We believe in the freedom to explore at your own speed, the flexibility to create an itinerary of your choice, and the ability to uncork as you go. We do not offer pre-set packages and tours. We believe in taking the time to get to know you, your interests, and travel necessities in order to design your ideal trip. With 8 years in the wine industry, we are very knowledgeable of our surrounding wineries and have cultivated exclusive connections in the industry.

We can put you in contact with our famous winemakers, photographers, chefs, and more. Your custom-built itinerary paired with our continual guidance throughout your stay, will guarantee long lasting memories. Travel with a twist...and come Uncork Argentina!

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+ Our Itineraries

Lujan de Cuyo, Pure Pleasure and Personality. Perfect.

We believe this itinerary is rock solid, featuring a group of diverse wineries (shape and size) as well as a welcoming team to introduce you to the lay of the land. Delight in the varied treats from wines to bubbles to chocolate!

We will meet you in the lobby at 8.45 am to welcome you.

At 9 am our driver will pick you up to start a tour to one of the most important wine regions of Argentina.

The first visit is Mendel Winery, where you will enjoy the warm hospitality of a charming boutique winery and estate vineyard. Swirl well crafted Malbecs and Cabernets and learn about the talented winemaking team.

At 11:00 am you'll arrive to Altavista Winery, a centennial building loaded with the latest technology. Wine production continues to increase as this successful start-up diversifies its portfolio. Taste delicious varietals and sip top blends.

At noon, we break out the bubbles. Sip sparkling wine and pair them with five different small plates for a fun and interactive light lunch accompanied by local chef.

Continue your wine experience in a cutting edge family winery, Pulenta Estate, located in Southern Luján de Cuyo. Indulge in a wine and chocolate pairing while learning about the family's vision and love for tinkering with new winemaking gadgets.

Return to your hotel around 5 pm.

We enjoy building fun days in the wine country and can design a perfect day for you. Visit our build it section or ask to book this perfect tour!

US $140, based on a group of 4.

Uco Valley, Rugged Mountains, Asado and Wine.

In addition to wine, Mendoza offers wonderful outdoor recreation in the most scenic sites. This program is ideal for the "foodies" intrigued by the vastness of the Uco Valley wine region while still getting in a good hike in the Andes.

Join two prominent locals, a chef and a sommelier, for a full day Uco Valley experience combining mountain treks and gourmet food. Our chef and host, will meet you at 8 am to take you through a very scenic road to the heart of the Uco Valley. On the way there you will share one of our fondest customs: drinking mate and eating tortitas.

At around 10.30 you will begin walking to a natural water fall in the mountains. The trail you will be taking heads west on the way to Chile. On clear days you will have superb views of the Andes and the chance of admiring the immensity in the company of yourselves only.

For lunch, you will have a mountain asado or gourmet pic nic on the mountain top with wine and homemade bread. After lunch, relax and return to the trail head at your own pace.

Around 4:00 visit an impressively large scale winery in the heart of the Uco Valley. In this private tour, you will learn how Salentein Winery represents the new face of Argentine wine, bring together the expression of the wine, art and culture.

Return to Mendoza City around 7 pm.

+ Testimonials

"Uncorking Argentina is a great tour company. They take into account everything you want to do during your vacation and combine it into one amazing trip."

- Katie Sikoryak, July 2011

"They are very good! Our tour was in Portuguese and I was very comfortable with Javier, the guide. He was very careful and kind! Carolyn and Gilda called me during the day and they were very kind since I made contact until the end of our trip."

- Margaret Toba, July 2011

"I'd recommend Uncorking Argentina to anyone and I'd gladly use their services again. Everyone affiliated with this organization was highly professional and very helpful. Money well spent and fantastic memories created that we'll carry with us always. Can't wait to come back to Argentina and explore some more with them!"

- Jack Safar, May 2011

"Carolyn provides top drawer wineries that provide bilingual tour guides who in turn provide impeccable service and knowledge about their product. Explain what you're looking for - Uncorking does the rest - and they do it so you feel like a King. "

- Robert Burnett, May 2011

"The wine and chocolate pairing was over the top! We had plenty of activities with rafting, zip lining, and fly fishing; plus enough time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery and wineries. Our farm tour on bicycles was also very memorable - we were able to spend a day meeting a number of locals to hear how they live, social and political issues, and some of their fascinating life stories."

- Susie Martin, April 2011

"They were extremely responsive to all emails both before and during the trip. They really listened to all of our requests and ideas and customized a perfect trip for us. The price was also extremely reasonable; would have been difficult to beat the price by booking the items on our own! "

- Mindi Hartman, March 2011

We got a great feel for the region and were well cared for from the composition of the itinerary to our departure. Carolyn and Gilda are patient and knowledgeable. We had a wonderful time touring wineries and horseback riding in the Uco Valley.

- Sally Gallagher, May 2011

"As a savvy wine traveler as I was somewhat reluctant to use a tour service to do Mendoza wine country but Carol Gallagher and her staff were superb. Unlike the other tour groups that forces you to accept their cookie cutter tours or charge exorbitant fees to experience some of the most interesting wineries, Uncorking Argentina truly let me customize the my tour of wineries and helped plan some interesting side trips. If you are seeking a truly memorable time in Mendoza you would do well to use Uncorking Argentina services."

- Nora Driscoll, April 2011

"Just like having family at Mendoza: they really care about you !"

- Sergio Silva (Brazil), April 2011

"This was my second visit to Mendoza and after careful planning I selected Uncorking Argentina for my group this time. Simply the best decision I could make as a traveler. What a service they provide!! Highly recommended."

- Frederico Oliveira (Brazil), March 2011

"Truly, Carolyn & Gilda take pride in their home of Mendoza, and the work that they do. They were responsive, organized, and had fun/different things planned for us. I believe that we saw the best of Mendoza- and we never would have without Uncorking Argentina! Can't say enough about them!"

- Melissa Austin Button, March 2011

"Uncorking Argentina provided an amazing four days for us in Mendoza. We toured the perfect combination of small and large wineries, and met the most wonderful people at each one. Our guides were excellent, and spending time with them was a highlight of our visit."

- K. Withbeck, March 2011

"The last couple of days of a recent Argentinean holiday were spent in Mendoza. Not wanting to waste any time we arranged an airport pickup through Uncorking Argentina, who gave us the option of adding lunch in the vineyards. The lunch and accompanying wines were fantastic and the hosts very informative, set on a beautiful verandah overlooking the Pulenta Estate we almost didn't want to leave. Great introduction to another fantastic part of Argentina."

- Greg Williams, February 2011

"Uncorking Argentina made our trip to Mendoza so easy... Carolyn planned a fabulous trip for myself and three friends. It was a GREAT value for all of the wonderful experiences we had. Wine tours, blendings, lunches, rafting, horseback riding, etc. She picked great places and put together the PERFECT itinerary. I usually don't like pre-set tours because they seem to be overpriced and not necessary but from doing a lot of research prior, this is definitely the way to go in Mendoza!"

- Ruthie Fishman, February 2011

"I cannot imagine travelling to Mendoza and NOT working with Uncorking. Not only is every detail taken care of for you, but we felt like VIPs the entire way. You really get a great value for what you pay - I would have paid double for all of the services. You could tell they wanted us to have a great time and make the trip special - they went above and beyond."

- Sarah Mammina, January 2011

"I just want to thank you so much for making our short time in Mendoza so exciting. From the moment we arrived until we dragged all our stuff onto the plane there was not a moment that we did not marvel at the wine, the food and the kind people you introduced us to. Happy holidays and thank you again. It was magic."

- Renee Behnke, December 2010

"Muchisimas gracias por todo y queria decirte que todos hicisteis un trabajo formidable. Pasamos un tiempo fantastico en Mendoza. La seleccion de las bodegas fue genial, los detalles buenisimos, las recomendaciones para todo muy buenoas y tanto Javier especialmente, Marcela, Enrique y Eduardo hicieron que pasaramos unos dias geniales. Obviamente, os recomendaremos para cualquier persona que quiera visitar Mendoza en un futuro."

- Carles y Kim Quiles, November 2010

"Thank you so much for helping to make our honeymoon so wonderful. We absolutely loved our stay in Mendoza and the various activities you coordinated for us made it so incredible. We also greatly appreciated the fun gifts and surprises throughout our stay!! I am still raving about all of the amazing food and wine we consumed and I am obsessed with Jose and his culinary skills!"

- Michelle & Chris Savino, November 2010

"Carolyn was amazing. She actually listens to what you want and delivers above and beyond service. I have food allergies that she made every stop aware of and seperate things were cooked and planned for me. It is the personal touch that makes this company so special. If you ask anyone working with her about her, they light up! Also, our mountain guide she set up was the sweetest, best guide we could have asked for. . . excellence attracts excellence!"

- Carrie McManus, December 2010

"Uncorking Argentina is a fabulous company that holds your hand through your entire experience from choosing wineries to meeting you upon your arrival. Their drivers are very professional, helpful, and friendly. Listen to their recommendations, they are fool-proof. Finally, the wineries in Mendoza are not to be missed, absolutely outstanding!"

- Emily Regenelli, November 2010

"As we planned our trip, I wanted to piece it together myself rather than waste money on tour groups that were probably overpriced. However, I'd read good reviews of Uncorking Argentina. They were extremely responsive through the planning process. They worked with my schedule as well as budget to come up with a comprehensive package. The best part was how caring and thoughtful they were while we were there! Our flight was cancelled, and Carolyn and Gilda quickly rearranged our itinerary so we wouldn't miss anything. Then Carolyn came by during our stay to meet us in person. All the little touches really made working with them a wonderful experience. I highly recommend!"

- Cathy Becker, October 2010

"Carolyn - Every aspect of the services you provided was first class."

- Robert Maddox, October 2010

Not a day goes by that we don't look back on our experience in Argentina with absolute happiness. It was truly magical and cosmic --as you so aptly phrased it and we owe much of that to you and your special touches. Everything was absolutely perfect and so easy -- and the memories will last a lifetime. We feel so lucky to have met you, Pedro, Gilda, Martine, Silvio, Diego, Max and Carmen.

-Jiri Vala, January 2010

"This email finds me back into full crazy mode of Bs. As. and wanting to be back in Mendoza for sure! What a fantastic trip and a fantastic place!!!! You have our referral for sure! Our trip was perfect and you had so many different needs to accommodate. Please tell Gilda, Norman, Ramon, Tito (all at Argentina Rafting), Christian, Marcela, Eduardo (Jerome brewery) and especially Felipe that we so enjoyed what each of them did for us. You have quite the network of people in Mendoza and Jonathan and I were inspired by the entrepreneurship and innovation."

-Heather Howell, April 2010

Uncorking Argentina planned a great wine touring day for me in Mendoza. Unfortunately, a daylong delay with my US airline connection resulted in my wine touring day needing to be rearranged on very short notice. UA went out of its way to put together an alternative program on a different day, and even assisted me with visiting a winery in Chile on another day so that I wouldn't have any down time upon my belated arrival in South America. The level of service I received in this regard was outstanding (and the alternative program still featured wonderful wineries) and made me thankful that I chose Uncorking Argentina.

-Richard Stockton, January 2010

"Just returned from Mendoza. As an English speaking self-confessed wine geek, I could not give higher praise to Carolyn Gallagher, owner of www.uncorkingargentina.com. I was interested in the wineries that have the involvement of international wine consultants and the itinerary she developed on incredibly short notice was eye-popping. She seems to know everybody and when you are with her the doors to these "appointment only" places fly open. We blended or own cuvee of Malbec at Renaácer. We even visited Viñas Cobos, the producer of arguably Argentina's most coveted (and hard to find or taste) wine. Carolyn is originally from Sacramento, but now lives in Mendoza and trains winery workers in the language of English winery tourism offering courses as well. Carolyn’s knowledge of local history, geography, climate, soil, personalities, cuisine, and the like is encyclopedic. For a geek like me, it was heaven "in the land of Malbec"."

-Pabstravel (TripAdvisor), September 2008

"Que placer el haberte conocido, realmente mejor experiencia que la que vivimos contigo imposible. Mil gracias por todas tus atenciones y puedes tener por seguro que regresamos a conocer nuevas vinas. Nos despedimos por ahora con un gran cariño” “What a pleasure to have met you, really its impossible to top the experience that we lived with you. Many thanks for all your attention and you can be assured that we will return to see the newest vineyards. We say goodbye for now with great love"

-Mary y Carlos, April 2009

"I want to strongly endorse Carolyn Gallagher of "Uncorking Argentina" as the premier culture/wine guide of Mendoza. We just returned from an amazing week in Mendoza during the 2009 Vendimia Festival. If your reason to travel is to connect with locals who will treat you as family and share their passion for the country and region they love, then I hope you will accept our recommendation and contact Carolyn of Uncorking Argentina. We were fortunate to find Uncorking Argentina. Carolyn designed an amazing few days of private wine tours, local restaurants and she personally accompanied us to the festival concert to translate. Carolyn has a unique perspective being an American who has been adopted by the new country that she loves. She was able to get us access to many wineries and events where only the locals would go. I cannot believe that any other guide in Mendoza can offer more benefits to help you enjoy the wine, culture and history of this special place. There are so many wonderful activities in Mendoza. Thanks to Uncorking Argentina and Conalbi Grinberg Casa Vinicola (our accommodation), we have become part of the family and we will be back soon".

Lou Ray (TripAdvisor), April 2009

"We are back in New York and just wanted to thank Carolyn for the very special trip she made for us in Mendoza. All three of us had a wonderful time in that spectacular scenery, meeting locals, touring and tasting wine and, of course, cooking in those charming classes. In particular, the class at Divina Marga on the last day was perfect, including weather, beautiful surroundings, chef Carlos and hostess Mica and the simply delicious food. Drew very much appreciated the birthday cake you arranged for him. Drivers Felipe and Martin and guide Marcela were wonderful and integral parts of the experience. Her choices of vineyards proved exceptional for our tastes.
In short, perfecto. We are anxious to tell our friends about Uncorking Argentina and hope they will come to enjoy Carolyn’s hospitality and the beautiful country. We look forward to returning very soon. "

-Judy, Kim and Drew Davis, March 2009

"We wanted to thank Carolyn again for making our trip so memorable. We truly felt like a “local” during our time in Mendoza. She introduced us to many new friends and we look forward to our return. "

-Louis Ray, March 2009

"Thanks for a great trip. Marcela was great. Whitewater rafting and ziplining was awesome. Just very thankful for Carolyn's assistance in bringing it all together."

- Adam Dumey, March 2009

"Uncorkingargentina.com is run by a transplanted Californian who has a deep knowledge of wine and friends throughout the local wine country—a 'wine educator' whose trips are informative, in depth, and fun. Each tour package is customized, and wine tours can be combined with cooking classes, spa days, and adventure tours. "

-Frommer’s Guide Argentina, First Edition 2007

+ Our Working Style

We view ourselves as contributors who partner with you to enhance the value of your trip.

We listen — getting to know you, your travelling style, and giving you the opportunity to know us.

We learn — understanding your needs and what you're trying to achieve while in Mendoza.

We explore — the most fascinating locals, full of hidden talent, to create unique and rewarding experiences for you.

We put the right team in place — bringing together winemakers, chefs, photographers, naturalists with the appropriate mix of skills and experience — to enhance your visit.

We build — establishing a clear set of parameters and pricing in order to present a final proposal.

Our working style builds the foundation for a satisfying collaboration for everyone involved. We believe it accounts for the warm relationships we've maintained with many of our clients.

+ Our Team

Carolyn Gallagher: Owner/CEO, Guide, Uncorking Argentina

Carolyn Gallagher is a wine educator, language teacher, adventurer and tango dancer who lives in Mendoza with her young family. A native of California, she was trained in Geography and Linguistics at the University of California Santa Barbara. She returns to California often, with an eye out for new food, wine and lifestyle trends.

In Mendoza’s wine industry, Carolyn teaches customized Wine Language English seminars to wine professionals, helping them communicate with a worldwide fan base. Her clients include (EAS) La Escuela Argentina de Sommelier, Wine Institute, and Arrayanes. Her foodie adventures have also led her to help local chefs translate restaurant menus into English. Carolyn is married to Martin Moreno, founder/owner of Argentina Rafting, and still enjoys the rush of whitewater. Between excursions, she tirelessly scouts out the best restaurants, hot springs, galleries and new local bands on the Mendoza scene.

Gilda Fuentes

Gilda is from Cordoba, Argentina, and just like Carolyn, chooses Mendoza as her home. Ten years ago, she received a degree in Tourism and traveled South America working for GAP Adventures as a tour leader. Later, she completed a Masters Degree in Tourism and Hotel Management in Barcelona, Spain and returned to Argentina. Gilda has extensive experience as a concierge and operations coordinator in five stars hotels in Patagonia.

After many years and many miles, Gilda returns to Mendoza, where fond memories of her first job working in a Youth Hostel and old friendships (meeting Carolyn) were strong enough to bring her back.

Gilda enjoys life in Mendoza, because of its weather, its people and its wines!

+ Mission, Vision, Values

MISSION

Uncorking Argentina introduces clients to the magic of Mendoza’s wine country. We tap into our deep roots in the community to create a valued experience for clients, resulting in lifelong memories and relationships. We celebrate the feast of Mendoza’s community, culture, agricultural economy and natural setting, and create a place at the table for our clients.

VISION

Uncorking Argentina promotes a deep pleasure and understanding among visitors to Mendoza, a world wine destination with rich history and culture.

Uncorking Argentina provides new opportunities and exposure for the wealth of local talent, including winemakers, chefs, artists, athletes and entrepreneurs.

Uncorking Argentina brings together people of different backgrounds to share a common admiration for wine & food & adventure & art.

Uncorking Argentina succeeds as a Marketplace leader through dynamic collaboration: stimulating positive cultural and professional exchange with every interaction. Our relationships are what set us apart.

Uncorking Argentina succeeds as a Workplace leader by building a community of exceptional, wine-savvy, bilingual professionals who, individually and collectively, contribute to, and receive from, this fun organization.

VALUES

Integrity: to always conduct oneself with honesty and fairness

Inclusion: to welcome people from all backgrounds in the workplace and community

The grandma rule: to treat everyone the way you would want your grandma to be treated

Be your best: to be the best professionally and personally while enjoying life and having fun

Give back to the community: a portion of every wine tour sale is donated to a charity scholarship program for children of vineyard workers to study English in Tupungato, Uco Valley.