A friend of mine is traveling to Santiago next week. Does anyone have recommendations on wineries to visit?

Everything is a decent drive to get to. I would suggest that your friend sets up a tour with the local buses that specialize in wine tours. We went to Montes and Santa Ema, but both were drives and you must have something arranged. They are not like stateside wineries that you can just drive up to and taste.Cheers! Mike

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Originally posted by gb1:
A friend of mine is traveling to Santiago next week. Does anyone have recommendations on wineries to visit?

I believe your friend might already have traveled... But if anyone needs any advice on wineries near Santiago please let me know. I've already been to Burgundy (France) and Napa (US), but certainly the Colchagua Valley (2hrs from Santiago) was the most amazing wine region I've ever been. Clos Apalta Guest House is a magical place to spend a couple of nights, and just to name some wineries, Clos apalta, Viña Montes, Viu Manent, Casa Silva and Viña Altair are all worth a visit...

Viu Manent's winery tour and lunch was great fun - horse drawn cart around the grounds, tank and bottle tasting, tasty food and very high QPR wines over lunch. Clos Apalta also amazing to look round (but quite limited so make sure you book ahead, we saw people turn up and being turned away). Casa Silva is an old winery and very intimate tour that gives a great contrast. I was so so on Montes after heading there from Clos Apalta. Didn't have time for Altair.

Hello Markintokyo, I am glad you enjoyed Colchagua Valley. I became a big fan of Chile after this trip...

Any updated recommendations for the Colchagua Valley - visiting in December (unfortunately day trip only). Any recommendations for lunch (Viu Manent?).
Many thanks.......

I spent 2 weeks in Chile February 2007 visiting Colchagua, Curico, Casablanca, Maipo, Aconcagua and San Antonio.

Viu Manent has a very nice restaurant but the restaurant in the Hotel Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz is better. Viu Manent is a lovely visit though and the restuarant is in the courtyard where you can enjoy the weather at the time of year you will be there whilst you eat.

If you can, as well as Viu Manent, book an appointment at Clos Apalta and Montgras then that is a fair selection across the price structure of Colchagua wines.

Hotel Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz Colchagua valley is a lovely place to stay: http://www.chile-hotels.com/santcruz.htm

Curico a little further down the Pan American highway is worth a trip. Go to Torres for a great selection of value through premium wines and stand outside the tasting room eating "raw" Vitis Vinifera grapes as used in their wines. This demonstrates the raw material characteristics that turn into our favousite varietals.

If you get the chance also to go to Casablanca, which is totally different, as it's Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc focused.

Errazuriz in Aconcagua is also a lovely trip, great mountain backdrop and an excellent restaurant.

There are many wineries with restaraunts in Chile so you should eat well. The cervice is particularly good.

Hello DSS,
if you are going to Colchagua from Santiago, I strongly recommend a visit to Altair (about 1hr from Santiago, half the way to Colchagua Valley).( http://www.altairwines.com/english/index.php)
To visit you must previously make a reservation - the location is beautiful, the winery is very modern with impressive architecture, the room where the wine is produced is the cleanest I've ever seen, and the wine (Altair) is great!
After that you can have lunch at Casa Silva (more old fashioned and traditional winery, 30 min from Altair, also on the way between Santiago and Colchagua)- very good restaurant where you eat overlooking the barrels (http://www.casasilva.cl/).
Then, when you arrive at Colchagua Valley, I suggest you visit Viña Montes, Clos Apalta, and if you have time Viu Manent (Viu Manent has also a good restaurant where you eat at the garden - beautiful!)
But if you can arrange 1 night there you HAVE to spend the night at Clos Apalta - it's the best place I've been! Wonderful! If you can't spend the night, at least ask to see the rooms - 4 cottages on the mountain with a great view of the vines...
Anyway, Colchagua Valley is a wonderful place and you just can't go wrong - enjoy!!

I must admit you can't go wrong with Marcelo's recommendations. That pretty much mirrors exactly the trip I took, with the exception that I ate at Viu Manent and just visited Casa Silva. One additional suggestion to mention: Clos Apalta also do a few different wine tour and lunch plan combinations - with either their estate wines or with Clos Apalta (obviously costing more). I gather it's an all you can drink deal. That might also prove extremely tempting!