Wineries of Colchagua Valley [Chile]
Wineries of Colchagua Valley [Chile]
One of Chile’s most iconic wine valleys is Colchagua Valley. The wineries of Colchagua Valley are numerous, and, I must admit, Chilean wines are some of the best we’ve tasted in our travels.
Michael and I were staying in Santiago for a few days before embarking on a cruise through Chile, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, and Antarctica. Since I love my wine, I just had to take advantage of the wine tours offered. We booked a tour to Colchagua Valley with Uncorked Tours. The drive through Colchagua Valley reminded me of being back in Tuscany. The scenery was stunning and the grape vines endless!
Colchagua Valley, Chile
The beautiful Colchagua Valley is just about 2 hours south of the city of Santiago, right in the center of Chile. It is known for its bold, full-bodied red wines, such as Malbec, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
COVID TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS FOR CHILE as of May, 2022: Travel is permitted to Chile at this time with restrictions. Check for updates and restrictions for travel to Chile here .
Wineries of Colchagua Valley
Clos Apalta Winery/Lapostolla
The first winery Michael and I visited was Clos Apalta Winery/Lapostolla in the town of Santa Cruz. It was built inside of a mountain much like Palmaz in Napa Valley. We were introduced to our wine guide, Gabby. She took us through the winery showing us the different kinds of barrels the wine is aged in. After touring all 6 levels of the winery, we wound up on the lowest level for our wine tasting experience. The room was beautiful but very cold since you are below ground, so bring light jacket! They lined up several glasses and poured all the different types of wine, and brought us a charcuterie. The wine was delicious, but we did feel a little rushed.
Bring a glass outside to take in some of the most beautiful views in the area. We must have stood there for an hour just overlooking the vineyards with the Andes Mountain Range in the background. The wines were great, but the views were the highlight of this winery! Lapostolla offers a few different tours of the winery.
Vina Neyen
The next winery we stopped in was Neyen. Our guide here was Mitzi, a really sweet girl who was very knowledgeable about her wines. Mitzi walked us out into the vineyards to show us the difference between the Cabernet vine and the Malbec vine. She then brought us into a beautifully rustic room for our wine tasting. Neyen is a much smaller winery, but the wines are better than Lapostolle. This was our favorite winery of the day. Check out the tours of Neyen here.
Vina Montes
One of the best winery tours in the area is at Vina Montes. This one is a little different in that it is completely Vegan, and it is designed with the principals of Feng Shui. It incorporates the latest in winemaking technology without the use of pumps. They let gravity move the grapes to create delicate wines with soft tannins. It’s another beautiful property, and the wines are really special. They offer several different tours, and you can reserve your spot here.
Viu Manent
Our last winery of the day was Viu Manent. Viu Manent was an absolutely beautiful property with horse drawn carriages, a great wine tasting area outside and a cafe on the back patio overlooking the fields of horses and the mountains. It’s absolutely gorgeous, BUT also very touristy. It was definitely aimed more toward tourism than making good wines.
There are a few different tours you can take of the winery and the grounds. They have a patio on which you can sit and enjoy a meal in a really gorgeous setting… the lunch, however, is not very good. After lunch we were brought over to an open building with huge picture windows overlooking stunning scenery. This is where we tasted about 6 wines. I was expecting the best wine of my life because the place was so beautiful. However, the wines were a little disappointing. Still… this is worth a stop just for the scenery alone.
Top Wine Tours for Colchagua Valley
See all Viator tours for Colchagua Valley, Chile.
Annual Food & Wine Festivals
Plan a trip around one of Chile’s annual festivals and events.
Best Time to Visit Colchagua Valley
Chile is in the southern hemisphere, so their summer is the United States’ and Europe’s winter. The best time to visit is from late September through November, or from March through May. This is when the temperatures are the most pleasant, there’s less rain, less crowds, and the flights may even be less. However, we were there in the month of January and we had perfectly beautiful weather the entire time!
Since you’re visiting Colchagua Valley for their wines, you’ll want to plan your visit around their “crush”, their grape harvesting festivals in the months of March through May.
Where to Stay
Michael and I stayed at The Aubrey in Santiago and took a day trip to Colchagua Valley. However, if you want to stay right in the valley, there are more than enough great places to stay.
Lodging is one of the most important aspects of planning a trip. You want to find the right place for the best price. Our favorite resource when we want to rent a home or apartment is VRBO. The search engines we use for making all other reservations for lodging are Booking.com and Agoda. Booking and Agoda really seem to have the best deals on hotels, B&B’s and rental properties, and they will price match! Read more about finding and booking accommodations.
How to Get Here
The best airport to fly into for Colchagua Valley is Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL) in Santiago. The drive from the airport to downtown Santiago is about 10.5 miles. From the airport there are really only two ways to get to the city, by bus or by taxi. Currently, there are no ride-shares in Santiago. See how to get the best deals on flights.
Once you arrive, you can rent a car from AutoEurope to drive yourself to Colchagua Valley, or take one of the tours mentioned above.
DON’T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT , and make sure your passport is up to date! Most countries will not permit you to enter unless your passport has more than six months remaining before it expires. Visas for U.S. citizens are currently not necessary if you’re staying for less than 90 days. Get updates here.
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