Argentina… Polo, steak and WINE!
We chose to visit the wineries in Maipu, just outside of Mendoza and, although we weren’t sure how strict South American rules are with regard to drink driving it’s always better to be safe rather than sorry, so we went on bikes. Not my most favourite sport, but everything is better after a couple of wines!
We took the local bus from Mendoza to Maipu (instruction below). The bus driver, and all of the locals on the bus, will tell you where to get off and point out the bike rentals. Mr Todd bike rental was where we headed, since there are flyers in all the hostels and bars advertising his services, however, the bus driver dropped us at Maipu Bikes. It was the same price and the guys seemed great so… why not?
It was a great service, although the guy mistook me for a girlie girl and gave me a bike with a nice little basket on it, and a pink helmet! We were given a little hand-drawn map of the wineries along with recommendations, lunch stops etc. Ask the bike rental staff to note on there the tour prices of the bodegas that you are interested in. You can also pre-book at some of the wineries if you want to.
Off we went on our little bikes along calle Urquiza. Our first stop was Mevi, a winery with an amazing view across from their patio. We set off by tasting three of their reds. The sun was soooo hot, and breakfast was now hours in the past so the three Gran Reservas did a good job of doing what the word “tasting” really means; a posh way to get drunk.
Time went past very quickly there and it seemed as though we were immediately moving on to our next winery. Turns out the basket on my bike was very handy for holding the huge bag of doritos I needed to have in place of lunch! We had bought a picnic with us, but at this point we were on a mission.
Winery number two was a really nice family run place; Tempus Alba. We quickly went around the free self-guided tour, saw the vines, the vats and barrels and then… the bar. Again, we chose three reds to sample; this region is famous for malbec and they were all delicious.
We had pre-booked and pre-paid for our next winery tour so although we would have rather stayed at Tempus we downed our wines and got back on the bikes, cycling furiously because we were already late! We skidded up and met our guide, pretending to be sober. This was a huge, old winery called Trapiche. Although we were cursing the Trapiche booking for interupting our Tempus Alba visit, by the time we arrived it actually ended up being by far the best because we were given a proper tour and a guided tasting. Our guide gave us whites and sparkling (much to my digust!), as well as reds and all were really nice. We even bought a bottle for our friend who was hosting us in our next destination. I put it in my little basket! Turns out it’s handy.
After this tour we were finally able to get a moment to eat our well over-due lunch. We had bought cheese, bread, olives, ham… and it was lovely after all of the wine. At this point we could have chosen to fit in one more quick winery stop, or drop the bikes back. We chose to drop the bikes back because the rental included unlimited, homemade red wine in their bar next door, hooray! A great day.
GETTING THERE | From Mendoza: Maipu is about 45 mins away from Mendoza by bus. You’ll need to get the 171, 172 or 173 from Catamarca and Rioja streets. Actually, just walk up Rioja street and you’ll see one of these numbers coming along. It’s really easy, BUT don’t get on the bus without first getting a travelcard. These are available from any of the small newsagents along the street. If you say ‘bus’ and ‘Maipu’ they will give you a card charged with the correct amount to get there and back (63 ARS / £2.73 for a pass, and return journeys for 2x people). Scan your card as you get on.
GETTING BACK | Stand on the opposite side of the road from where you were dropped off and wait for bus 171, 172 or 173 to pull up. Remember to scan your card!
BIKE RENTAL | We used Maipu Bikes (100 ARS / £4.35 for the day) and recommend them; here.
COST | Bus card and fare each way for 2x people: 63 ARS / £2.73 | Bike rental: 100 ARS / £4.35 per person | plus any tours, lunch, wine that you purchase.
TIPS | Ask the bike rental for a selection of varied bodegas; a boutique winery, a traditional winery, a family winery etc. | Don’t go too late; the day whizzes by and it takes a while to get on the road (and in the bar)!
