Mendoza | Discover Maipu Wine Region by Bike

Maipu is not only the most accessible and affordable of Mendoza’s wine regions but it also has a cluster of amazing wineries within biking distance. Maipu Bikes is without a doubt the best way to explore the area. You can spend a full day tasting wine in picturesque vineyards and still not sample it all. So we’ve compiled this overview of Maipu to help you make the most of your day, including when to go, what to bring, what wineries to hit up and where to eat while soaking up all that wine.

When to Cycle through Maipu

The beauty of Mendoza’s wine regions is that they’re enjoyable year round. While winter (July-August) brings cooler temperatures it’s actually quite nice for biking with the right layers. Summer (December-February) can be quite hot mid-day. Spring and Fall are optimal but also busy season. We visited in June and were comfortable in pants and a tank top mid-day with a sweater for the morning and evening.

Maipu Bikes operates 7 days a week but we would recommend visiting Monday-Friday as Trapiche and the patio at Tempus Alba are closed on Saturday and our favourite winery on the route is closed Sundays.

If it’s raining make sure to call Maipu bikes before heading out the door – they may not be running.

Related // Visit the neighbouring Lujan de Cuyo region without a guide

Getting from Mendoza to Maipu

From Mendoza the journey to Maipu is quite simple. You can take public transit or a taxi, both fairly quick and affordable. We opted for Uber because it was the cheapest and easiest, which was nice given the early start. Be sure to grab breakfast in town as a base for day drinking.

Taxi/Uber | From Mendoza city centre it will run you roughly 300 ARS ($5 USD). For Uber, give yourself a bit of extra time as they aren’t as frequent as you might be used to and may take up to 15 minutes to arrive.

By Bus | Load up a Mendoza Red Bus card at almost any convenience store in town. Take the 811, 816, 817 or 920 South (get on along Rioja Street) for around 25 minutes and get off at YPF Gas Station in Coquimbito.

Renting with Maipu Bikes

There are a few rental options in Maipu but Maipu Bikes has the region nailed. Great service, reliable bikes, and the cherry on top with Maipu Bikes is the 5-6pm happy hour on their patio. You will certainly have had your fill of wine by then but it’s a great place to end and hang out with your fellow wine enthusiasts you’ve seen around town all day. 

• Arrive Early – They open at 10am and even if you made a reservation in advance online you should arrive as early as you can to get the most out of your day.
• Winery Bookings – Since the region is set up for bike tours it’s not necessary to book in advance. Trapiche is the exception so if you are looking to do a tour have the team at Maipu Bikes call and coordinate one for you. That said, we’d recommend having lunch at Trapiche as well so best to call the day before and book it yourself.
• Cost – 500 ARS ($9 USD) will get you the bike for the day, a map, helpful staff tips and all-you-can-drink happy hour. 

The Perfect Maipu Biking Itinerary

The beauty of Maipu Bikes is that you can do what suits you. So to help plan your route, below is our idea of a perfect day in Maipu. We’ve also included lots of alternate options should your tastes differ. If you are on two wheels by 10:30am you should have time for 3 wineries and lunch, depending on how fast you are and how many winery tours you do. If you stick to tastings and don’t doddle you can squeeze in a fourth and still be back for happy hour.

Stop 1 – Bodega Viña El Cerno

Getting the farthest winery out of the way while you’re sober is reason enough to start with El Cerno. But beyond that it was actually our favourite winery in Maipu. The charming daughter of the winemaker gave us an educational tour of the organic winery while sharing its history since opening in 1997. Family and storytelling unites the experience from label design to the product itself. After your tour you can select the specific wine(s) you want to taste and enjoy under the vines on their garden patio.

Pricing – The tour for two and a shared tasting of three wines (pace yourself!) came to ARS 320 ($5 USD).

Itinerary alternate #1 – Not up for wine at 10am? Make a stop at Entre Olivos on your way to Bodega Vina El Cerno and enjoy an olive and olive oil tasting to start your day. 

Stop 2 – Lunch at Trapiche

The tasting menu and pairing offered at Espacio Trapiche (about 100 metres up the street from the main Bodega) is a coveted experience in Maipu. We highly recommend booking this a day or two in advance. If you can’t get a reservation you can always enjoy a quick wine tasting after lunch (except on Saturdays). There are a few more lunch options below.

Pricing – The tour and tasting is ARS 300 each. Don’t forget to book in advance. The lunch tasting menu pricing varies by season so call ahead.

Itinerary alternate #2 – If you can’t get a spot at Trapiche or are visiting Maipu on a Saturday the trek up to Casa de Campo is the best lunch option. They have exquisite food, friendly service and also offer a tasting menu (430 ARS). And beforehand you can hit up Tempus Alba (across from El Cerno) for a wine tasting on their beautiful terrace.

Budget Lunch – Mevi is another option for a low-cost lunch but while the patio overlooking the vines is gorgeous, the quality of the food doesn’t hold up. If you’re on a tight budget you’d be better off packing a picnic lunch to have between wineries.

Stop 3 – La Rural Wine Museum

What better way to round out your day of tasting than with a little history lesson on wine. La Rural offers a self-guided tour through their museum with vintage equipment and educational materials along the way. It’s a throwback to the OG wine-making process that is interestingly similar to the current shift back to basics with organic and biodynamic wineries. The tour and tasting that follows is free if you purchase a bottle of wine. We fell in love with their Rutini line at Azafran in Mendoza and were more than happy to take one with us. 

Itinerary alternate #3 – If you wrap up at La Rural before 4:30pm you may have time to pop up to boutique winery Domiciano to do a tasting. The educational tour of their property is also only thirty minutes if you can squeeze it in.

Wine nerd fun fact – Terms like ‘organic’ and ‘biodynamic’ are popping up on wine labels more and more these days but can be confusing. While regulations differ by region, ‘organic’ tends to be a government regulated farming method meaning that the grapes are grown without the use of chemicals like pesticides and no sulfites added (though natural sulfites will be present). Biodynamic is less regulated but generally means organic+ in that they also don’t manipulate the juice with yeast or acidity adjustments during wine-making. 

Stop 4 – Maipu Bikes Happy Hour

Cheers to a day of sampling wines with a few more glasses of wine! Grab a seat and strike up a conversation with your neighbour. Your glass will never go empty. Before you know it your stomach will remind you it’s been hours since lunch.

Secret Stop 5 – Dinner at Coquimbito Beer Club

Drinking from 11am to 7pm will no doubt leave you famished and a little foggy. Head up the street to Coquimbito Beer Club with your newfound friends. Order the choripán. It’s amazing. There’s also craft beer on tap and cocktails that provide a necessary break after a day of wine. 

What is Choripán? Glad you asked. It’s the absolute perfect Argentine sausage made from mixed beef and pork, butterflied, grilled to succulent perfection and served on a fluffy homemade roll. Often served with chimichurri and spicy salsa, you can find traditional and more modern takes all over Argentina. Spoiler alert – the absolute best choripán in Argentina is in Buenos Aires.

Maipu | What to bring for a day of cycling through wineries

• Small Backpack – Ideally big enough for a bottle (or three) of wine and easy to keep on your back while biking. Some bikes have front baskets but it’s not advised to carry valuables inside as they’re easy to steal.
• Comfortable shoes and pants or shorts – Your instincts may tell you to dress up for winery visits but you want to be comfortable when biking. Save the heels and skirts for another day. 
• A sweater or jacket – The temperature drops when the sun goes down so unless you’re in visiting mid-summer you’ll want a light sweater or jacket for happy hour.
• Reusable water bottle – Easily refilled at Maipu Bikes and wineries along the way. It’s essential to stay hydrated while you’re drinking and cycling in the sun.
• Sunscreen + hat – Speaking of sun, protect yourself. The last thing you want to add to your hangover the next day is a sunburn. Apply early and often as you’re liable to forget.
• Cash – Some of the wineries along the way don’t accept credit and you don’t want to be caught without cash if the only ATM in town is down or out.

Stay Safe Biking in Maipu

• Ask for a Helmet – Most people turn them down so they aren’t always handed out, but safety first. Especially after a glass or three.
• Don’t keep phones or other valuables in your basket – They are an easy target for thieves.
• Enjoy in Moderation – Start slow with tastings, they add up quick. Save happy hour (which is free) for increasing your intake once your bike is safely returned.
• Get travel insurance – This should be a given but be sure you have a health plan that covers you before you set out on your adventure. If the worst happens, you want to be covered. We love World Nomads because it covers health and theft which were two major concerns for us. Full disclosure, if you sign up via this link the cost to you is the same but we get a percentage for referring you. Thanks!

Where to Stay in Maipu

Maipu is so accessible from Mendoza that we opted to commute from our AirBNB in the city. Use this referral link to get a discount when you book through AirBNB.

Posada Verde Oliva – Stumbling distance from Maipu Bikes is this former winemaker’s home turned B&B. Posada Verde Oliva sits amidst an olive orchard and boasts a pool for those hot summer days and a stone fireplace for cool nights. We have it on good authority that the hosts are incredibly welcoming and accommodating. 

Where to Next?

Spend some time in Mendoza before or after biking through Maipu with this handy travel guide to the city.

Haven’t had enough wine? Head to Chile to explore the famous Central Valley or the rapidly growing Casablanca region.

Or if you want to get closer to the Andes head farther South to Bariloche where you can explore lakes and mountains abound. Even farther South is our favourite town in Patagonia, El Chaltén.

Head North to discover the European charm of Salta, and some of the best empanadas you’ll ever have.

Let us know how your day winery hopping in Maipu goes.