Maipu is land of bikes and wine! Slightly closer to downtown Mendoza than the Lujan de Cuyo, the Maipu wine region is known for the affordable bike tours that take you through lush vineyards and down beautiful tree-lined highways. Although this concept of drinking and biking may seem unnecessarily life-threatening (those tree-lined highways can be quite busy with truck and bus traffic in the afternoon), these tours are a fun alternative way to visit the local wineries while getting outdoors and burning off some pizza/empanada calories. Wheeling around town, you can check out a wine museum, chocolate factory, or stop by the local brewery on the way back home.
Take 30-minute bus ride to Maipu and within minutes of landing, you'll be approached by various random kids on bikes with fliers advertising rentals. For the friendliest, most professional service and quality bikes, Mr. Hugo takes the cake. Greeting you with a handshake, smile, and a bottle of water before your ride, Mr. Hugo supplies you with a map of nearby wineries and directions to each.
All of the wineries are located on or just off Calle Urquiza, the main road that runs through Maipu. Bodegas that I recommend on the route include Carinae (French-owned, with fresh reds), Familia Di Tomasso (great tour of a traditional winery), and Tempus Alba (self-guided tour, nice wine bar on the upper level- look for my upcoming post about Tempus Alba!!). Trapiche is also supposed to be a great visit, but when we tried to go around 5:00 on a Monday the bodega was mysteriously closed early. A note on this- most of the bodegas close around 5:30 or 6:00, so be sure to start early. Relatedly, Maipu is hottest around three or four in the afternoon, so I recommend a morning bike tour to avoid blazing sun and closed winery doors.
The local artisan brewery is a great place to take a break from Malbec and dusty roads. Relax in a chill, bohemian atmosphere and sip a refreshing local lager.
A general caution on biking: Besides avoiding getting hit by large trucks barreling down Urquiza, watch your stuff! All of the bikes come equipped with cute little baskets in front, but don't put your bag in there. During my first trip in September, we ran into a couple who almost got their bag stolen this way- by another biker heading in the opposite direction! Luckily, the Maipu tourism police are highly attentive- they quickly swarmed the theft situation that day and they will escort you back to Mr. Hugo's place at the end of the day.
You are welcomed back to Mr. Hugos with a free bottomless cup of wine and optional beer on tap. Have a seat on the patio and join the dozen other sweaty, wine-saturated travelers. If you're not buzzed after visiting the wineries, you will be by the time you leave Mr. Hugo's place. And you probably will have made two or three new friends... Be sure not to leave without getting a photo with Mr. Hugo in his signature "thumbs up" pose.
