My wife and I are going to Chile next April for about 10 days. While it's not the best time of year, it coincides with my wife's spring break at her school. Any way, we're planning on making wine a significant part of our trip. However, what we've read so far in Lonley Planet, etc. seems to indicate that you can't really visit wineries in Chile unless you're part of a tour. I love driving around Washington, Oregon and California stopping by whatever winery suits our fancy and had imagined we could do that in Chile, but it doesn't look like we can. Is this true?

The reason this is a big deal to me is because I shudder every time I'm tasting with my wife or friends at a winery and a massive tour bus pulls up. Ugh. I also want to hit some of the wineries that aren't necessarily on the tourist / beaten path.

Last month's issue of Decanter had a special guide on Chile. I can't remember where I put it but if I find it I'll give it a quick glance and see if it has any info. If you see it in the stores, I think it was the "Decanter awards" issue. The most recent one I got in the mail was the 2004 Bordeaux issue.