Maipú is the wine district closest to Mendoza city — barely 15 kilometres east — and the easiest to reach independently. Unlike Luján de Cuyo or the Uco Valley, the terrain around the Maipú bodegas is flat enough to cycle comfortably between estates, and several rental shops near the Maipú bus terminal will equip you for a day on two wheels.
The cycling wine tour is one of Mendoza's signature activities: rent a bike in the morning, visit three or four bodegas at your own pace, eat lunch among the vines, and return the bike before dark. The roads are quiet enough for inexperienced cyclists and the distances between bodegas short enough that the wine consumed en route is unlikely to cause serious navigational problems. Local bike hire includes a suggested route and a list of participating bodegas.
The wines of Maipú are broadly similar in style to the wider Mendoza region — Malbec-dominant, with some Bonarda and Cabernet — though the lower elevation compared to Luján de Cuyo gives the wines a slightly different character. A handful of bodegas also produce brandy and pisco, which are worth trying even if you came for the Malbec.