Three days in Mendoza

Day one. Luján de Cuyo, the first growth suburb.

Morning. Start in Luján de Cuyo, thirty minutes from the city, where Malbec earned its passport. Book Catena Zapata for the Mayan pyramid and the family that proved altitude was the answer. Afternoon. A second, smaller bodega nearby, then a long Argentine lunch at a winery restaurant; the empanadas course is not optional. Evening. Back to Mendoza city. Dinner late, like a local, with a Malbec from lunch's rival.

Day two. The Uco Valley, where the future is being planted.

Morning. Ninety minutes south to the Uco Valley, vines at 1,100 to 1,500 metres with the Andes filling the windscreen the whole way. Book Zuccardi in Paraje Altamira, concrete brutalism in a stone desert and one of the world's great winery buildings. Afternoon. A second Uco tasting, Salentein or a small producer in Gualtallary, where the Chardonnay will quietly outargue the Malbec. Evening. Asado at a Uco lodge if you stay the night, or back to the city for parrilla. Either way: beef, fire, Malbec, the holy trinity observed.

Day three. The mountain and the city.

Morning. Drive towards the Andes on Ruta 7 as far as Potrerillos reservoir for the view, or further to Puente del Inca if the day is yours. The mountains are why the wine tastes like this; pay them the visit. Afternoon. Mendoza city: Plaza Independencia, a slow café, and a final tasting at a city wine bar pouring across both valleys. Evening. Last parrilla. Order the Cabernet Franc this time; it is the region's next argument and the insiders already know.

Know before you go

When to go. March and April are harvest and Vendimia festival season. October to December is spring, green and quiet. July is ski season, not wine season.

Getting there. Fly to Mendoza from Buenos Aires or Santiago. Hire a driver for tasting days; distances are real and the wine is generous.

How many days. Three. Luján, Uco, the mountains.

The bodegas. Book one to two weeks ahead. Tastings 20 to 60 US dollars, winery lunches worth every peso and they take the whole afternoon, which is the correct length for lunch.

The mistake first timers make. Day-tripping the Uco Valley in half a day. The distances eat the schedule; give Uco its own full day or stay the night.

Drink it before you go

A Luján de Cuyo Malbec. The classic address, violets and plum with structure underneath.

An Uco Valley Malbec from Gualtallary or Altamira. Higher, colder, sharper. Taste it against the Luján and you have understood altitude.

A Mendoza Cabernet Franc. The next chapter, already excellent, still underpriced.

Mendoza is one of twelve places in The Grape Atlas. Learn it in five minutes, free.