By the Best Mountain Hotels editorial team ·
Cavas Wine Lodge is one of the great vineyard hotels of the world: a cluster of adobe villas scattered through Malbec vineyards in Alto Agrelo, south of Mendoza, with the snow-capped Andes rising behind. Each villa has its own terrace and plunge pool, there is a spa specialising in vinotherapy, and the cellar showcases the wines of Argentina's most famous wine region. It is a member of Relais & Châteaux.
Cavas Wine Lodge is one of the great vineyard hotels of the world: a cluster of adobe villas scattered through Malbec vineyards in Alto Agrelo, south of Mendoza, with the snow-capped Andes rising behind. Each villa has its own terrace and plunge pool, there is a spa specialising in vinotherapy, and the cellar showcases the wines of Argentina's most famous wine region. It is a member of Relais & Châteaux.
Location: Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is Argentina's wine capital, a sunny city at the foot of the Andes, and its vineyards, among the highest in the world, produce the country's celebrated Malbec. Cavas stands in Alto Agrelo, in the Luján de Cuyo wine district, about 20 miles south of the city, surrounded by vines with the Andes filling the western horizon. Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside Asia, is a day trip away.
Mendoza's international airport is about 40 minutes' drive away, with connections to Buenos Aires and Santiago.
Villas at Cavas Wine Lodge
The villas are scattered through the vineyards for privacy, built in a Spanish-colonial adobe style with thick walls, terracotta tones and fireplaces. Each one-bedroom villa has a private terrace and plunge pool facing the vines and the mountains, and there are larger villas for families and friends. Interiors are warm and understated, so the vineyard views take centre stage.
Facilities at Cavas Wine Lodge
The restaurant, in the main house, serves seasonal Argentine cooking paired with wines from the lodge's cellar, which holds a carefully chosen collection of Mendoza wines. The spa specialises in vinotherapy, with treatments using grapes and wine from the region.
The lodge arranges tastings at neighbouring wineries, cycling and horse riding through the vineyards, cooking classes and excursions into the Andes, including the high road towards Aconcagua and the Chilean border.
The mountain moment
The defining moment is a glass of Malbec on your terrace at sunset, your feet in the plunge pool, as the snow on the Andes turns pink above the vines.
In the morning, cycle through the vineyards to a neighbouring winery for a tasting, with the mountains glittering in the clear desert light.
Why Cavas Wine Lodge is one of the best mountain hotels
Cavas earns its place for its setting, its privacy and its wine. It is the finest base for exploring Mendoza, combining one of the world's great wine regions with views of the highest mountains in the Americas.
For another wine estate facing the Andes, compare it with VIK Chile. For Patagonia, see Llao Llao in Bariloche and Awasi Patagonia in Chile.
When to go to Cavas Wine Lodge
Mendoza is sunny for most of the year. The grape harvest, from around February to April, is the most exciting time, with the harvest festival, the Fiesta de la Vendimia, in early March. Spring, from September to November, brings blossom and fresh green vines, and autumn, in April and May, turns the vineyards gold. Summer, from December to February, is hot, so the plunge pools come into their own, and winter is cool and clear, with snow on the Andes.
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Questions, answered
- Where is Cavas Wine Lodge?
- Cavas Wine Lodge is in Alto Agrelo, in the Luján de Cuyo wine district, about 20 miles south of Mendoza, Argentina, and around 40 minutes from Mendoza airport.
- Do the villas at Cavas Wine Lodge have pools?
- Yes. Each villa has a private terrace and plunge pool facing the vineyards and the Andes.
- Does Cavas Wine Lodge have a spa?
- Yes. The spa specialises in vinotherapy, with treatments using grapes and wine.
- When is the grape harvest in Mendoza?
- From around February to April, with the harvest festival, the Fiesta de la Vendimia, in early March.
- Can you see the Andes from Cavas Wine Lodge?
- Yes. The villas and vineyards look west to the snow-capped Andes.
