Drink List: Mendoza

From Lavalle in the north to San Rafael in the south, it can be difficult to choose which of the dozens of wineries in Mendoza are worth the visit. From garagistes to the most lavish of no-expense-spared cellar doors, rest assured there’s a tasting room for you in Argentina’s principal wine-making region, as well as a couple of worthwhile pubs.

And, look beyond malbec: Reds such as cabernets sauvignon and franc, bonarda and grenache are making waves as are styles such as biodynamic and natural wines, but wave the white flag to give chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, sémillon and fiano a whirl, too. If you’re looking for some eats to pair with all this drinking, check out our accompanying Eat List: Mendoza, which covers all the best spots in and around the city.

You’re in Argentina’s key wine country so what better than… a pint of craft beer to refresh the palate? A cool warehouse-style pub, Hangar 52 is a bustling spot on the party street of Aristides in downtown Mendoza. With some 25 beers on tap sourced from around Argentina, in-house brewer Arturo Verna Martins takes care of a number of internal affairs. A preferred pub for winemakers in need of a break from the grapes. Open daily. Facebook Page. 

Enough of the controversial beer suggestions, and back to Mendoza’s heart and soul: wine. One of the city’s best-stocked cellars is housed in the swanky Park Hyatt Hotel on Plaza Independencia. Tucked away in the middle of the hotel, so non-guests might never discover it, Uvas focuses on boutique labels, and has more than 100 on the list. Keep it light with a glass or up the ante with a malbec flight. Daily from 11am. mendoza.parkhyatt.com.

A joint collaboration between two legendary winemaking families, Mendoza’s Catenas and Bordeaux’s Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) join forces at CARO. Each brings their most emblematic grape – malbec and cabernet sauvignon, respectively – to the table. Producing just three lines, take an evening tour of the magical 19th-century barrel room before tasting Aruma, Petit CARO and CARO (300 pesos); larger wallets should opt for the four-wine CARO vertical tasting (2,000 pesos). Reservations: hospitality@bodegascaro.com.ar. Monday to Friday: 10pm, 12.30pm, 4pm, 8pm. lafite.com.