While not Chile’s oldest wine region – as some authors have claimed – Maipo is certainly among the most traditional. French-inspired vineyards initiated Chile’s second wine boom some 150 years ago and are partially responsible for the valley’s famed Cabernet Sauvignon – still by far the region’s most prized grape – as well as home to some of the finest Carménère.
Tour and wine tasting in the vineyards at Antiyal Winery
Your guide will meet you at your Santiago hotel to begin your tour. You will drive south along the foothills of the Andes and stop by some of the top wineries in the Maipo Valley. Chile’s most traditional wine valley is also one of the most internationally recognized as it is home to such famous wineries as Concha y Toro and Cousiño Macul. Maipo produces many of Chile’s finest red varieties. Maipo is also capturing attention for the exciting new boutique wineries emerging in the region known as the “Alto” Maipo for its vines grown at higher altitude.
Your first stop will be the small boutique winery, Antiyal. One of Chile’s best boutique wineries, Antiyal is the private vineyard of Chile’s most celebrated oenologist and leader in organic viniculture, Álvaro Espinoza. Together with his wife, Mariana Ashton, Espinoza cultivates a ½ hectare of Cabernet Sauvignon which produces about 6,000 bottles per year from his small cellar. Antiyal has been acclaimed by the most prestigious wine magazines in the world and is currently exported to multiple international markets.
Next, you will drive into the Maipo Canyon to visit the Corcoran Gallery Winery, one of Chile’s smallest wineries. Corcoran Gallery is a “garden” winery in the Alto Maipo Valley (DO San Juan de Pirque) which evolved from the owners’ passion to emulate a unique terroir in one’s daily living. Madeline Corcoran and partner/winemaker Javier Rodriquez, have one acre of 40 year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted at an elevation of 1,700ft. The vineyard is 100% organically managed, harvested by hand, and micro-vinified. Here you will spend the afternoon with owners Javier Rodriguez and Madeline Corcoran (her family founded the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, DC) enjoying a gourmet lunch – paired with an unforgettable premium wine – along the river. You will not want to leave!
Meal Included: Lunch
Recommended trip combinations:
Antique grape press at Aquitania Winery
This tour is available Monday thru Friday, all year round.
Price per Person (US$): $458.00
*based on a minimum of 2 travelers
*Prices valid through August 31st, 2015.
Premium tasting at Aquitania Winery
Price Includes:
