A Wine and Andes Tour - Trout and Wine

We pick you up in the morning at 9am and head for the vineyards of Luján de Cuyo, in the heart of Mendoza wine country. Our English-speaking guide will escort you around four premium wineries, old and modern, high tech and quaint, with a spectacular backdrop of snow-capped mountains. First we take you to Alta Vista , an old style winery completely renovated and refurbished by a French wine family. Here we try Torrontes, Bonarda, Malbec and have a special tasting of their Grand Reserva, one of Argentina's best Malbecs. Next we have a tank and barrel tasting at the large, ultra-modern Bodega Tapiz. We start the tour with an invigorating horse drawn ride through the vineyard and an instructive tour of the winery. The winery lunch is in the new and imposing Ruca Malen . You enjoy a five-course gourmet meal, created by chef Lucas Bustos who pairs each imaginative dish with each wine label, including the top label Kinien. Whilst eating lunch we take in the stunning views provided by the Andes that loom over the Mendoza province. We then finish the day at Renacer a Chilean-owned boutique winery. Here we do a personal tour of the vineyard and facility, followed by a tasting of their excellent Punto Final Malbec and Punto Final Reserva. You will also enjoy a special tasting their Amarone style blend called Enamore, made with sun dried grapes. We return to Mendoza city at 5pm and transfer you to Finca Adalgisa Lodge where you enjoy a night amidst the vines.

We pick you up at 8.45am and go west, climbing into dramatic mountain scenery. We follow the trail of the old Trans-Andean railway as it snakes and tunnels it way through three mountain ranges. We pass the snow capped Cerro de la Plata and turquoise Potrerillos lake . We follow the Rio Mendoza upriver through a valley called Seven Tunnels until we reach the mountain town of Uspallata . Here we take a short coffee break before we continue our trip through mountain scenery made famous in the movie Seven Years in

Tibet

. The road passes through Penitentes ski resort and continues west until several kilometres before the Chilean border, where we turn into Aconcagua National Park . Here we take a short walk to Horcones pond and view the tallest mountain outside the Himalayas (weather permitting). On return we stop to see Puente Del Inca , a naturally formed bridge over a steep ravine. Here there is a small handicrafts market and hot spring complex. We continue down the mountains, returning to Uspallata where we enjoy an afternoon lunch of the local delicacy, kid goat. Before taking the Mendoza road home we take a detour to Cerro Siete Colores ( Seven Colors Mountain) a fascinating, multi-colored rock formation that is often the surprise delight of the day. Return to Mendoza City early evening.