Mendoza: Winebike Tasting Tour with Optional Lunch

Mendoza’s wine country is easy to enjoy from a tasting room, but this tour gets you out among the vines on a multi-bike built for a group. You pedal between Carinae, La Melessca, and Tempus Alba while wine, views, ham, cheese, olive oil, and music keep the day moving. I like the fresh-air setting and the chance to meet other people, especially if you are traveling alone.

I also like the generous food program. The olive oil tasting adds something beyond the usual winery circuit, and the optional lunch at Finca el Pino can turn a good half-day into a full Argentine feast. The main drawback is that serious wine students may find the focus more social and historical than technical, and the lunch option needs to be selected clearly when booking.

Key points at a glance

• Start at Carinae at 10 am: Tour one of Argentina’s oldest active wineries before getting on the bike.
• Pedal with wine and snacks: The multi-bike ride includes vineyard views, mountain scenery, and a ham and cheese platter.
• La Melessca adds variety: Taste regional olive oils, Aceto Balsámico, bread, and more local products.
• Tempus Alba brings export scale: Visit one of South America’s biggest wine exporters and taste its wines.
• Lunch is optional: Choose the lunch version for a three-course Argentine meal, salad, dessert, and drinks at Finca el Pino.
• Plan for a social outing: The ride is best for people who enjoy food, wine, fresh air, and a lively group atmosphere.

Starting at Carinae, Mendoza’s oldest active winery

Your morning begins at 10 am at Carinae S.A. in Mendoza Province. You arrange your own way to the meeting point, since transport from your hotel is not included. That makes the start simple, but you need to allow time to arrive on your own.

Carinae is more than a place to collect your first glass. It gives the tour a useful opening lesson in Mendoza’s wine culture. You tour the winery with a guide, learn about the local wine industry, and taste several wines before the cycling portion begins.

That first stop also helps you understand the rhythm of the day. This is not a formal tasting where every sip receives a long technical explanation. It is a guided introduction, with history and local context mixed into the tasting. If you want a relaxed way to get oriented to Argentine wine, that works well.

The guide matters here. Nico received special praise for his hosting, and the tour is available in English or Spanish. The guides are expected to explain the wines and the history of Mendoza, but the tone is lively rather than academic.

The multi-bike ride through vineyard country

After Carinae, you climb aboard the multi-bike and pedal through the countryside. One account describes the bike as made for 12 people, so expect a shared ride rather than a personal bicycle excursion. You pedal together, talk with the group, and move at the pace of the vehicle.

This is the tour’s most unusual feature. You are not simply transferred between wineries in a van. The ride puts you outside, with vineyard views and mountain scenery around you. It also gives the experience a party-like feel, helped by music, wine pours, and the chance to meet people from different countries.

I would bring comfortable clothes and shoes you can pedal in. The tour is not recommended for people with limited mobility, wheelchair users, or children under five. You should also be comfortable sharing the bike and taking part in a group activity. This is not the right pick if you want a quiet, private ride through the vineyards.

The ham and cheese platter fits the ride well. It gives you something to eat between tastings and adds a simple Argentine touch without slowing the tour down. Wine is served along the route, and the amount can be generous, so pace yourself. You have several stops ahead, plus lunch if you choose it.

La Melessca and the olive oil stop

The visit to La Melessca gives the itinerary a welcome change of pace. Here you tour an olive oil factory and taste regional products, including olive oils, Aceto Balsámico, and more wine.

This stop is valuable because Mendoza’s food culture is broader than Malbec. The tasting lets you compare oil, vinegar, bread, and wine in one setting. You may find the balsamic especially memorable if you usually think of a winery tour as being only about grapes.

The stop also works well after the bike ride. You get a chance to slow down, taste carefully, and learn about another local product. The olive oil tasting can include bread, and the combination makes this more than a quick sample at a shop counter.

One practical point: the tour can still include an olive oil tasting if the bike is unavailable. On one occasion, a mechanical problem changed the planned ride, and the olive oil stop helped keep the day worthwhile. That does not guarantee how any future change will be handled, but it shows that this experience has more than one appealing part.

Tempus Alba and the big Mendoza wine picture

The next major wine stop is Tempus Alba. It is described as the biggest exporter of wine in South America, with bottles poured around the world. That makes it a useful contrast to the earlier winery: instead of seeing only a small local operation, you get a sense of Mendoza’s international reach.

You receive a guided tasting at Tempus Alba and learn more about the wines as the tour continues. The setting connects the vineyards outside Mendoza with the bottles sold far beyond Argentina. For someone new to the region, this gives the wine story some scale.

Keep your expectations in check if you are a serious wine collector or want a detailed study of vintages, soil, fermentation, or barrel programs. The emphasis is on enjoying the route, learning the history of Mendoza wine, and tasting several wines with a friendly guide. One useful description of the experience called it more about the bike and the history of Mendoza wine than expert-level wine commentary.

That is not a flaw for most people. It simply tells you what kind of tour this is. You get a broad, social introduction to the region rather than a specialist seminar.

Adding lunch at Finca el Pino

The optional lunch is the decision that most affects the value of the day. Select the tour with lunch and you sit down at Finca el Pino for a three-course Argentine meal with drinks, salad, and dessert. A vegetarian option is available.

The restaurant is surrounded by ancient trees and has an unusual connection to local history. The property was once owned by the landholder of all Coquimbito and by the person who built the train to the Andes. That setting gives lunch more character than a meal in an ordinary restaurant.

The food appears to be a substantial part of the experience, not a token plate added at the end. Past meals have included Argentine barbecue, and one account described a four-course meal that was difficult to finish. The supplied details specify three courses, salad, dessert, and drinks, so you should expect a full meal, but not assume the exact menu will be the same each day.

Lunch also gives the group time to settle in after the ride and tastings. You can enjoy the old trees, the atmosphere, and the company without watching the clock. If you are booking this as your main wine-country outing, I would choose the lunch version.

Be careful when making that choice. There has been confusion about whether lunch was included, so check that your selected option clearly says Tour with Lunch. At $100 per person, the price is easier to justify when the meal is included. Without lunch, the value rests mainly on the wineries, the olive oil factory, the food tasting, and the unusual ride.

What the $100 price delivers

At $100 per person, this is not the cheapest way to sample one Mendoza winery. It is also not just a tasting. The price covers a guided multi-bike ride, winery tours and tastings at two wineries, the La Melessca regional-products tasting, and the ham and cheese platter. The full Argentine lunch is included only with the lunch option.

I see the value in the number of elements packed into four and a half hours. You get two wine stops, one olive oil stop, a group ride, food along the way, and a possible sit-down meal. You are paying for variety and convenience at the meeting point, not for a long, highly specialized tasting at a single estate.

The tour lasts 270 minutes, or four and a half hours. That is long enough to feel like a proper half-day outing, but short enough to leave room for an evening meal or another Mendoza activity. Since you arrange your own transport to Carinae, include that cost and effort when comparing it with tours that offer hotel pickup.

The strongest value comes if you enjoy several kinds of tasting. If your only goal is to study top wines in silence, another type of wine experience may suit you better. If you want wine, food, scenery, and a bit of silliness in one package, the price is more convincing.

Who will enjoy this tour most

I would recommend this outing to solo visitors, couples, and friends who enjoy meeting people. The shared multi-bike makes conversation easy, and solo participants have a built-in group for the day. It is also a good choice if you want a memorable way to see vineyard country without spending the whole day inside a vehicle.

Food lovers get a lot from the itinerary. The ham and cheese, olive oils, balsamic vinegar, wine, and lunch create a fuller picture of Mendoza than a wine-only program. The vegetarian lunch option also makes the experience workable for people who do not eat meat, though you should select the correct option when booking.

The tour suits active people who can pedal and move around winery and factory spaces. It is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments. Children under five cannot join, and the wine-focused format may be less appealing to families with young children.

I would hesitate to book it for someone who wants privacy, a small expert-led tasting, or strict control over the day. The group atmosphere is part of the charm, but it also means you share the pace and attention with others.

Practical tips for a smoother day

Arrive ready to start at 10 am at Carinae. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, and transportation to the meeting point is your responsibility.

Wear comfortable clothes that let you pedal and move easily. Bring your passport or ID card, as the activity information specifically lists one of these as something to bring.

Eat lightly before the tour, but do not skip breakfast entirely. You will have ham and cheese, repeated tastings, and possibly a large lunch, so pacing is wiser than trying every pour at full speed.

If you want lunch, confirm the option before paying. The meal is a major part of the experience, and the distinction between the basic tour and the lunch version should be clear on your booking.

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and the reserve-now, pay-later option keeps your plans flexible. Availability and starting times should be checked for your date.

Should you book the Winebike tour?

Book it if you want a lively half-day that combines Mendoza wine with fresh air, local food, olive oil, and a shared group ride. The strongest parts are the unusual multi-bike, the variety of stops, the generous food program, and the warm hosting associated with guides such as Nico.

Choose the lunch version if you want this to be your main outing in the wine country. The meal at Finca el Pino adds real value and gives the day a satisfying finish.

Skip it if you want a serious, quiet wine education or have limited mobility. For everyone else, especially solo visitors and social groups, this is a playful and practical way to see several sides of Mendoza in four and a half hours.

FAQ

Where does the tour meet?

You meet your guide at Carinae S.A. at 10 am. Transportation to the meeting point and hotel pickup are not included.

How long does the activity last?

The tour lasts 270 minutes, or four and a half hours.

Which languages are available?

The live guide is available in English and Spanish.

Is lunch included?

Lunch is included only when you select the Tour with Lunch option. That version includes a three-course Argentine meal with drinks, salad, and dessert. A vegetarian option is available.

What should I bring?

Bring a passport or ID card and wear comfortable clothes suitable for the multi-bike ride.

Is the tour suitable for people with limited mobility?

No. The activity is not recommended for people with limited mobility and is not suitable for wheelchair users. Children under five are also not permitted.