Mendoza: Tour with tasting and lunch High Altitude Wineries

The most memorable part of this Mendoza day is the contrast between the two wineries. Piedra Infinita Zuccardi is a carefully designed architectural work with award-winning wines, while Alfa Crux feels almost futuristic, with a distinctive spaceship-like form and a long, wine-matched lunch.

I especially like the private car and driver, which makes the long trip from Mendoza easier, and the way the tour pairs a serious winery visit with a full six-course meal rather than a quick tasting. The main drawback is value: at $415 per person, you are paying for an upscale day, and the transport may not feel as polished as the wineries themselves.

• A 1 hour 45 minute drive south on Route 40 takes you from Mendoza to the Uco Valley.
• Piedra Infinita Zuccardi combines award-winning wines, bold architecture, and a guided production tour.
• Three grape varieties are included in the tasting at Zuccardi.
• Alfa Crux serves a six-course harmonized lunch, turning the second winery into the main meal of the day.
• The private group format gives you a more controlled schedule than a large coach tour.
• Portuguese, English, and Spanish are available, and the activity is wheelchair accessible.

Two Uco Valley wineries, two very different moods

This is not a quick winery crawl. It is a full-day outing built around two major stops, with enough time at each place to appreciate the buildings, the wine, and the food.

You leave Mendoza at 9:15 a.m. and return at about 5:30 p.m. That timing matters. The Uco Valley is well south of the city, so the drive takes a substantial part of the day. In exchange, you reach an area valued for its open views, high-altitude vineyards, and concentration of respected wineries.

The day works because the stops are not interchangeable. Zuccardi focuses on the winery itself, its design, its methods, and a three-wine tasting. Alfa Crux gives you a longer restaurant experience, with six courses matched to wine. You get a clear sense of how Mendoza treats wine as both an agricultural product and a part of the dining table.

The ride south from Mendoza on Route 40

Your private car leaves the city with a professional driver and follows Route 40 south for roughly one hour and 45 minutes. Private transport is useful here because the wineries are not a short hop from central Mendoza. You avoid arranging separate transfers, navigating unfamiliar roads, or trying to fit two remote winery visits into a public transport schedule.

The private group setup also gives the day a calmer feel than a large bus excursion. You are not handling a crowd at every stop, and the itinerary has a fixed rhythm: winery visit in the late morning, lunch early in the afternoon, then the return to Mendoza.

There is one practical point to keep in mind. The high price creates a reasonable expectation of a very comfortable vehicle and thoughtful extras. Water is not listed as included, and the transport has been described as less impressive than the wineries. Bring your own water unless the operator confirms otherwise, especially on a full day that includes wine.

The driver’s role is primarily transport. The arrangements at the wineries are already set, but do not assume your driver will act as a winery guide or personally manage every detail of the visits. That distinction is useful when you compare this tour with a wine specialist who leads the entire day.

Piedra Infinita Zuccardi at 11 a.m.

The first stop is Piedra Infinita, the Zuccardi family winery, reached at about 11 a.m. The visit lasts around 1.5 hours and includes a group tour of the facilities, an explanation of the winery’s background and architecture, and an introduction to its wine production process.

The building is a major part of the appeal. Piedra Infinita is described as an architectural jewel, so this is not simply a cellar visit where you move from barrel room to tasting counter. The design gives you another way to understand the winery’s identity. You see how a serious wine producer uses space, materials, and structure to express its connection to the region.

The tour also gives needed context before you taste. Instead of receiving three glasses with no explanation, you learn how the winery approaches production and why the setting matters. The tasting includes three grape varieties, a compact selection that lets you focus on differences rather than trying to race through a long list.

If you are new to Argentine wine, this is a helpful format. Three varieties are enough to create comparison without turning the tasting into a test. If you already know Mendoza wines well, the value rests more heavily on the architecture, production visit, and the quality of the Zuccardi setting.

The tour is conducted as a group visit even though the overall booking is a private group. That means your car and wider day are private, but you should not expect an entirely one-on-one winery appointment. This is a small distinction, but it matters if you are seeking an intensely personal tasting.

Allow yourself to look beyond the wine here. The building, the production spaces, and the family connection are central to the visit. Piedra Infinita is the educational stop, while Alfa Crux later provides the long food-and-wine centerpiece.

Alfa Crux and the six-course lunch

After Zuccardi, you return to the car and continue to Alfa Crux for lunch at about 1 p.m. The meal lasts around three hours and includes a six-course harmonized menu, meaning the food is paired with wines throughout the meal.

This is a substantial lunch, not a snack between tastings. Plan on giving the afternoon to it. The long meal changes the shape of the day, allowing you to slow down after the morning tour and pay attention to how the wines work with different courses.

Alfa Crux is also known for its unusual architecture. Its building has a spaceship-like appearance, which gives the second stop a very different character from Piedra Infinita. Even before the meal begins, the setting is part of the experience. You are visiting a winery that treats design as a serious part of its public identity.

The six-course menu is the strongest reason to choose this tour over a basic winery transfer. You are not simply tasting several wines and then finding lunch elsewhere. The meal is built into the booking, and the pairings give the wines a practical purpose at the table.

The information provided does not list the individual dishes or wines, so you should not book this expecting a fixed menu with particular ingredients. The useful certainty is the structure: six courses, harmonized with wine, and roughly three hours at Alfa Crux.

There is also a timing point. Lunch is scheduled for 1 p.m., after a late-morning tour and the transfer between wineries. If the first visit runs long, the schedule can become tight. On one occasion, the arrival at lunch was slightly late, and the two wineries did not appear to coordinate directly with one another. It is sensible to keep the morning moving and let the driver know as soon as you realize you may be behind schedule.

That minor weakness does not erase the appeal of the lunch, but it does show why communication matters on a premium day. At this price, you reasonably expect the operator to have a close working relationship with both wineries and to handle a small delay with a quick call.

Why the architecture matters as much as the wine

Mendoza wine tours can blur together when every stop offers vines, cellar rooms, and tasting glasses. This one has a sharper visual identity because both wineries make architecture part of the visit.

At Piedra Infinita, the building is described as an award-winning architectural work tied closely to the winery’s approach. At Alfa Crux, the spaceship-like design gives the stop an almost otherworldly look. The difference makes the day easier to remember and gives you something to notice even if you are not an experienced wine drinker.

The architecture also helps explain the premium price, though it cannot justify the entire cost on its own. You are paying for access to two carefully selected wineries, private transport, a guided tasting, and a six-course lunch. The tour is aimed at people who want a polished cultural and food experience, not simply the cheapest way to sample local wine.

Is $415 per person fair value?

At $415 per person, this is an expensive Mendoza day. The price makes the most sense if you value convenience, high-end dining, winery design, and a private group setting.

The lunch is a major part of the calculation. Six courses with wine pairings can account for a large share of the cost, especially at a destination winery. The private car is another meaningful benefit because the Uco Valley requires a long round trip from Mendoza.

The price is harder to defend if you mainly want to taste as many wines as possible. The Zuccardi tasting covers three grape varieties, and the second stop is centered on lunch rather than a separate tasting experience described in detail. A more basic wine tour could give you more stops for less money.

I would also factor in the transport quality. A private car sounds premium, but the actual vehicle may not match the standard suggested by the price. Water is not included in the stated inclusions, and you should not assume luxury-car service.

My value judgment is simple: this is a special-occasion wine day, not a budget excursion. It suits you if the combination of architecture, a major winery visit, and a long paired lunch matters as much as the wine itself. It is less suitable if your priority is low cost or a high number of tastings.

Timing, language, and accessibility

The schedule is clear and fairly demanding:

• Pickup in Mendoza at 9:15 a.m.
• Approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to the Uco Valley
• Guided visit at Piedra Infinita Zuccardi at 11 a.m.
• About 1.5 hours for the tour and tasting
• Transfer to Alfa Crux
• Six-course lunch at 1 p.m., lasting about three hours
• Departure for Mendoza at 4 p.m.
• Arrival at your accommodation around 5:30 p.m.

The activity lasts eight hours, though the listed stop times and transfers suggest a full day with little spare time. Wear something comfortable for the ride and the winery visits, and avoid planning an evening activity that requires you to be back in Mendoza early.

Live tour support is available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. No individual guide name is provided, so you should confirm the language you want when booking rather than assume it will be available on the day.

The activity is wheelchair accessible, which is important for anyone who needs step-free arrangements. Because the wineries are distinct properties with their own layouts, it is still sensible to confirm the exact access details for the car, tasting areas, and restaurant before departure.

Children under 18 are not permitted. That is straightforward, and it fits the wine-centered nature of the day.

What the day does particularly well

The strongest feature is the pairing of wine, architecture, and food. Many tours lean hard in one direction. This one gives you a guided winery visit in the morning and a full dining experience in the afternoon.

The private group arrangement is another plus. You have a dedicated car and driver rather than a large coach, which makes the long ride more manageable. You also avoid spending the day collecting people from several hotels or waiting for a big group to assemble.

The settings are likely to be the most memorable visual part of the experience. Piedra Infinita and Alfa Crux are not presented as ordinary cellar stops. Each has a strong architectural character, and that gives you a broader view of how contemporary Argentine wineries present themselves.

The day is also well suited to a first visit to the Uco Valley. You do not have to choose the wineries, estimate driving times, or arrange lunch. The essential decisions are made for you, while the schedule still leaves enough time to appreciate each main stop.

The weak point is coordination. A premium operator should communicate quickly if the first appointment runs late, especially when the lunch reservation is fixed. The experience can still be excellent, but you should understand that the operator may function more as a booking and transport service than as a wine host with close personal ties to both wineries.

Who should book this Mendoza wine tour?

I would recommend it to couples, friends, and small private groups who want an upscale day away from Mendoza and prefer quality over quantity. It is particularly good for you if a long restaurant lunch sounds as appealing as the tasting itself.

It also fits first-time visitors who want an organized introduction to the Uco Valley. The transport, appointments, tasting, and meal are bundled together, so you can concentrate on the surroundings and the wine.

Wine enthusiasts should book with a clear expectation. You will get three grape varieties at Zuccardi and a six-course wine-paired meal at Alfa Crux, but the experience is not described as a technical, multi-winery master class. Its appeal is the overall mix of design, wine, food, and ease.

I would hesitate if you are on a tight budget, want a very luxurious vehicle, or prefer a guide who personally leads every part of the day. The cost is high, and the transport service may not feel equal to the standard of the wineries.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want the Uco Valley in a refined, unhurried format, with two visually striking wineries and a serious lunch at the center of the day. Piedra Infinita provides the guided wine and architecture experience, while Alfa Crux supplies the six-course meal and futuristic setting.

Skip it if your main goal is to visit more wineries for less money, or if you expect a luxury vehicle and tightly managed winery-to-winery coordination. At $415, the tour should be chosen for its complete food, wine, and design package, not just for transport and tasting.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin and end?

The tour begins with pickup in Mendoza and returns you to your accommodation in Mendoza at approximately 5:30 p.m.

How long is the activity?

The experience lasts about eight hours, from the morning departure at 9:15 a.m. until the return in the late afternoon.

How long is the transfer to the Uco Valley?

The drive from Mendoza to the first winery takes approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes along Route 40 to the south.

Which wineries are included?

The tour visits Piedra Infinita Zuccardi, also called Bodega Zuccardi Valle de Uco, and Alfa Crux Winery.

What is included at Piedra Infinita Zuccardi?

You receive a guided group tour of the facilities, an explanation of the winery’s history, architecture, and production methods, followed by a tasting of three grape varieties.

What lunch is included at Alfa Crux?

Lunch is a six-course harmonized menu, with the food paired with wine. The lunch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and lasts about three hours.

Is the tour available in English?

Yes. Live tour support is available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Can children join the activity?

No. The experience is not suitable for children under 18 years old.