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Mendoza wine producers to know
Four Mendoza wineries every sommelier should know, the story behind each, and where they sit, from Luján de Cuyo to the Uco Valley.
Alper Billik · Advanced Sommelier
Updated October 2026 · 3 min read · Edited with AI
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The short answer: if you learn four Mendoza names, make them Catena Zapata (the family that took Malbec up the mountain), Bodegas CARO (Catena with the Rothschilds of Lafite), Zuccardi Valle de Uco (the Uco Valley's best-known winery) and Alta Vista (French roots, single-vineyard Malbec). Each tells you something about how Mendoza works.
First, the map
- Luján de Cuyo: just south of Mendoza city, old-vine Malbec, and one of Argentina's two DOCs.
- Maipú: next door, historic vineyards and many of the old family wineries.
- Uco Valley: higher and cooler, at the foot of the Andes: Tupungato, Tunuyán and San Carlos, with places such as Gualtallary and Paraje Altamira.
- East Mendoza and San Rafael: warmer, larger-volume areas; San Rafael is the other DOC.
Catena Zapata
Founded in 1902 by Nicola Catena, an Italian immigrant. His grandson Nicolás Catena Zapata bet on altitude: in 1992 he planted the Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary, in the Uco Valley's Tupungato department, at about 1,450 metres, when many thought grapes would not ripen that high. His daughter Laura Catena, the fourth generation, now leads the family winery, known for its research into Mendoza's sites. Look for Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, from everyday bottles to single-parcel wines from Adrianna.
Bodegas CARO
A partnership between Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) and the Catena family, begun in 1999. The name joins the first letters of both: CAtena and ROthschild. The idea is a meeting of Bordeaux and Mendoza: Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. The wines are made in an 1884 cellar in Mendoza.
- CARO: the flagship blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, first made in 2000.
- Amancaya: the second wine, from 2003.
- Aruma: 100% Malbec, from the 2010 vintage.
Zuccardi Valle de Uco
The Zuccardi family began in Maipú, where Alberto "Tito" Zuccardi planted the first vineyards in 1963. The third generation, Sebastián Zuccardi, turned the family towards the Uco Valley. The winery stands in Paraje Altamira, in San Carlos, at the foot of the Andes. The focus is Malbec that tastes of a single place: stony, limestone-rich soils, fresh and precise rather than heavy.
Alta Vista
In 1998 the French d'Aulan family, former owners of the Champagne house Piper-Heidsieck, restored an 1890 winery in Chacras de Coria, Luján de Cuyo. Alta Vista is known for single-vineyard Malbec, with vineyards in Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, and it also makes sparkling wine.
The four at a glance
| Winery | Where | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Catena Zapata | Luján de Cuyo, with vineyards up to Gualtallary | High-altitude Malbec and Chardonnay; the Adrianna Vineyard |
| Bodegas CARO | Mendoza | Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon blends; Catena with Lafite |
| Zuccardi Valle de Uco | Paraje Altamira, San Carlos | Site-driven Uco Valley Malbec |
| Alta Vista | Chacras de Coria, Luján de Cuyo | Single-vineyard Malbec; sparkling |
- Catena Zapata
- WhereLuján de Cuyo, with vineyards up to Gualtallary
- Known forHigh-altitude Malbec and Chardonnay; the Adrianna Vineyard
- Bodegas CARO
- WhereMendoza
- Known forMalbec and Cabernet Sauvignon blends; Catena with Lafite
- Zuccardi Valle de Uco
- WhereParaje Altamira, San Carlos
- Known forSite-driven Uco Valley Malbec
- Alta Vista
- WhereChacras de Coria, Luján de Cuyo
- Known forSingle-vineyard Malbec; sparkling
How to taste Mendoza through them
- Altitude: taste a Luján de Cuyo Malbec next to one from Gualtallary or Altamira. The higher one is usually fresher, more floral and firmer.
- Blend versus single variety: CARO's Malbec and Cabernet blend next to a pure Malbec.
- Place: a single-vineyard bottle next to a regional one from the same winery.
For the regions, grapes and wine law, read Argentina for Level 1, and for the old local grapes, Criolla grapes. Need a pairing for your Malbec? Ask SOMM DIGI AI.
Questions people ask
What does CARO stand for?
The first letters of the two families behind it: CAtena and ROthschild (Domaines Barons de Rothschild, Lafite).
Where is the Adrianna Vineyard?
In Gualtallary, in the Tupungato department of the Uco Valley, at about 1,450 metres. Nicolás Catena Zapata planted it in 1992.
Which part of Mendoza is best for Malbec?
There is no single best. Luján de Cuyo gives classic, old-vine Malbec; the higher Uco Valley gives fresher, more floral wines.
Who founded Catena Zapata?
Nicola Catena, an Italian immigrant, in 1902.
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