What to Do in Zuccardi Valle de Uco, the World’s Best Winery and Vineyard

For the third time in a row, the World's Best Vineyard recognised the famous Argentinian winery, Zuccardi Valle de Uco, as the best winery in the world. The Mendoza wine paradise was awarded by a jury of 600 experts, who selected the winners from more than 1,500 establishments.

What did they base their choice on? Obviously, on wine quality: Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal 2018 (one of its Malbec wines) achieved 100 Parker points, which is the highest possible score in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate magazine. Other factors are also taken into consideration though, such as gastronomy, route, accessibility, setting, service, reputation, and landscape. And what a majestic landscape are endless green vineyards beneath the Andes Mountains range, aren’t they?

On the top ten list, the Albiceleste flag appears once again with Catena Zapata in seventh place. But this is not all, Argentinian names are present all throughout the top 50: Trapiche winery is in 18th place; El Enemigo winery is in 24th place; Colomé winery, from Salta, is in 35th place; and SuperUco winery is in 42nd place. There are six wineries from the End of the World country among the world’s top fifty list.

As we already know, Argentina is a generous country. And if the best wine experience is at home, we are going to share it with no hesitation. Zuccard Valle de Uco winery is open and offers activities for all the senses: some options can be tasting the flavours of its cuisine paired with the world’s best wines; admiring the landscape view; and photographing the remarkable and modern architecture of its winery.

Guided Tours and Tastings at the Winery

There are plenty of choices for visiting the winery and tasting wines in the meantime. One option, for only around 10 dollars, is to tour the building that, whether while tasting a glass of wine or not, has an immense charm, and it is also the simplest way to do it.

Piedra Infinita was inaugurated in 2016 by architect Fernando Raganato and, as its name in Spanish suggests, pays homage to and symbolises the nature of the surrounding landscape. Its design also won a distinction the same year they opened; the winery received the Gold Award for the world’s best architecture and landscaping by Best of Wine Tourism. It respects Mendoza's environment, coexisting perfectly with its shapes, colours, and textures. We made it clear: carrying a camera is a must.

But if grape elixir is what it's all about, and of course it is, tasting options are the right ones. Prices range from about 20 to 62 dollars, depending on the type and series of wine selected for tasting: Polígonos, the cheapest, Valle de Uco, Experiencia Terroir, and Fincas are the possibilities. Each of their nuances reflect the features of the specific vineyards. In all cases, a guided tour is also included.

Don't forget to book in advance, at least a month ahead, because places tend to be quite crowded.

Lunch at its Restaurant at the Foot of the Mountain

Palate pleasure could not be complete without a good gastronomic menu. And as it is the world’s best winery, the quality of the recipes that star in the pairing are not far behind. The winery's restaurant invites you to sit at the foot of the mountain to complete the experience and enjoy a first-class banquet.

It is a four-course meal with regional products, local flavours and gourmet touches. As a first course you can try mashed toasted bread and organic spinach, goat cheese mousse and pickled carrots. Then, as an appetiser, braised chivito with vegetables in all shapes and sizes cooked in different ways. As the main course, grilled steak with mashed potatoes, pickled aubergines and pumpkin cooked in a clay oven. And, for dessert, quinces with Malbec (of course), olive ice cream, rosemary and sugared walnuts. Is your belly rumbling yet?

There are five alternatives to choose from. The cheapest one, without wine pairing, costs about 60 dollars, and the most luxurious option, in which you can taste the most awarded wines of the winery, costs 186 dollars.