One of the top things on your list when visiting Chile should be to visit a winery. The central region of Chile has a number of wineries and you can even find several in Santiago. Yes, even in this metropolitan city you can find someone of the oldest wineries in the country. We know a thing or two about Chilean wine so we came up with a list of our most special ones near the city!
Emiliana Organic Vineyard
Emiliana owns vineyards all over Chile to grow its grapes; the famous Casablanca, Maipo Valley, Colchagua, Cachapoal and Limarí areas. In total, they have over 1,100 hectares of producing land and sell their organic wines all over the world.
Emiliana is a pioneer in organic and biodynamic winemaking in South America. If you happen to drive through the Casablanca Valley, we recommend to stop at the Emiliana winery and stroll through the fields. They have alpacas, sheep, and chicken, which roam freely. They also sell many homemade products like honey, olive oil, and alpaca wool! A recommendation for a good price-quality wine is the COYAM wine. They also run tours on Saturday. More information on a full day tour from Santiago you can find here.
Attilio & Mochi Winery
Located in the Casablanca Valley, this is a small private winery owned and operated by their Brazilian owners Marcos Attilio and Angela Mochi, a Brazilian couple, who left their home country to build a dream in Casablanca. They craft cool climate and coastal wines that speak to the terroir, wines that received really high ratings from wine critics. Their hands are in every part of the process from vineyard to bottling. The vineyard has 8 different varieties, including the only Grenache in the Valley. This winery is sustainable-focused, eco-minded, and is built based on recycled shipping containers that are used as a barrel and wine cellars. The owners are active members of MOVI – Independent Vinters Movement in Chile. Tours & Visits can only be upon reservation or by booking a tour for a day trip from Santiago.
Tumuñan Vineyard
This is a young winery owned by Will Evelyn, English by origin, who has been living in Chile for a long time. It is an excellent choice to visit this vineyard while staying at its lodge. The Tumuñan vineyard is located in a beautiful setting with a very special terroir. The high altitude allows stronger sunlight, which softens the tannins. The cooler climate also slows done the ripening of the grapes, which creates more complexity.
The owner will be happy to give you a tour and explain all environmental factors that lead to creating a superb wine. From the Lodge, you can also do visit other wineries in the Colchagua Valley and sign up for other activities such as fly-fishing, hiking, or horseback riding. After a day out you can enjoy a swim in the pool or soak in the hot tub in the evening (nights in Chile tend to be cooler).
Check out the Chile Off Track “3 day Wine & Dine” Tour, where you can indulge yourself into the best Chile, has to offer: landscape, wine & food!
Viña Aquitania
This is a special winery located in the middle of the newer suburbs of Santiago, in the neighborhood of Peñalolen. It is located at the foot of the Andes Mountains, in the “Quebrada de Macul” area. This area is known as the “Maipo Alto” area where the poor and rocky soil allows a deep rooting of the vines. Climate is reliable with maximum exposure to the sun and the high altitude and cool climate at night again provide an excellent terroir for the productions of its great wines. The origin of the name refers to an area in France, and actually, the owners are 3 French and one Chilean. The tours at Aquitania are semi-private and often accompanied by Eduardo de Solminihac, son of the Chilean owner. A wine to look out for is the Sol de Sol Chardonnay. The winery is open Monday to Friday, closed over the weekends. For tours with pick up from your hotel in Santiago look here.
Laura Hartwig Winery
A very small Boutique winery in the Colchagua Santa Cruz wine area. The land has been in the family since 1928 and was named after Laura Bisquerrt and Alejandro Hartwig Carto. The land was first used for growing normal crops and also as a dairy farm. In the early 80’s the estate was converted to a small family run winery as a retirement project. Also this winery, like almost all other wineries in Chile, produces high-quality premium wines with the help of the cool climate terroir. The big variations in temperature during the night and day help to compose a special bouquet with intense flavors. Tours run every day of the week, Monday to Sunday. As the Colchagua area deserves some more time to explore most important wineries, we recommend looking into a multi-day trip, such as the 3 Days Wine & Dine Tour, with pick up from your Hotel in Santiago.
Getting thirsty? Find out more about our wine tours here!