province, and some of the highest in the world. The high altitude of the estates has two main advantages: the water and the temperatures.
Salentein was one of the pioneering wineries in initiating the transformation of the Valle de Uco. The development of high-altitude vineyards to produce high-quality grapes was the main objective set out by its founder, Myndert Pon.
The Salentein cava is a dream It has a piano inside and the compass rose occupying a large part of it, with its points oriented towards each cardinal, to represent its relationship with the rest of the world. This magnificent scene is presented nine meters underground and is shown on the tour, where the art gallery is also accessed.
Bodega Monteviejo
It is located at the foot of the Cordillera de los Andes, in the heart of Valle de Uco, 120 kilometers from the city of Mendoza, within the Clos de los Siete group of properties.
The property covers 130 ha at an altitude between 1,000 and 1,200 meters above sea level. Its lands with slopes facing north and east have the best sun exposure in the Southern Hemisphere.
The construction the winery began in early 2001, with the first harvest in 2002. On a total area of 8,500 m2, Monteviejo consists of a gravitational system with a double ribbon for selecting bunches and grains. Its objective is to transport the raw material without the use of pumps, taking care not to damage it in any part of the process.
From harvest to fractionation passing due to the draining of the wine from the vats in the aging barrels, the wine follows its natural slope. Only the force of the grape's weight is used to move it from top to bottom.
Currently the Bodega Monteviejo restaurant works. It fuses all the food and wine experience and tourism with one of the best views: to the Andes mountain range. Located on the third floor of the winery. It is one of the cuisines with the greatest regional imprint that recovers all the flavors of the Valle de Uco.
Bodega Andeluna
Andeluna is located on a farm (90 kilometers from the city) of 80 hectares in Gualtallary, Tupungato. The wines of this micro-region with a dry and cold climate offer a different profile due to their exceptional intensity in color, aromatic expression and structure.
The building is built in the style of a French castle, with high ceilings and even an open kitchen to see how meals are prepared.
Andeluna offers a complete tourist program of gastronomic proposals and activities designed to enjoy as a family, couple or with groups of friends, within the framework of a landscape of natural beauty, between vineyards and the Andes Mountains.
If you choose to visit Andeluna you will be able to try the different menus of the restaurant. The entire winery team participates in the conception of each proposal that starts from the kitchen: the 6-Step Menu of station (main proposal of the restaurant) and the Criollo Menu, rooted in the local culinary culture: meat empanadas, grilled entraña and the traditional flan with dulce de leche.
From the chef to the oenologist, they are involved to offer the best combination from each step and each wine.
Another of the activities offered is to see the sunset in Afternoons in Andeluna from the winery's gardens and then have fun in cooking classes or the Blend game for young and old. These are made from Tuesday to Sunday.
Piedra Negra
In 1996 Jacques and François Lurton, renowned winemakers of French origin, they found in these lands the best conditions to elaborate their own Argentine wines and built the Piedra Negra winery.
This farm is located 94 kilometers from the city about 1,000/1100 masl. Formerly, the area where is located today was a great desert, but the quality of the soil, the virgin land of high altitude, the excellent climate and the presence of water gave rise to a great wine production would emerge.
The Lurton brothers currently has 220 hectares spread over two farms: Finca Chacayes, in Vista Flores (Tunuyá n, south of Mendoza) and Finca Barrancas, in Maipú (east of Mendoza).
La Bodega located in Finca Chacayes was built to withstand earthquakes. In addition, it has a special wing that houses a aging room for barrels and small volume vats, which guarantee optimal winemaking conditions. A careful grape selection process and a very gentle vinification process are carried out in the winery; directly in the barrels.
Its production with the "Gran Lurton 1996", became the first Argentine wine to win the gold medal of one of the most important international exhibitions in the world: "Wine Challenge in London". Until 2012 the winery had the name of Lurton but later it changed to Piedra Negra.
Through the guided tours, tastings, lunches and dinners , you can learn more about the flavors and history of this amazing farm. For the more adventurous, there are horseback rides through the vineyards and surroundings.
Our selection in San Carlos
Bodega Zuccardi
The Zuccardi winery was consecrated in the first edition of The World's Best Vineyards as the best in South America and the world.
The construction began in 2013 and it was inaugurated in 2016. The building is a tribute to the mountain, which defines both the climate and the soils of the region.
The construction was made with natural elements, local stones (round, white and calcareous). The sinks and amphoras are the result of years of experimentation in the search for the ideal vessel, until reaching the trunk-conicity as the form that allows a more natural work in musts and wines.
Visitors can tour the winery spaces and live the experience of touring the vineyards discovering the characteristics and particularities of the different soils that give identity to the wines that are made.
Another of Zuccardi's strengths is its gastronomy in its “Piedra Infinita” kitchen. Located in Paraje Altamira (a few kilometers from the winery) in front of the majestic Cordillera de Los Andes, has capacity for 50 covers.
In this unique mountain setting and vineyards, you can enjoy a 4-step menu made with regional products with a delicate gourmet expression paired with Zuccardi wines.
If you are interested in taking the guided walks , they take place from Monday to Sunday from 12.30 am to 4 pm. All programs are booked in advance on their website.
Zuccardi is located 35 kilometers from the city of Mendoza , It can be accessed by car through provincial route No. 7 (paved) for 35 minutes.
Clos de los Siete
Created by the famous consultant winemaker Michel Rolland and a group of French references in the wine sector.
Clos de los Siete knows how to combine French taste with the distinguished terroir of the Valle de Uco region. The area stands out for being an elegant, exotic place, with personality and a faithful reflection of French passion.
The winery obtained a double gold medal from Great Wine Capitals for architecture and landscaping. Construction is one of the must-sees of the tourist route, together with the privileged natural context and gastronomy.
The farm is located 105 kilometers from the city, it can be reached by car through the RN40 (1 hour 30 minutes of driving).
Finca Abril
Finca Abril is a company founded in 1996 with the aim of producing reduced batches of high-end wines that are a unique expression of its terroir.
The initial project was born in a small part of an old Mendoza estate, located in the Valle de Uco with vineyards planted in 1922. Then excellent vineyards, suitable soils, thermal amplitude, painstaking work emerged, demanding monitoring in the production process, strict aging and obsessive guarding that were defining this small farm.
April is at more than 1000 meters above sea level, in the heart of the vineyards, is the winery that combines tradition with modernity.
Its technology contrasts with its classic and simple architectural conception that recalls the old Mendoza wineries. It has a practical development, with ample spaces suitable especially for each task.
In underground cellars, under ideal environmental conditions, surrounded by silence and shadows, they find the wines, hoping to reach the right moment to offer them. I recommend you taste the line, Malbec 1922, Red Blend and Malbec Rapsodia.
If you are interested in visiting this winery, you can do it by car from the city, heading along National Route 40 for 106 kilometers.
La Celia
La Celia was founded in the year 1890 by Eugenio Bustos, it is the oldest winery in the Valle de Uco. Over time the lands were inherited by his daughter, with her strong personality and leadership she worked these lands until they became prosperous vineyards.
En In 2000, Finca La Celia was acquired by San Pedro Win e Group, a CCU group company, leader in the beverage business in Chile and Argentina. In this way, the winery was expanded, restored and equipped with state-of-the-art technology of French and Italian origin, combining classic architecture with modern equipment.
The farm is located approximately 100 kilometers south of the city of Mendoza, at the foot of the Andes Mountains. It has a total area of 511 hectares. The plantations were designed for the production of high quality grapes, using optimal densities according to the variety. The plants used come from selected clones of French origin.
In the case of the Malbec variety, selected plants from the historic vineyards that were part of the old estate were used. The main red varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Tannat, among others. Among the white varieties Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Sémillon, Viognier and Gewürztraminer, among others.
Celia also has its export brand , Gatonegro , which is offered to taste. This brand has a history of more than 30 years, now consolidated as a global brand. Present in more than 70 countries, and a sales leader in 14 of them.
Its wines are characterized by intense aromas, soft tannins and fruity flavor. Fresh and easy to drink. They invite to be enjoyed on all occasions.
Altocedro
It was built in colonial style in 1988, it is really beautiful. Its location next to the Andes mountain range offers incredible views of the snow-covered hills.
En
Altocedro you can taste some of their highest quality wines during special tastings that include cheeses and cold cuts. If you are interested in eating, you can enjoy a meal in the gardens with a carefully chosen wine tasting.
You can also enter the winery where the experts will share the processes involved in making some of the highest quality wines in Mendoza, and as expected, this will end with a tasting.
If you are interested in knowing it You can reach the farm in less than 2 hours by the RN 40, where the route is signposted.