Winery in Chile

[Marie-Claude]

This will be our second cruise in South America. On our first cruise we visited Concha y Toro Winery and while it was interesting, I found it to be very commercial...

 

This time I would like to find a smaller, more quaint vineyard to visit on the way to Valparaiso. Any recommendations of vineyard that are not necessarily on the high touristic route?

 

THanks!!

 

MC

[pmacher61]

This will be our second cruise in South America. On our first cruise we visited Concha y Toro Winery and while it was interesting, I found it to be very commercial...

 

This time I would like to find a smaller, more quaint vineyard to visit on the way to Valparaiso. Any recommendations of vineyard that are not necessarily on the high touristic route?

 

THanks!!

 

MC

VZ or Varanzella I believe . Not sure about spelling . Might try a search .

[1982CruzStart]

We went to casa de Bosque and Emiliana and enjoyed both very much. At Casa we did a tour and tasting and it was very good. They have a beautiful private tasting room where you sit down at a large table and a staff member does an informative and interesting presentation while tasting very good wines. We purchased a few bottles to take on board. We really enjoyed Emiliana as well, purchasing a couple of bottles as well. I recommend both and they are right along the highway to Valparaiso.

[greatam]

For what I truly believe is a spectacular winery, a great hotel and restaurant and some activities that very few other wineries have, try Casa de Silva. http://www.casasilva.cl/

 

This hotel is on the Ruta del Vino (route of the vine) in the Colchauga Valley. Winery after winery in the area and there is also the wine train (although it has been running VERY sporadically since the earthquake).

 

If you have the time, spend the night at Casa Silva. Taking a carriage ride in a horse drawn carriage with white horses makes you feel like a Princess. They also have polo which few Americans have ever seen and they very often have a guacho type rodeo.

 

I used to book this hotel through KiwiCollection. http://www.kiwicollection.com/

Saved a few dollars, got a free bottle of wine and a few other perks. The hotel was damaged during the 2010 earthquake and Kiwi Collection does not have it listed on their website now. But I am going to call them, as I need to be in Chile for business in November, to see if they have bookings available.

 

You can drive yourself to all of these wineries with a one way car rental from Santiago and then continue on to your cruise. If you can drive in the California wine country, you can drive in Chile. The roads are very good, signage is good and someone, someplace always speaks enough English to help. Only thing to remember-DO NOT try to use US dollars on the Chilean toll roads. NOT allowed. And you may feel like a prisoner while they are trying to make change (this is not something normal for them, they put you in a little room while they try to figure it out-just another odd adventure I have had in my travels)

 

Rosselot rents one way cars from SCL to their office in either Vina or Valparaiso. I use the Vina office. http://www.rosselot.cl/en/rent-a-car/

 

Enjoy!!!!

[4774Papa]

We did casa de Bosque and loved the place and the wine. We now drink the wine back home.

[Marie-Claude]

Emiliana and Casa de Bosque were the 2 recommended by the company I'm dealing with right now - hence my fear of being too commercial, but from what I read from everyone is that the experience was good.

 

Emiliana is also a bio-dynamic vineyard which is quite interesting in itself.

 

Thanks for the tips!

MC