If you're visiting Mendoza and want to go on a wine tour than it is a MUST that you go with Ampora…read more They are professional and knowledgeable. I enjoyed my tour and met some amazing people. I visited 3 wineries on NYE and had the best lunch at the last one. They pick you up and even drop you off. The sprinter vans have fully a/c with complimentary water. Trust me they will pull out all the bells and whistles for you.

Now, just having concluded our wonderful trip to Argentina, I've got a chance to write some reviews…read morethat have been awaiting. Mendoza was our first stop in the country and the Wine tour that Ampora took us on was an amazing way to start! First off our tour host, Belen, was absolutely terrific. She was Informative, knowledgeable, charming and funny - could not have asked for anyone better. Our group was in total 7 people which was ideal. This made our interactions with our guide and the bodega hosts more intimate. Our tour on a rainy Saturday was of the Uco Valley. It was a long drive out (90 minutes each way) there but it was a great way to see a different side of Argentina than just cities. The tour does start early (8:30) and takes all day (6:30 return). The tour van is very comfortable though. There were 3 vineyards (Bodegas) we visited along the way with the final stop also including a gourmet lunch. Bouquet, Solo Contigo and O'Fournier. All 3 bodegas were beautiful. The surprise was the quite modern design of each place. Beautiful. The wines were wonderful and captured the local terroir quite nicely. At the first two stops, the bodegas had set up a beautiful table for us to taste at. It made it so much better than bellying up to a bar. At the last stop, the gourmet lunch was flat out fantastic. 4 courses with a finale of Osso bucco that was fantastic. Finally, we got to tour the O'Fournier barrel room. It had, in years past, won architectural design awards. Once there you can see why. Truly a 5 star adventure!

My partner and I summited Aconcagua on January 5th 2019. It was one of two windows in a 30 day…read moreperiod that folks could summit the mountain. The most important factor in whether or not you summit, will be the weather. The second most important factor will be if you are aligned with an outfitter. Inka was absolutely amazing. I can't remember another time during my travels or while using a service in another country where every person in a large tourism organization was spectacular. First, if you are debating using an outfitter, let me answer that debate for you! Sign up with the mule service with Inka, at the very least. All climbers on the normal route must haul their gear 10 miles and 4K vertical feet from the park entrance to base camp (Mulas). There is no reason to haul the gear yourself. More importantly, when you hire mules through Inka, they give you access to their restrooms, drinking water, and hot water (for rehydrating food or for whatever you need) at Confluencia and Base Camp. This reduces the amount of fuel you have to bring and the trash/human waste you have to carry. It saves you time and stress and feels like a luxury. Furthermore, even if you only hire them for mules, Inka guides and staff will always be there to answer any questions you have on the mountain, relaying vital information on weather conditions, routes, appropriately staking down your tent, etc. They have every service from using Mules to offering meals every day to guides; you can add on whatever you like and they will not pressure you into adding more or less. I can't stress enough how wonderful my experience with Inka was. Carolina, who helps manage the office in Mendoza, coordinated everything and responded to all e-mail questions within one day. She helped us select the services we needed. In addition to mules, we paid them for a half a day's help acquiring our permits, which in hindsight was extremely helpful as the offices are all over town and the effort is time consuming. Rodrigo helped us acquire our permits and drove us around Mendoza to acquire additional provisions (fuel and food). Pocho, helped us correctly organize our loads and made recommendations on what we should take to Confluencia versus send on the mules to Mulas, was also amazing. When we arrived at Confluencia, John/Sean was there to great us and show us around camp. We even received a welcome snack. Veronica assisted us at base camp and greeted us warmly and inquired about our needs/concerns every day. We met Martin at Nido, who gave us pizza he was cooking for himself and gave us weather updates from base camp. Every time we passed Martin on the trail, we were greeted with a booming "Hola, Robert!" The experience with Inka was absolutely wonderful. I am happy to respond to any questions folks have, please feel free to personally message me. I won't be as responsive as Inka is, but if you want to confirm this review is legit or ask any other logistical questions, I am happy to provide help. I have never experienced a travel company so welcoming, generous, and committed to our success. They never tried to up-sell their services (however after watching the ribs' roast at base camp, I wished we had bought some of their meals!). We couldn't have summited without Inka.

Inka is absolutely incredible! Our guide used Inka as our logistics partner and they were so…read morefantastic. Amazing food, clean bathrooms, and impeccable service all the time. On top of that, wifi even up at 14k at base camp! Everyone was so nice from Inka and so helpful, especially when my team had an emergency. Couldn't recommend them more!

Best wine tour in Mendoza!!…read more We strolled by casually without having any advance knowledge of the place. We were looking to book a wine tour to Luján, the competitors a few blocks down didn't have space and was pushing us for a Uco valley tour which we were not interested in. So we accidentally bumped into Stephane and his wife, greeted warmly by their lovely dog after they explained us the basics Stephane asked us only two things "what types of wine did we like, and if we wanted to see the big name wineries or if we wanted to go for more specialized wineries" Stephane is French and a former sommelier who worked for star restaurants in Europe so we just told him (as you normally would in a restaurant) our preferences: Given the fact that we are both relatively experienced and love our burgundy reds with strong full bodied flavors ánd the fact that we had already seen a few big name wineries, we asked for something personalized and exclusive. We told him that we trusted him to come up with a good tour.... And the rest is history my friends! We ended up having a private tour taking us to 3 wineries all producing their own wines with their own grapes two small producers and 1 medium-size producer (but al 3 still super small compared to the monstrous Trapiche and Norton of course) The tour included pickup at the hotel and drop off afterwards and it also included a very nice Argentinian lunch with (of course) excellent empanadas, steak and wine at one of the wineries. We had a wonderful experience with The Tintos and would recommend everyone to go for the private tour with exclusive wineries. The selected wineries prepared everything with all love, care and dedication. A definitive "must book" tour here! You will love it.

When the manager of our hotel in Baraloche heard that we were traveling to Mendoza, the wine…read morecapital of Argentina, she insisted that we book a wine tour with Tintos wine tours. Her recommendation was spot on. Tintos is owned by Stephane Rampon. While our guide was a wonderful woman named Flor, Stephane was in contact with her throughout the tour. There are scores of wineries in Mendoza. However, based on his personal contacts, Stephane structured a tour to three boutique wineries that most tourists would never experience. We not only had a very personalized and detailed tour of the wine making process, we also had the opportunity for wonderful discussions about all aspects of Argentine life, culture and politics. At the three wineries we sampled ten different and very interesting wines. The tour ended with a four course delicious luncheon paired with 4 more wines. Additionally, the proprietor, who was a personal friend of Stephane's, insisted that we try a " surprise wine." Our guide Flor was a delight and the whole experience far surpassed our expectations. Then there was more. During the luncheon we had Flor contact Stephane for a recommendation for dinner. Upon arriving at the restaurant that evening, Stephane was there to greet us. Stephane then recommended a wonderful wine and options for the dinner courses. Stephane is a chef, a wine expert and a world traveler. Visiting with him over dinner produced one of the finest conversations in all my travels. I can't guarantee that Stephane will be there to greet future travelers for dinner. However, I can guarantee that future travelers will be very pleased with any tour booked thru Tintos wine tours.

We had just signed up for this tour for the next day and we were out at one of the handful of…read moreMichelin Star restaurants in Mendoza. They were raving about the tour as they had done one of the tours (different options offered on different days) and they raved about it. They had a different guide, we had Viktor. He was amazing. The tours we took, which were closer to town, all amazing. Our group was a mix of Engish speaking, but also from other countries (a German living in the UK, a Belgian, Canadian and two other couples from the US). We started at Vinca Bandini. What an amazing estate. This was my first experience with Argentinian waters that came from the mountains. Here, water from the Andes were channeled into the Estate. It was also the the first place I saw a parilla. It was a fancy one compared to others I would encounter but since I love grilling over open fire, I was stoked. We did a small tour on golf carts before we started sampling. Our next stop was Bodega Casarena y Vinedos, another amazing place where we drank malbec's and cab's. After that it was time for lunch and we went to Terrazas de los Andes. I've posted the menu along with the four different wines we enjoyed and which they would refill if we found one we enjoy over the other. It was at this location too where I walked around as we waited for lunch and I had a chance to observe workers bringing in giant bins of grapes that would soon become the good stuff. Our final destination was Bodega Alta Vista. This wasn't so much of a tour, but an explanation and a tasting. This room was all class. Glass table top with spitting bowls/sink next to each seat. Honestly, I think any of the tours you take you are going to enjoy it. If you Google map any of these places, you will see that there are other vineyards close by. They are EVERYWHERE. The beauty of this company though is that you they come pick you up (we were at an AirBnB and then drop you off. It was that easy.

We booked this trip through our hotel and it ended up a delightful day. Flor and our driver picked…read moreus up at the exact time prescribed. It was described as a small group activity which it was . Just two other couples joined us. Our first stop was a certified organic producer that was welcoming. After a tour of the facility, we tasted 3 different varietals. One a Merlot, the second a cab franc and the third a delicious Malbec. Excellent descriptions and tasting. The second stop was a delightful small producer and an enjoyable chat with the winemaker in what felt like going to grandmas house. Here we sampled 4 different wines along with a snack of flatbread. These were outstanding for such a small vineyard. Here we bought 2 bottles. Our last stop was an elegant property for our 8 course lunch with wine pairings. Yes 8 courses. Suggestion, go slow or you'll never make it though the meal. All along, Flo helped guide us through all of the tastings and made sure, everything was good with us. I'll attach some photos to give you an idea of our tour. I must say, this was one of the best if not the best wine tour we've ever been on. I hope that says a lot since we live in Northern California and have extensive experience with the wine industry. A few notes...this is an all day tour. We left the hotel at 8:45 and arrived back at 7:00 pm. Flor speaks great English as well as Spanish. No difficulty in communication. Our driver was also very good with our safety in mind always. All said, we highly recommend this tour if you are wine lovers and want a great hostess to guide you along the way. Thanks again Flor for a fantastic time.

The Mendoza city tour is a great way to see the sights of the city and to orient yourself to find…read moremore specific sights to see.

First day of winery tours in Mendoza. We had a private driver and toured 3 wineries…read more The driver picked us up at the Hyatt in the morning. I had requested to taste the best of Mendoza but we did not quite get that. The first winery was a very small enterprise run by a family. They were devoted to making the most of what they had but it was nothing near the best. They had 3 wines each selling for 110 pesos or about $13. Nothing special but they tried hard. The next winery was Mendel and I had bigger expectations. Short tour and very small tasting of a few wines and olive oil. Nothing special at all, very little wine. The 3rd visit was to the winery of Susan Balboa for lunch. The lunch did not go well. We waited an hour for our first bite of food while enjoying our small tasting (half glass) of mass production Crios sold at duty free in large quantities for low prices. After a few hours we made it through lunch that was not great and then were asked if we wanted to pay for a tasting. After spending all day out and drinking very little amount of wine or different wines we said yes. It was only us and another couple. One of the bottles was bad and it took the guide sometime before admitting it and bringing another bottle. The 4 of us decided to purchase and drink a bottle not offered in the tasting and we then started having a good time. The next day I took a group tour with the top rated company and it was so much better. We drank top notch wines, our glasses were never empty and we spent time with the winemakers and proprietors like we were family. It even cost less than Uncorked. Uncorked was a 3 while the other operator was a 5. We went with uncorked for a day due to the private tour but ended up being paired with others at the wineries.

Eric helped me form a spur of the moment trip and was awesome to work with. Gustavo, my driver was…read moreexcellent and incredibly knowledgeable. Great company. I work in sales and I know customer service and this is it.

If you totally winged your vacation to Mendoza like me, and you went to Mendoza mainly for the…read morevineyards, the Vitivinicola Bus is perfect for you. For $800-1200 ARS depending on the day of the week and whether you opt for a full day or half day, this bus picks up and drops off at all the major hotels in downtown Mendoza. And for 3 days in a row, it was right on schedule. That said, it leaves pretty early so I recommend looking at the map and seeing what's within walking distance so you can sleep in a little later. For example, the bus may pick up at your hotel at 8:15, but it will stop at another hotel that's only a few blocks away at 8:45. How is that possible, you may ask? Well, there are 20 pick up and drop off locations, but the general area where the bus picks up and drops off within downtown is pretty small. The bus itself is pretty comfortable, but can get hot if the AC isn't working, as was the case on my third and final day. It didn't help that the bus was progressively getting busier as the week went on. Tuesday was dead. Wednesday the bus was about half full. Thursday about 3/4 full. Some of the more recognized vineyards are weekend stops, but I'm glad I was here during the week to beat the rush. Hugo, the guide, was excellent. Very patient and he customizes your experience for you. One day includes 5-6 vineyards but you tell him which 4-5 you want to go to based on your preference. For example, I'm more of a fan of reds than the bubbly, so I skipped Chandon. If you do the whole day, be prepared to be gone a whole day. As in leaving around 8 in the morning and not getting back until 7 at night. People tend to drag ass from vineyard to vineyard and the more people there are the more you get delayed. It's exhausting, but overall, this bus is a far safer option than driving on your own and far cheaper than hiring a private driver. Also, and most importantly, by virtue of being a passenger on the bus, you get admission to the vineyards. Otherwise, most vineyards require appointments if you want a private tour and tasting. Cash only.

We had the pleasure of spending 3 days with Javier Caruso. He asked well beforehand what my…read morepreferences were in wine and food. I am a big white wine fan but why would you come to Mendoza to drink wine? This was no problem for Javier. Every bodega we went to had whites that were awesome. I am from California so I know a little about wines. And....I started drinking reds again even though they would affect me physically in the past. No, not from drinking too much. The meals that he arranged for us were all better than anything I can get in the San Diego or Orange County area of California. Javier's knowledge of wine is amazing. He will teach you if you desire or just let you enjoy without all the technical information. My wife and I highly recommend Javier Caruso to have an unforgettable experience. I am in the process of planning another visit next year. We are looking forward to visiting Javier again. Thanks Javi!

From the owner: Customized Wine Tours means that every Wine Tour that I organize is according the preferences and…read moreexpectations of every tourist. Private transportation in new and comfortable cars, professional wine tastings and awesome paired lunches. All my expertise as International Somm at your disposal.