Chile is synonymous with two things that Brazilians love: snow and wine. And if the wineries that are close to Santiago have already entered the Brazilian tourist map – like Concha y Toro – others, a little further away from the capital, tend to be left out of the travel itinerary. This is the case of the Colchagua Valley, 180 km from Santiago.
And that’s a shame. After all, in addition to having almost three dozen (good) wineries, this region is beautiful enough to make it worth spending a few days there, relaxing with mountains in the background and postcard wineries. The photos don’t let me lie, right?
I was in the Colchagua Valley in March this year, during a six-day trip around the country. We went on the round trip scheme. It’s tiring, but it’s worth it. If you have a driver’s license, it might be a good idea to rent a car, following the Estrada Panamericana Sul. If you decide not to drive, several travel agencies also offer tours there. An alternative is to take the Wine Train, a tourist service that connects Santiago to the Colchagua Valley.
The train was a very popular ride, until the 2010 earthquake disrupted things and closed the lines for almost four years. Reopened at the end of 2014, the Wine Train runs one Saturday a month. The trip takes around three hours and disembarkation is in the city of San Fernando, where vans leave for the region’s wineries. The tour costs 44 dollars. More information on the official website.
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Colchagua Valley: which wineries to visit?
We visited two: Montes and Santa Cruz. I don’t know if the other viñas in the region are more beautiful, but if the standard is simply maintained, then look, you won’t have anything to complain about.
Created in the 1980s, Montes is surrounded by mountains. The tour begins with explanations about the wine-making process, as is standard in wineries, no matter the country. As we were there in March, the vines were full, which made the photos even more beautiful.
We also witnessed the process of separating the grapes, something I didn’t see in any other winery I visited. After the tasting (my favorite part of trips like this), we got into a truck to tour the winery.
I thought Montes was prettier, but you can’t deny that Santa Cruz has its charm: a cable car and a viewpoint. In addition to enjoying the view, there is a museum that tells a little about the history of the region. And there was no shortage of wine tasting, of course.
Viña Santa Cruz is newer, it opened in 2006. They offer six different types of tours, including the harvest tour, which allows visitors to participate in the grape harvest. There is also the Oliva Tour. I didn’t do it, but it looks interesting: visitors can taste the olives and learn a little more about olive oil production.
Are you hungry? In almost all wineries it is possible to have lunch, although we did not eat at any of them. Unless you decide to spend a few days in the Colchagua Valley, it is likely that you will only be able to visit two wineries. If you want more alternatives, the Rota do Vinho project website has a list of several available tours.
*The blogger traveled at the invitation of Valle Nevado
