When the manager of our hotel in Baraloche heard that we were traveling to Mendoza, the wine capital 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. read more