The National Grape Harvest Festival is the city of Mendoza’s biggest party of the year, dating to 1936.
Fiesta de la Vendimia events begin in January and February throughout the province and culminates in March, when tens of thousands of visitors come to celebrate and enjoy the local nectar, awakening the normally laid-back northern Argentine city.
The city’s fountains spew out wine-colored water and the city is electric with the jubilance that delicious wine brings, with a party spirit still spilling over from Argentina’s Carnival celebrations, not only in Mendoza but around the country in places like Gualeguaychu.
Aside from an abundance of Malbec, Mendona’s city-wide party features traditional cuisine, folkloric song and dance, and the main event — a beauty contest to select the ‘Queen of Vendimia.’
Wine connoisseurs from around the world and artists from all over South America descend on Mendoza during this time, creating a carnival-like atmosphere in the streets as the worlds of gauchos, international jet setters and Mendocinos (as locals are known) collide.
Activities take place province-wide in the months leading up to the main event.
Each of the 18 regions of Mendoza selects a local contestant for the big beauty pageant at the main event.
Origins of the Vendimia Festival
Celebration of the harvest in Mendoza has come a long way from its puritanical 17th-century roots when wine was mainly utilized for consecration.
Peasants would offer fruit to the deity of the Virgin of Carrodilla, the celestial patron saint of Mendoza’s vineyards.
After the work harvesting was done they were finally able to rest and celebrate.
The more irreverent modern-day celebration goes back to 1936 and has evolved into one of the largest wine festivals in the world.
The Central Act: Folklore Extravaganza
Vendimia’s grand finale starts on Saturday night with a live show and the introduction of pageant contestants in the Greek-style Frank Romero Day amphitheater.
The flashy main event is on Saturday, March 6th this year and repeats for the next two days, when 25,000 spectators fill the theater to see a Mendoza-cum-Las Vegas style performance.
The stage production includes the crowning of the ‘Queen of Vendimia.’
The huge Argentine Folklore production includes the participation of over 1,000 artists.
The extravaganza is followed by a large fireworks display, more wine of course, and live music.
On Sunday, the Queen of Vendimia and other beauty contestants ride along floats in a downtown parade and the local wineries give away free samples to spectators.
The beauty contestant deemed the most beautiful and meritorious among all the contestants representing each region of Mendoza is coronated with a tiara made of grape leaves and vines.
Those who didn’t secure tickets for the big night can watch it all on a big screen set up in downtown Mendoza’s Plaza Italia.
Vendimia is also televised across the country.
When the Vendimia Festival is over the party is not! —
During the second week of March is the Gay Vendimia Festival, which started off as a campy parody, but today draws visitors in its own right.
Both these festivals are very popular so accommodation can be difficult to find at the last minute.
We recommend booking accommodation in advance.
Vendimia
The Vendimia Harvest Festival Returns!
In 2020 the festival was canceled due to the pandemic and in 2021 the festival was online-only.
In 2022, the Vendimia Harvest Festival returned and in 2023 it promises to be better than ever.
Visitors can once again enjoy Mendoza’s pleasant fall temperatures, and beautiful view of the Andes and the big show, all while enjoying the local libations.
How Does Mendoza Celebrate the Grape Harvest?
Mendocinos, as the residents of Mendoza are called, celebrate the Grape Harvest with song, dance, a beauty contest, a huge parade and a flashy final performance.
This year, the final act is titled, ‘Guardian of Eternal Wine.’
What are the origins of Mendoza’s Grape Harvest Festival?
The origins of this festival date back to the 17th century, when it was more of a religious affair.
It became official in 1936 after the Minister of Industry and Public Works in Mendoza decreed it a holiday for the province.
At that time there were many newly landed immigrants working the harvest. Vendimia was intended to celebrate the end of the arduous harvest work, with wine, singing and dancing.
It was also a chance to let the single, lonely immigrant men cast their eyes on the beauty of the Mendocinas (local women) who are considered some of the most beautiful in Argentina.
Where does Vendimia’s Central Act Take Place?
The ‘Acto Central,’ the big event at the Vendimia Festival takes place at Mendoza’s Frank Romero Day Greek Theater, commonly known as the Teatro Griego.
The elaborate spectacle features the coronation of the ‘Queen of Vendimia,’ hundreds of performers, dramatic lighting effects with an explosive fireworks finale.
Isn’t Vendimia’s Beauty Contest Old Fashion?
Yes, the beauty contest aspect of Vendimia is old-fashioned, and that is why the cool kids instead attend Vendimia para Todos.
But originally the Fiesta de Vendimia was organized in a time period when many newly arrived immigrant single men were looking to marry and settle down.
Local young ladies were looking for their future husbands (remember, this was before women could even vote).
There have been debates about the beauty aspect of the contest in recent years.
The municipality of Guaymallén stopped electing an official ‘local queen’ to participate in the province-wide contest in protest.
Some opine that stopping girls who choose to participate in the beauty contest is also chauvinist.
Some are upset that trans women have started to compete.
Many who support the beauty contest say it is no longer just about looks, but also personal merit and values.
They say the Vendimia Queen serves as an informal ambassador for the province.
When is the Vendimia Wine Festival 2025?
February 25 – March 4, 2024
The theme of this year’s show is the ‘Guardian of Eternal Wine’
- March 2: ‘Blessing of the Fruits’ ceremony.
- March 5: Fiesta de la Cosecha — Harvest Festival Official Kickoff Party
- March 7: ‘Vía Blanca de las Reinas‘ — A huge parade for the whole community, highlighting the nominees for Queen of Vendimia
- March 8: (evening) ‘Central Act’ a huge folkloric production with over 1000 participants, the coronation of the ‘Queen of Vendimia,’ ending with fireworks from the nearby Cerro de la Gloria in General San Martin Park. The night Mendoza lets its hair down and imbibes in plenty of the featured products.
- March 9: –‘Central Act 2‘ The second night repeats the same performance as the previous evening with additional visiting national and international artists
This year’s central act is called the Guardiana del vino eterno (Guardian of Eternal Wine), under the general direction of Franco Agüero.
The Central Act will take place on Saturday, March 8, the big night that includes the election and coronation of the new Queen of Vendimia.
On the second night, Sunday, March 9, the show is repeated so everyone gets to see it, with Mendocino musicians and renowned national artists performing.
Tickets are sold exclusively through the digital platform, Entrada Web.
Ticket Prices for Foreign Visitors
Ticket prices for foreigners run from about US$25—$50 (just remove three zeros to get a rough estimate of the price in U.S. dollars).
For the Central Act, ticket prices in Argentina pesos are as follows:
- Malbec section: $50,000
- Cabernet Sauvignon section: $35,000
- Chardonnay section: $32,000
- Tempranillo 2, 3, and 4 sections: $45,000
- Tempranillo 1 and 5 sections: $35,000
- Bonarda section: $32,000
For the Repetition (second night), ticket prices are:
- Malbec section: $40,000
- Cabernet Sauvignon section: $30,000
- Chardonnay section: $28,000
- Tempranillo 2, 3, and 4 sections: $35,000
- Tempranillo 1 and 5 sections: $30,000
- Bonarda section: $28,000
⇒ See all partner tours in Mendoza
→ If you didn’t have enough wine and merriment, check out Mendoza’s Gay Vendimia Festival
Book your lodging in advance if heading to Mendoza during the VENDIMIA because the city fills up.
Due to the Blue Dollar, the most advantageous platform to book a hotel or apartment online is BOOKING.
It tends to be less expensive that Airbnb and unlike other online booking platforms, it allows users to book in advance and pay in cash once you’ve arrived.
Check out these options:
→ Accommodation in Mendoza
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