Self-guided vs guided wine tours in Mendoza: pros and cons
If you’re visiting Mendoza for the wine, then you’re in for a treat. We visited a number of wineries in the region and had some of the best wine I’ve ever drank during our five days there. But there are so many bodegas, and so many ways to see the wineries of Mendoza. So what’s best: self-guided or guided tours of vineyards in Mendoza?
Pros and cons of self-guided wine tours in Mendoza
Pros:
Cheaper
More control over your route
Manage your own time
Cons:
Lack information from knowledgeable guides
May not have access to the best wineries
In Maipu, the vineyards aren’t as nice
Further afield, you will fit fewer into one day
Pros and cons of private wine tours in Mendoza
Pros:
Access to some of the country’s best wineries
Detailed explanations of the grapes and vineyards
Beautiful scenery
Cons:
More expensive
Less flexible
Less control over the vineyards you visit, if you book a planned tour
Read on for more information about how we planned our self-guided and private tours of Mendoza’s vineyards
Mendoza vineyard tour reviews
Self-guided wine tours in Maipu, Mendoza
Our first venture into Mendoza’s wine region was a day trip to Maipu.
We caught a 20 minute Uber out of town and rented bikes from Maipu Bikes Rental Bikes. This cost £7 per bike for a day and the staff were very helpful in explaining how to visit as many wineries as possible and what each vineyard offers, including prices and discounts. The bikes aren’t amazing… but everyone cycling around Maipu’s vineyards is in the same boat and they’re fine for getting from A to B!
We started by cycling as far west as Maipu Bikes allows, to Mevi. Here we had a tasting of three wines and ordered lunch (pasta and a milanesa) and were able to pick our wines from a choice of five. If you want more information you can opt for a more detailed tour of the vineyard but for us a tasting was fine. This cost 31,000 pesos per person (about £15) including food. A tasting on its own is 8,000 pesos (about £4) and you can explore the grounds of the vineyard without a guide if you wish.
Next we cycled back towards town and stopped at Viña el Cerno, a small vineyard with a more traditional feel. We paid 8,000 pesos (about £4) each for a tasting of three wines. We got a little more information about each one here but again, if you want to know more you can book a tour. We actually got to listen in on a tour group’s tasting session while we drank our wines which worked out well!
Next was Tempus Alba, a more modern vineyard with a beautiful outdoor area. Instead of a tasting we bought a bottle of their Malbec and drank it on their grounds. This cost 19,000 pesos (about £9) and we relaxed here for a couple of hours as the vibe was so good.
Our final stop was at Entre Olivos, which offers a tasting of olive oils and tapenades as well as one glass of wine. We didn’t get any information about what we were trying, but it was all delicious and much appreciated after the bottle of wine! The tasting here cost 8,000 pesos (£4).
We were hoping to visit bodega but didn’t have time as Maipu Bikes closes at 6pm and to encourage you to get back in time they offer a free glass of wine! But since most vineyards close around this time it’s an easy deadline to meet.
Overall this was a really fun and affordable way to explore some of Mendoza’s vineyards. It’s not the most beautiful wine region I’ve been to and the tastings are basic. But it’s a lot of fun and you always have the option to add more to your experience if you want tours and guides at the bodegas.
Exploring Mendoza’s vineyards with a guide
One our last full day in Mendoza our hotel booked us a driver to take us to Luján de Cuyo, another famous wine-growing area a little further out of Mendoza city centre.
Our driver, Felipe, was great. He picked us up at 11:30am and told us all about the history of the area and pointed out important sights in the city as we drove.
Our first stop was Bodega La Bressia, a famous family-run winery launched in 2001 by Walter Bressia who was already very well known in the region’s wine industry. Our guide Agustina was great, and walked us through five wines with our delicious four-course meal.
We started with a welcome wine and tour of the building before heading to their fairly new restaurant. The kitchen is run by a rotation of chefs who develop menus based on the season and growth stage of the vineyards. The food was amazing and they were very accommodating of my vegetarian requirements. We chose the Family Experience wine pairings but they actually ended up giving us tastings from some of the more premium ranges, and even adapted my wines to suit my dishes rather than the meat ones which was a really nice touch.
We were here for about three hours and the full experience cost about £65 per person including a tip. So it’s more experience than a self-guided tour but well worth the month.
Next we went to Terrazas de los Andes, which is a larger vineyard owned by LMVH and sells its wine as part of the Chandon family. They have vineyards across this area of the Andes, from lower areas all the way up into the foothills. We tried four wines with a complementary cheese board which really enhanced the tasting. We were also given a taste of one of their desert wines, and learned how growing grapes at different altitudes and in different soils has an affect on the flavour and depth of the wine. This cost £25 per personand lasted about an hour.
Felipe waited for us at each stop and brought us back home for about 5pm. In total (including tip) it cost us 170,000 pesos (about £85) to hire a driver which is much more convenient than trying to hire Ubers for long drives out of town.
In total, the day cost £133 each for two people – quite a bit more than the £40-50 of our self-guided tour in Maipu. But the experience felt very different and far more elevated. This region is also more beautiful and, if you have the time to go further out to Valle de Uco, the bodegas there are even more rural and have the stunning backdrop of the mountains on their doorstep.
Find out more about how we spent five days in Mendoza here.