Cuisine And Wine of Mendoza

Day One

• Arrival and pickup from Mendoza Airport to begin your Mendoza Argentina wine tour!
• Transfer to Mendoza City, where you will have a city tour. You will visit the main plazas: Endependecia, Plaza San Martín, and Plaza España, as well as the San Martin Park and its lake. At the end of the park, ascend “Cerro de la Gloria” (Glory Hill), which is crowned with a wonderful statue of San Martin and his Liberation Army. It is one of the world’s most complex and renowned bronze sculptures. See also the Greek Theater Frank Romero Day, where the harvest festival is celebrated each year, and the Civic Center.
• Transfer to your hotel for check in. Dinner on your own (your host can make suggestions) and overnight.

Day Two

• This morning your Mendoza wine tours start with a transfer to the Susana Balbo Winery for a visit and tastings. You will also have a cooking class on using traditional fire techniques for cooking: grill, wood oven, steel pan, and iron cauldron, as well as examining the use of direct flame versus wire.
• Lunch to follow.
• Return to your hotel with free time and dinner on your own.
• Overnight.

Day Three

• Pickup from your hotel and continue your Mendoza food and wine tour at the vineyards of the Maipú region, in the heart of Mendoza Wine Country. Your English-speaking guide will take you to on an exploration of Argentinian wines and olive oil. Your Mendoza wine tasting will start at the Benegas Winery, whose new generation has restored the wine-making traditions of this nineteenth-century estate.
• Next stop is an olive oil producer.  Founded in 1906, the Laur factory was a pioneer not only in the implementation of olive trees in Mendoza but also in the olive oil industry. In 2020, it was named the 3rd most important olive oil factory in the world. You will learn about olive oil and aceto balsamico, and you will enjoy a nice olive oil tasting as well.
• And your final stop on our wine tour will be a small, family-run winey that has been making fine Argentinian wines for five generations. Here you will enjoy lunch accompanied by their wines.
• Return to Mendoza around 5 pm, with free time and dinner on your own. Overnight.

Day Four

• Breakfast.
• Your driver will pick you up at 8:30 a.m. for a scenic drive to the highest mountain in the Americas. You’ll leave the city along National route 7 and pass through Lujan de Cuyo. Soon after, you’ll leave the countryside behind to enter the pre-mountain range area. The first stop will be in Potrerillos, a small mountain town, with weekend residences belonging to the inhabitants of Mendoza. There is also an unbeatable view of the Potrerillos dam, which forms a breathtaking artificial lake.
• Back on the road, head to Uspallata, which is framed by mountainous landscapes with changing colors, various geological formations, and many tunnels.
• The tour continues through several other small mountain towns, including Polvaredas, Punta de Vacas, and Penitentes, until you reach Puente del Inca, a natural bridge where Las Cuevas River has drilled into the mountains to form an incredible natural attraction. Close to the border, a wonderful view allows you to see Aconcauga Mountain, which stands at 22,841 feet above sea level.
• On the way back, stop in Uspallata for lunch.
• Return to your hotel about 6:00 p.m. Dinner on your own.
• Overnight.

Day Five

• Your wine tour and cooking vacation in Argentina continues with an interactive cooking class at Andeluna Cellars, which is located in Uco Valley, just 90 minutes from Mendoza. Built in 2005, the winery strives to blend in with its surroundings, without altering the magical presence of the mountain. You will prepare a delicious lunch, which you will enjoy with their wines.
• Return transfer to the hotel around 5PM, with free time and dinner on your own.
• Overnight.

Day Six

• Breakfast and check out. We hope you have enjoyed your Mendoza wine tours, your cooking classes, and your cultural discoveries!
• Transfer to Mendoza airport.