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Cepas Touristic Services is one of the many wine, nature, and adventure tourist operators that operate out of Mendoza. They offer half-day, full-day, and multi-day excursions focused around wine, adventure, nature, spa and relaxation, and more. Get a detailed review of one of their less expensive tours below.

Tour Review

About the Tour
This tour included a walk through two different wineries, each with a distinctly different process from the other.

The first was a macro-winery Bodegas Lopez which produces 22 million bottles a year. The second was the Cecchin Family Winery, a small organic vineyard which produces around 85 thousand bottles per year. Both winery tours finished with a tasting of 3 or 4 of their wines. After the wine tours, we went to the Pasarai olive oil factory. The last stop was at the choclateria and liqueur shop, A La Antigua where samples of chocolates, jams, spreads, and liqueurs were available.

We were there in June, when the vines were brown and shriveled up close to their stakes. However, we were still able to see the machinery and processes that go into making the wines of each vineyard. The contrast between a vineyard that produces millions of bottles versus thousands was very interesting. Also, the tour guide at the Cecchin Family Winery really gave a wonderful lesson on the requirements for a wine to be organic and the benefits of organic wines over non-organic wines. You had the opportunity to taste three or four of wines at the end of each tour, all of which may equal about a glass of wine.

The tour of the Pasarai olive oil factory was also insightful, with a friendly tour guide that showed both the old (press) style of olive oil production as well as the new (centrifugal) production method. This section of the tour ended with tastings of bread drenched in olive oil, olive pastes, sundried tomatoes, tomatoe paste, and, for the sweet tooth, chocolate covered raisins, as well as black and golden raisins.

The last section of the tour was my favorite. Al la Antigua is a choclateria and liqueur shop. With a cozy inside the wonderful shop keeper (who spoke just a smattering of English) presented us with many jars of olives and spreads both sweet (dulce de leche with chocolate, coconut, etc) and savory (jalapeno jam, spicy spreads) as well as bits of breads to spread them on. After this tasting, it was on to the liquers, also spread out for everyone to try. Some of the liquors offered included a tabaco infused vodka, banana dulce de leche flavored liqueur, and, interestingly, artisan absinthe made with wormwood found in the Andes.

The Service
Cepas Touristic Services had terrific customer service and gave a wonderful tour, especially for its price. We asked for our reservation change from 3 to 2 people and to change the day of one tour at the last minute, all of which was done promptly and with a friendly "no problem" air. The tour we took, which is described below, is 100 ARG pesos per person, which is about $22-24USD. For a 5 hour tour, this was completely worth it. The staff was always friendly and helpful, the wines were great, and the food tastings were excellent.

Tips
- The food tastings would not be enough for lunch, so eat beforehand.
- The wine tastings would not be enough to get you tipsy, so if that's what you're after, drink beforehand.
- We went in June. However, to see the vines at their best, visit in January or February, just before the March harvest time.

Cepas History & Mission

Cepas Tourist Services was established in 2007 by Sebastian Luna, Pablo Gabrielidis and Juan Raed. All studied hospitality and tourism at the same university then decided to put their skills to work. Their mission statement is as follows:

"Exceed the expectations of our demand, differing from the competition with a personal touch, taking advantage of our strengths and opportunities and improving day by day those weaknesses and threats we face in the market."

Cepas Tours

Cepas Tourist Services has been expanding its offering to travelers since it first opened. A few of their tours are described below:

• Classic
• Mendoza City Tour: A city is made up by its people, people are made up by history, history is made up by sites. Outings: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 4 pm to 7 pm.
• Wineries and Vineyards: This tour will help visitors learn about the irrigation system used in Mendoza and show them around the vineyards. The outing will be crowned by a wine tasting session. Outings: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 pm to 7 pm.
• High Mountain: The historical tour crosses wonderful sceneries: Potrerillos, Picheuta, Penitentes, the beauty of Uspallata and the ancient spirit of Puente del Inca are the destinations reached through Route 7. If weather permits you will reach the Redeemer Christ Statue. Outings: Mondays thru Sundays from 7:30 am to 7pm.
• Wine Tourism
• Wine, Mountains, and Relaxation:Visit to 2 wineries with tasting, lunch at Hotel Termas de Cacheuta (drinks not included, and massage ), spa circuit and modern transport units. Daily outings from 8:30 am to 7 pm.
• Wine and Olive Trees: Visit to 3 wineries including wine-tasting sessions, an olive oil factory, Criollo lunch with varietal wines. Daily outings from 9 am to 6 pm.
• Adventure and Wine: Go for a leisurely horseback ride along the foothills to higher mountains and have a regional breakfast (“mates” and “tortitas”). Afterwards, have a regional lunch at a nearby wine cellar then at the end of the day, visit a winery and learn about wine making process.
• Bike Through Vineyards: Visit Chacras de Coria and two different wineries, taste their outstanding wines, then have a regional lunch at a nearby wine cellar. Outputs/Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9:00 am to 18 pm. (approx.).
• Spa
• Cacheuta baths Water Park: Hot spring hydrotherapy circuit, including sauna at natural hot spring grotto. Finnish and Scottish showers, hot spring relaxation pools, mineral mud therapy, outdoor pools opposite the Mendoza River. Criollo lunch buffet with full vegetarian table, salad table and barbecue with beef, pork and chicken, as well as grilled vegetables. Does not include drinks or massage treatments.
• Potrerillos: This tour includes anti-stress massage with grape pips oil, face treatment of your choice: wine and grape / Malbec and honey / mud and Malbec, lunch (starter, main course and dessert) Not included: Drinks and shuttle.
• Adventure Excursions
• Horseback Riding
• River Rafting
• Trekking (Full & Half Day)
• Rappel and Rock Climbing
• Excursions 4x4
• Paragliding
• Canopy / Zip Lining

Contact

Website
info@cepas.tur.ar
Address: Av. España 1248 1º Piso oficina 2 y 3 - Mendoza - Argentina
Phone: 54 0261 4296492
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