Top Rated: Winery Tour with Lunch in Mendoza

Wine country starts early. This full-day outing from Mendoza pairs Maipú’s historic wineries with tastings, a multi-course lunch, and an olive-oil stop, giving you a broad look at the region’s food and drink traditions. I like the small maximum of 12 people and the included hotel transfer, which keeps the day simple after several generous pours. I also like that the experience goes beyond wine, with time at an olive-oil factory.

The main concern is consistency. Most of the feedback is strongly positive, but one serious complaint describes a pickup that began 2.5 hours late, lacked an English-speaking driver, and ended up shortened. The operator also says two wineries are included, while the schedule describes three winery stops, so you should confirm the exact plan before booking.

The price is $129 per person, and the outing runs about seven to eight hours. That is fair value if you want transportation, guided visits, tastings, lunch, and a full day outside Mendoza without arranging each stop yourself. The experience is run by Vempra Turismo and is recommended by 92 percent of participants, with a 4.7 rating from 66 reviews.

Key points to know before booking

• Maipú gives you several kinds of tasting in one day: wine at the wineries, a wine-paired meal, and olive oil at the final stop.
• The lunch is more than a quick winery snack: it is a multi-course tasting menu served between the vineyards at a boutique winery.
• English support can vary by day: winery guides have spoken good English, but one booking had no English-speaking driver after a major delay.
• A small group is part of the appeal: the stated maximum is 12 people, though a quiet date may become a private experience.
• The schedule may include three winery visits: the detailed plan lists three, while the inclusions mention visits to two wineries, so ask what your date includes.
• You should not plan to drive afterward: the day includes repeated tastings and wine with lunch, while round-trip hotel transfer is included.

Why Maipú makes a smart first wine day

Maipú is described as Mendoza’s historic wine zone and cradle of wine production. That gives this tour a useful sense of place. You are not simply sitting at a tasting bar and trying to remember which glass came first. The visits are designed to show how wine moves from grape to finished bottle.

The schedule gives about 1 hour and 45 minutes at the first winery. The focus is the production process, from the earth and grapes through bottling, followed by a tasting of higher-end wines. One especially well-received visit was to Sin Fin, where a guide called Arqui explained the full process in clear English.

That kind of behind-the-scenes explanation matters if you are new to Argentine wine. A tasting becomes much easier to follow when you know what the winery is producing, how the facilities work, and where the wine fits into the region’s traditions. If you already know wine well, the value is less about basic instruction and more about seeing different winery styles in a single day.

The first stop also sets the pace. You will be touring, standing, listening, and tasting rather than spending the entire morning at a table. Wear shoes you can comfortably use for a winery visit, and keep some room in your appetite for lunch.

The second winery adds a longer tasting stop

The second Maipú visit lasts about 2 hours and 30 minutes, making it the longest stop on the schedule. It is intended to explain wine production in more detail and includes another tasting.

The longer visit is useful because it gives the day some breathing room. You are less likely to feel that you have only been rushed from one glass to the next. The exact winery can vary, but one praised pairing included Atilio Avena, where the visit ended with a three-course meal and wine pairing.

That meal included seven wines across the experience, according to one account. Such a generous tasting makes the included hotel transfer especially important. This is not a day for renting a car or asking one person in your group to remain sober enough to drive.

English service appears strongest at the winery visits. Several accounts describe clear explanations in English and Spanish. Guides named Daniel Aguilar and Arqui received specific praise, while driver Michael was also appreciated for speaking very good English and discussing Argentine and Canadian life during the drive.

Still, you should separate the winery guiding from the transport service. A professional guide is included, but the person driving you may not always be the same person who leads the winery tours. One difficult booking involved an Uber driver unexpectedly handling the transfer, with poor communication about the arrangement.

Lunch between the vineyards at Coquimbito

The third stop is in Coquimbito, within the Maipú area, and lasts about 1 hour and 45 minutes. This is the food-focused part of the day, with lunch served at a boutique winery between vineyards.

The meal is described as a multi-course tasting menu with wine. Specific feedback highlights a generous lunch, wine pairing, and very good empanadas. Another account describes a complete meal accompanied by tastings, while the Atilio Avena visit included three courses.

I like this format because lunch is not treated as an afterthought. After two winery visits, you get time to sit down and make a proper meal of the experience. The food also gives the wine some context. Argentine wine makes more sense when it is served with local dishes rather than tasted in isolation.

Do keep your expectations in the right place. The supplied details do not provide a fixed menu, so you should not book expecting a particular dish beyond the positive mention of empanadas. The menu may also depend on the winery assigned for your date.

Lunch is one reason the $129 price can work well. If you arranged hotel transportation, several tastings, winery admissions, and a multi-course meal separately, the costs would quickly add up. You are paying for convenience as well as food and wine.

Finishing with Maipú olive oil

The final stop lasts about one hour and visits an olive-oil factory. Maipú is identified as Argentina’s capital of olive oil, so this is not a random bonus stop added to fill time.

The olive-oil visit broadens the day in a useful way. Wine is the star, but olive oil is also a major part of the region’s food culture. You get a chance to compare how another local product is made and tasted.

One account says an olive-oil tasting was added during the transfer and made the day even better. That suggests the exact order or additions can sometimes shift. The formal schedule places the factory at the end, but the operator’s conditions also allow changes to the tour.

If you enjoy food-focused travel, this final stop may be one of the tour’s best touches. If your only goal is to visit as many wineries as possible, you may see the hour as time taken away from wine. I would view it as a welcome change of pace, especially after a long day of tastings.

How the transport shapes the experience

Round-trip hotel transfer is included, along with taxes, fees, drinks, the professional guide, winery tastings, and lunch. That package removes the main practical headache in Mendoza wine country: getting between rural properties after drinking.

The small-group limit is 12 people. That is a reasonable size for winery tours, where a huge group can make explanations feel distant and slow down tastings. On one date, only two people booked, so the experience became private while keeping the original arrangement.

A private day can be wonderful, but it can also create a mismatch between what you expect and what you receive. One unhappy participant was picked up by an Uber driver and said the service did not match the small-group experience purchased. The operator responded that the date had no other passengers and was therefore handled as a personalized experience, with the planned visits, tastings, and lunch still provided.

The practical lesson is simple: confirm who is collecting you, what type of vehicle is being used, and whether an English-speaking driver or guide will be present. The tour normally includes a professional guide, but the transport arrangement may not feel the same on every date.

There was also a major delay in one case. The pickup began 2.5 hours late because of a driver problem, and the day was shortened to six hours. That is not a minor inconvenience when a seven to eight-hour wine day is the main event. If punctual pickup is essential for you, send a confirmation message before departure and keep your schedule flexible.

Is $129 a good value in Mendoza?

At $129 per person, this is not the cheapest way to taste wine in Mendoza. It can be a good buy for someone who wants a ready-made day with transport and meals included.

Here is what the price covers:

• Round-trip hotel transfer
• A professional guide
• Visits and tastings at the wineries
• Drinks
• A multi-course lunch with wine
• All taxes, fees, and processing charges
• An olive-oil factory visit within the planned schedule

Bottled water is not included, so bring your own or plan to buy some. That is a small omission on a long day, especially when alcohol is involved.

The value is strongest for couples, first-time visitors to Mendoza, and anyone who does not want to compare individual winery reservations. It is also useful if you want a mix of wine, lunch, and olive oil rather than a highly specialized day focused only on premium bottles.

The value is weaker if you prefer to choose every winery yourself, want a slow private lunch, or expect the same guide and vehicle throughout. You may also prefer independent planning if you are staying outside the standard hotel pickup area, though the available information only confirms round-trip hotel transfer and does not specify the exact pickup zone.

Who will enjoy this day most?

I would recommend this experience to you if you want an easy introduction to Maipú wine country. The schedule gives you a full day, repeated tastings, production explanations, a proper meal, and a final food stop without requiring you to handle reservations or driving.

It suits people who enjoy learning how products are made. The winery visits focus on production, not only polished tasting rooms. It also works well for mixed-interest groups, since the olive-oil factory and lunch add variety for anyone who is less focused on wine.

The tour may be less suitable if you dislike fixed schedules or want to spend half a day at one winery. The four listed stops leave limited freedom to linger. Since the operator can modify the program, you should also be comfortable with some flexibility.

Most people can participate, and service animals are allowed. The tour is near public transportation, but hotel transfer is the main arrangement described. Confirmation is immediate in most cases, though bookings made within two days of departure may take up to 48 hours and depend on availability.

Booking advice and cancellation terms

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before departure are not accepted for a refund, and the cutoff follows local Mendoza time.

The experience requires a minimum number of participants. If the operator cancels because that minimum is not met, you will be offered another date or experience, or receive a full refund.

Because the tour is often booked well ahead, with an average booking lead time of 29 days, I would reserve early if your Mendoza dates are fixed. Then contact the operator close to departure to confirm pickup timing, the wineries planned, and whether the day includes two or three winery visits.

Should you book the Maipú winery tour?

Yes, if you want a convenient, food-friendly introduction to Mendoza wine country. The best features are the included transport, small maximum group, clear production tours, generous tastings, and lunch served at a boutique winery. The olive-oil factory also gives the day a welcome local touch.

I would book with two checks first: confirm the number of wineries and confirm the pickup arrangement. The strong overall rating suggests that most departures deliver a very good day, but the late pickup and communication complaint shows why those details matter.

For $129, this is a solid choice when you want someone else to handle the driving, bookings, and timing. It is not the right pick for a fully custom wine itinerary, but for a straightforward day in Maipú with wine, food, and olive oil, it offers a lot in one package.

FAQ

How long does the winery tour last?

The experience lasts approximately seven to eight hours. One reported departure was shortened to six hours after a 2.5-hour pickup delay, so confirming the schedule before departure is sensible.

How many wineries are visited?

The detailed schedule describes three winery stops in Maipú and Coquimbito. The included-services section says visits to two wineries with tastings, so you should confirm the exact number planned for your date.

Is lunch included?

Yes. A multi-course lunch with a tasting menu at a winery is included, along with wine. Empanadas and a three-course meal with wine pairing have been specifically associated with the experience, but the fixed menu is not provided.

Is hotel transportation included?

Yes. Round-trip hotel transfer is included. The available information does not specify the exact pickup area, so confirm that your hotel is covered.

Is bottled water included?

No. Bottled water is not included, so bring your own or plan to purchase it during the day.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.