by Wendy Fougner
Chile is fascinating nation, characterized by diverse and
beautiful landscapes, warm friendly people and world-class wine. Over the
years, Bruce and I have traveled to Chile multiple times. Several years ago
Bruce and I rented a car and drove from Macchu Pichu in Peru to Chile’s
capital, Santiago. This year we had the pleasure of visiting Chile once again
on a cruise from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. One of the highlights of our most
recent visit was a day tour exploring three fantastic wineries around Santiago.
There are numerous wineries in the region surrounding
Santiago and Valparaiso, so we decided to embark on a wine tour on our last day
in Santiago. We checked out of our hotel in the morning and a driver picked us
up to take us on a private tour. Each winery we visited was beautiful and had
it’s own unique feel and varietals of wine.
Like the wineries in BC, the wineries in Chile offer tours
and have different prices for the number of wines you taste. We found that each
winery was quite generous with the portions at the tastings. One winery we
visited offered a lovely assortment of different bites to cleanse the pallet,
including strawberries, coffee beans and breadsticks. Overall, the wines were
lovely and I particularly enjoyed some of the different white varietals.
In addition to tasting amazing wines, the setting of each of
the wineries made our wine tour experience in Chile very special.To get to one
winery we traveled down a dirt row lined by lush olive trees. The property was
so calm and peaceful, it was lovely. Another winery was further out of town and
closer to the ocean. Apparently the mist from the ocean gives an interesting
taste to the grapes. The main building at this winery is quite a site, with
massive doors and beautiful rock structures. This winery also has a hotel that
is completely sustainable, as they grow their own produce.
Our experience touring wineries in Chile was absolutely
fantastic. All of the staff at the wineries spoke impeccable English and there
were no issues with communication. Whether you spend a day touring wineries in
Chile or spend your entire trip exploring the country’s wine regions, this
experience is a must when in Chile.
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