Stand on Pres. Sarmiento at the edge of Plaza 12 de Febrero and you can see the shape of Maipú in one turn: a civic square, a wine museum a few blocks away, and beyond them the vineyards and olive groves of Coquimbito and Cruz de Piedra. This is a department where winemaking is not a backdrop but the main event, and where the historic cellars of the late nineteenth century still stand alongside family producers and contemporary projects.
Maipú suits travellers who want to build a day around wine, olive oil and regional food rather than around a checklist of monuments. It rewards those willing to plan transport, book tastings in advance and move between the town centre and the countryside. This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time, the wineries that anchor a visit, and how to string them together if you have only one day.
Top things to do in Maipú
1. Bodega La Rural - Museo del Vino
This historic winery in Coquimbito was founded in 1885, and its museum holds an important collection of objects, tools and equipment related to the history of Argentine winemaking. A visit here gives you the context for everything else you will taste in the department, tracing how wine production developed in Mendoza.
Because the winery and its Wine Museum sit at the same address, you can pair a cellar visit with the museum in a single stop. Allow more time than you would for a straightforward tasting.
2. Museo Nacional del Vino y la Vendimia
On Ozamis in Maipú, this museum is dedicated to the history of winemaking in Mendoza and sits within the historic complex associated with Juan Giol and Bautista Gargantini. Its collection includes objects, tools and other items related to wine production and the history of Maipú.
Combine it with the former Giol Winery, which belongs to the same heritage story, so that the scale of what you see in the museum makes sense against the buildings themselves.
3. Bodega Trapiche
Founded in 1883, Trapiche is one of the historic institutions of Argentine winemaking and offers winery visits, tastings and gastronomic experiences. It is a natural first stop for anyone wanting to understand the department's wine tradition at its most established.
Book your visit and any dining in advance, and arrange a safe way to return if you are tasting.
4. Bodega Santa Julia
The Maipú winery of Familia Zuccardi combines wine and olive-oil production with hospitality and gastronomic experiences. It is a good choice if you want wine and olive oil in the same visit rather than treating them as separate outings.
Reserve ahead, as winery dining experiences in Maipú often require advance booking.
5. Bodegas López
A family-owned winery founded in 1898 that remains in the hands of the founding family, Bodegas López offers guided visits, tastings and gastronomic experiences. The continuity of ownership gives the visit a different character from the larger historic institutions.
It sits in General Gutiérrez, so plan it as part of a route through that side of the department rather than squeezing it between stops in Coquimbito.
6. Casa Vigil
In Chachingo, Cruz de Piedra, this winery and restaurant was created by winemaker Alejandro Vigil and his family. The experience combines wine, gastronomy, art and literature, inspired by Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.
This is a dining destination as much as a winery, so treat it as a meal with tastings rather than a quick cellar stop, and reserve in advance.
7. Former Giol Winery
The former Giol Winery is part of Maipú's industrial and wine heritage. The company established by Juan Giol and Bautista Gargantini reached an extraordinary scale in the early twentieth century. Among its best-known historic objects is a 75,000-litre wine vat that received first prize as the world's largest wine vessel in 1910.
Visit it alongside the Museo Nacional del Vino y la Vendimia, since the complex and the museum tell the same story of the scale Maipú's wine industry reached.
8. Cycling the wine region
Exploring the wineries by bicycle is a common tourist activity in Maipú's wine region. It lets you combine wineries, vineyards, olive groves and restaurants while giving you more flexibility over your route. Several companies rent bicycles and provide maps, route advice, self-guided itineraries or guided tours; Maipu Bikes, based in Coquimbito, offers bicycle rental and routes through the wine region.
Before setting out, check the distances, winery opening hours and reservation requirements. If you are tasting, do not drive afterwards.
9. Organised wine excursions
Organised excursions can combine several wineries while taking care of transportation and reservations. They are a practical option if you would rather have a planned itinerary than assemble one yourself.
This is the simplest way to taste across several producers without worrying about how to get back.
10. Olive growing experiences
Maipú has a long tradition of olive growing, and some olive-oil producers offer visits, tastings and regional products. Some tourism experiences combine wine and olive oil in the same itinerary.
Look for a combined wine-and-olive-oil itinerary if you want to cover both in one outing.
11. Plaza 12 de Febrero
Also known as Plaza Principal, at Pres. Sarmiento 2760, this is Maipú's main square and one of the city's traditional public spaces, with historic and civic buildings in the surrounding area. It is the natural starting point for a look at the town itself before heading out to the vineyards.
Pair it with the Museo Nacional del Vino y la Vendimia, which is close by on Ozamis.
12. Parque Metropolitano Sur
This large public park is used for recreational, sporting and cultural activities and events, and is one of the main green spaces in Maipú. It is worth an hour if you want a break from tasting rooms and cellar tours.
Check the current tourism calendar, as events here vary according to the season.
13. Estación Gutiérrez
A historic railway station and transport hub in the Mendoza metropolitan area. It is a useful orientation point if your route takes you through General Gutiérrez, where Bodegas López is also located.
Combine it with a visit to Bodegas López to make the trip out worthwhile.
14. Museo Solar Histórico Casa de Ozamis
A historic building associated with the early development of Maipú. It adds a layer of local history to a visit otherwise built around wine and food.
Fit it into a morning in the town centre rather than a vineyard day.
15. Museo Nacional Estancia Molina - Casa de las Bóvedas
A historic rural complex associated with the history of Mendoza, located in the countryside of Maipú. It is the furthest-flung of the historic sites and best suited to a day when you have a car.
Pair it with other countryside stops, and arrange a safe way to return if your day includes tastings.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Plaza 12 de Febrero to see the civic heart of Maipú, then walk to the Museo Nacional del Vino y la Vendimia on Ozamis. From there, continue to the former Giol Winery, where the 75,000-litre vat that took first prize as the world's largest wine vessel in 1910 is the highlight.
Afternoon: Move to Coquimbito for Bodega La Rural - Museo del Vino, combining the historic winery with its Wine Museum. If you have booked ahead, follow it with a tasting at Bodega Trapiche or Bodega Santa Julia, or pick up a rental from Maipu Bikes and cover a shorter stretch of the wine region by bicycle.
Evening: Finish with dinner at Casa Vigil in Chachingo, Cruz de Piedra, where wine, gastronomy, art and literature are combined in an experience inspired by Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Reserve in advance, and arrange a safe way to return.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get around Maipú's wineries?
You can join an organised excursion, which combines several wineries and takes care of transportation and reservations, drive yourself, or explore by bicycle. Cycling is a common tourist activity in the wine region, and companies such as Maipu Bikes in Coquimbito rent bicycles and provide maps, route advice, self-guided itineraries or guided tours. If you are tasting, arrange a safe way to return and do not drive after drinking alcohol.
Do you need to book winery visits in advance?
Yes. Winery dining experiences often require advance reservations, and before setting out on any route you should check the distances, winery opening hours and reservation requirements.
Can you combine wine and olive oil in one visit?
Yes. Maipú has a long tradition of olive growing, some olive-oil producers offer visits, tastings and regional products, and some tourism experiences combine wine and olive oil in the same itinerary. Bodega Santa Julia, for example, combines wine and olive-oil production with hospitality and gastronomic experiences.
When are events held in Maipú?
Throughout the year, Maipú hosts activities related to the grape harvest, wine, olive oil, gastronomy, music and local heritage. Events vary according to the season, so check the current tourism calendar before travelling.
Decide how many wineries you want to fit in, book your tastings and your table, and start planning your route through Maipú.