After a late dinner at Chama Santuario — a culinary gem located a few blocks from our lodging at Hotel Royal Princess Gold — hosted by members of the Zuccardi family and team, our group retired for the night, anticipation building for the next day’s adventure.

Morning would take us to Zuccardi Valle de Uco, a vineyard that seamlessly weaves together three generations of family, united by a shared passion for vinification.

After an almost two-hour trek, we arrived at Paraje Altamira, within the San Carlos district of the Uco Valley, where the vineyards stretch towards the base of the majestic Andes Mountains — a dramatic, almost otherworldly setting that hinted at the depth and character of the wines to come.

Day two allowed us to delve further into the storied history: We learned more about Julia, the only daughter of Bodega Familia Zuccardi Director José Alberto Zuccardi, and the inspiration behind the name of the vineyard we had explored the day before. As head of hospitality at both Bodega Santa Julia and Bodega Zuccardi Valle de Uco, her presence is felt in every thoughtful detail — and her warm welcome on our arrival set the tone for the day.

Bodega Familia Zuccardi Regional Export Manager for Latin America & the Caribbean, Agustín Guevara — now a familiar and reassuring face from our day one excursions — rejoined the group and introduced us in short order to agronomic engineer Fichi Rodríguez. Passionate and deeply knowledgeable, Rodríguez guided us into the heart of the vineyard’s identity, breaking down the nuances of climate and soil that define the wines.

What followed was more than a lesson — it was an immersion. Walking through the vineyard, we felt the crunch of leaves underfoot and the characteristically stony, calcareous soils, seeing first-hand how the rugged terrain shapes both vine and vintage, and gaining a deeper appreciation for the precision and care behind every bottle of wine produced here.

Zuccardi Valle de Uco (Piedra Infinita) was our next stop, an architectural tribute to the Andes Mountains, designed to complement rather than compete. Built using materials drawn directly from the land — stones from Finca Piedra Infinita, along with water and sand from the nearby Tunuyán River — the structure felt as though it always belonged there.

An arresting expanse of concrete both inside and out, the building is as much a sculpture as it is a winery, with every element— from its textured stone walls to the vessels used for fermentation and ageing — echoing the rugged beauty of the terroir.

Inside, we paused at the barrel room and the family wine cellar, a living archive housing bottles of every wine produced since 1997, before settling in for a curated tasting led by Eduardo Tonelli.

Lunch at Piedra Infinita unfolded as a refined, multi-course experience rooted in regional ingredients, each dish offering a delicate, gourmet expression of place. Thoughtfully paired with wines from Zuccardi Valle de Uco, the meal became more than sustenance, it was a continuation of the story in liquid flavour and form, and a fitting culmination to a day steeped in heritage, innovation, and a profound sense of place.

By day two, the ritual was set: A group photo by the vineyard’s signage had become tradition. Framed by the Andes and the soft glow of Mendoza’s autumn light, Bodega Familia Zuccardi Regional Export Manager for Latin America & the Caribbean Agustín Guevara (right) joined (from left) Grace Foods Regional Sales Manager Matthew Allen; Harbour Wines & Spirits Sip to Win a Trip to Mendoza, Argentina competition winners Dwight Norman and Shaun Akinsola; Harbour Wines and Spirits Commercial Manager Dr Debbian Spence-Minott; wine enthusiast Kimberley Stiff; and Trio Wine Bar co-principal Carlos Max Brown for the now-anticipated photo op. (Photo: Alayne Richards)

Harbour Wines and Spirits Commercial Manager Dr Debbian Spence-Minott and wine enthusiast Kimberley Stiff (foreground) inspect the leaves on the vines.Alayne Richards

Agronomic engineer Fichi Rodriquez explained why the soils of the Uco Valley are usually very complex and heterogeneous. Alayne Richards

Head of Hospitality Julia Zuccardi left) welcomed Harbour Wines & Spirits Commercial Manager Dr Debbian Spence-Minott to her family’s iconic and accoladed Zuccardi winery in Argentina..

From left: Matthew Allen, Kimberley Stiff, Dwight Norman, Dr Debbian Spence-Minott, Carlos Max-Brown, and Shaun Akinsola gathered in the barrel cellar.Alayne Richards

Eduardo Tonelli poured Zuccardi Q Chardonnay 2025 for Harbour Wines & Spirits Commercial Manager Dr Debbian Spence-Minott.Alayne Richards

Mendoza is undeniably the heart of Argentine red wine, and wine enthusiast Kimberley Stiff found a favourite with the Zuccardi Q Malbec 2024Alayne Richards

A perfect pour of Concreto Malbec 2023, a Uco Valley Malbec that offers the pure fruit character of the variety and the freshness of high-altitude vineyards in the Paraje Altamira. (Photo: Alayne Richards)

Harbour Wines & Spirits Sip To Win A Trip To Mendoza Argentina competition winner Shaun Akinsola (left) and Trio Wine Bar co-principal Carlos Max Brown savoured the flight of Zuccardi Valle De Uco Viticulturist Wines.(Photo: Alayne Richards)

The Viticulturist Wine flight began with a fresh pour of Emma Zuccardi Bonarda 2023.(Photo: Alayne Richards)

Zuccardi Serie A Torrontés 2025.

Finca Los Membrillos Cabernet Sauvignon 2020.

Concreto Malbec 2023.