Experiences and local guides in Luján de Cuyo

Nature

Luján de Cuyo is Mendoza's oldest wine department, where the first Malbec vines that now define Argentine wine were planted in the late 19th century. Vineyards stretch between poplar trees and irrigation channels at the foot of the pre-Andes, with the snow-capped Andes as a backdrop most of the year.

Activities

• Tours and tastings at historic wineries like Catena Zapata or Bodega Norton, and at boutique winemaker bodegas
• Multi-course lunches paired with Malbec at restaurants set inside the vineyards themselves
• Horseback rides and access trekking into the pre-Andes, around Potrerillos and the Cacheuta canyon
• Visits to Bodega Escorihuela Gascón and the historic Chacras de Coria neighbourhood, with its plaza and craft fairs

When to go

March and April for the grape harvest; October to May to tour wineries outdoors in good weather. Book winery visits ahead, especially on weekends.