Trips · Itinerary Nº 4
Chile: wine an hour from Santiago
No country makes it easier: the wineries sit right next to the capital, tours leave every day and you can taste historic Carménère between the city tour and the flight home.
See this region on the Trips map
Three valleys, three ideas
- Maipo (30–60 min from Santiago): the historic valley of Chilean Cabernet. Big houses set up to receive visitors every day: the easiest way into South American wine.
- Casablanca (1h, on the way to Valparaíso): cold Pacific fog, electric whites and Pinot Noir. Stop on the way between Santiago and the coast and the itinerary plans itself.
- Colchagua (2h30): for anyone with a full day: the boutique valley of powerful reds, with Apalta at its heart.
The grape that came back from the dead
Chile is the home of Carménère, a Bordeaux grape thought to have been wiped out by phylloxera and rediscovered in 1994 in a Chilean vineyard. It spent a century pretending to be Merlot. Try one where it was reborn: it’s liquid history.
Ways in
In the Maipo, Concha y Toro (with the famous “Casillero del Diablo” cellar) and Santa Rita (a heritage-listed historic park); in Casablanca, Casas del Bosque; in Colchagua, Montes (barrels resting to the sound of Gregorian chant — seriously). By valley, not by ranking; nobody paid.
When to go
Harvest runs from February to April. But Chile is the “any season” destination: the big houses welcome visitors all year, with simple online booking.
Tips from someone who already made the mistakes for you
- No car? No drama: daily tours leave Santiago for every valley; it’s the easiest destination for anyone who doesn’t want to drive.
- Casablanca + Valparaíso on the same day is the perfect combo: a cold glass at noon, colorful hills in the afternoon.
- Buy at the bodega: limited-export labels don’t make it to Brazil, and your suitcase holds more bottles than you’d think (well wrapped).
Wineries to visit
Stated criteria: well-known houses, open to visitors and with an official site to book directly, in alphabetical order, because a list here isn’t a ranking. None of them paid to be here; prices and hours change, so confirm when you book.