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| Chilean Wine Fanatic's Tour |
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In Chile:
Phone: (56) 2 244 2750
Fax: (56) 2 244 2749
In the U.S.:
802 904 6798
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This tour is for those ‘loco’ for ‘vino’ that jut can’t get enough of the stuff! Maybe you’ve already traveled to famous wine regions in France, Italy, or California, and are looking for more. Maybe you want to visit some “new world” wine country firsthand and see what all the hype’s about. Maybe you have just always wanted to experience Latin America and can finally indulge your curiosity while tasting some amazing food and wine. Whatever the reason, this tour may just be for you! We will pack in lots of visits to Chile’s top vineyards – from the ultra-modern & cutting edge, to the family owned garage boutiques, to the centuries-old traditional classics – we will only visit and taste the best! You will leave with a full understanding of Chile’s diverse wine regions and most important wineries. All lodging has been reserved at quaint, top-quality lodges, restored mansions, and boutique hotels. And then of course, all included meals are top-notch and are paired with quality wine selections.
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"...the winery selections were the key to our trip's success."
Austin George, Trip Leader, Chile & Argentina Wine Tour 2006
International Wine & Food Society of Baltimore
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Departure Dates:
February 10, 2008, March 20, 2008
Price Per Person:
$3,850 double occupancy, $720 single supplement
Minimum group sized required
Price Includes:
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- Welcome dinner and Chilean wine tasting hosted by our professional sommelier
- Vists to 21 top Chilean wineries with tastings
- Professional English speaking guide
- All lodging and ground transport
- Breakfast and lunch days 2-9
- Five gourmet dinners
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| Chilean Wine Fantatic's Tour - Itinerary |
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Day 1 - Santiago – Intro to Chilean wine. Your Santiago Adventures representative will meet you at the Santiago International Airport upon your arrival. Our tour begins with an afternoon departure from the hotel to see the city of Santiago. We will visit the most important sites of the city including the historic downtown area and the traditional food markets including the Mercado Central, Santiago’s most important fish market, and the nearby La Vega vegetable and flower market.
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Our tour will end at a local boutique wine shop where we will enjoy a special Chilean wine tasting hosted by a local sommelier. We will learn important information about the Chilean wine regions and enjoy several wines representing the different regions and varieties.
Tonight we will have a special dinner at one of Santiago’s top restaurants Astrid & Gaston. Owned and run by a Peruvian couple the menu highlights Chilean seafood and adventurous fusion options. It has an elegant atmosphere and a great Chilean wine list.
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Day 2 – Maipo – Classic Wine Country. The Maipo Valley, the oldest and most famous of Chile’s wine valleys, is home to many of Chile’s famous wineries such as Concha y Toro, Cousino Macul and Santa Rita and the valley is also famous for its Cabernet Sauvignons. In the town of Pirque is Concha y Toro, the largest wine producer in South America. Here we will have a private tour of the facilities followed by a private tasting led by the Concha y Toro sommelier. The tasting will include their premium chardonnay – Amelia and their premium cabernet sauvignon – Don Melchor. Our second visit will be to Chile’s top premium wine producer, Almaviva, a joint venture between Concha y Toro and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The Bordeaux-style assemblage is the first wine in Chile to receive an “Excellent” rating from Wine Spectator (Almaviva 2001 – 95 points). The visit and tasting is topped off with a gourmet lunch in their gardens.
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Day 3 – Maipo – Classic Wine Country. The Maipo Valley has seen a growth in new boutique wineries which will be the focus of today’s visits. First though, we will stop in to Nadalie Chile, a cooperage, and learn about the barrel making process and its importance in fine wine production. We will then drive into the Maipo Alto region along the Andean foothills arriving at Perez Cruz, the producer of five award winning wines including Malbec and Syrah. Next we will visit Antiyal where winemaker Álvaro Espinoza’s celebrated namesake wine Antiyal is often referred to as Chile’s first “garage wine.” Here we will learn about the bio-dynamic winemaking process from Alvaro’s charming wife Mariana. Finally we will visit Haras de Pirque, a winery that combines the Chilean aristocratic tradition of horse racing with fine wine. Here they have an equestrian center that breeds and trains race horses alongside their horseshoe-shaped winery producing award-winning wines. Their 2001 Albis was named one of the world’s top 100 wines of 2005 and is a partnership of Eduardo Matte and Piero Antinori of Italy. We’ll have lunch at the winery.
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Day 4 – Aconcagua – In the Shadow of the Andes. An hour north of Santiago is the Aconcagua Valley and on a clear you can see the stunning peak of Aconcagua (actually located across the border in Argentina) which gives the river and valley its name. At 22,800 feet, it is the highest peak in the Americas. Our first visit is to Von Siebenthal, a boutique winery producing only 4 wines, 1 silver and 3 gold medal winners at the Brussels Wine Expo in 2004 including their Premium Montelig which won best red wine in the world at the Expo. Next we will visit Errazuriz Winery, once the largest wine producer in the world, they now hold the title of most beautiful winery in Chile. A special tour and tasting await us followed by a delicious lunch.
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Day 5 – Aconcagua – In the Shadow of the Andes. On the east side of the Aconcagua Valley and in the foothills of the Andes is Vina San Esteban, a mid size family winery. The important Guia de Vinos de Chile selected their 2003 Laguna del Inca as one of the top 10 assemblage wines of 2006. We will tour their hillside vineyards, some of the first hillside plantings in Chile, which include some interesting petroglyphs left by the valley’s earliest settlers. Our lunch will be in the warm home of Marcela and Alexis at Casa San Regis a beautifully restored 18th century hacienda.
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Day 6 – Casablanca & San Antonio - Coastal Wine Country. Today we will head west to the Casablanca Valley known for its premium Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines. Our visit today will be to one of the first wineries in the Casablanca Valley and one of our favorites, Villard. Our host, second generation winemaker Charles Villard will share with us their excellent Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs. Our next stop will be right next door at Viña Organica Emiliana a leader in the Chilean organic movement and recognized internationally for their premium wine Coyam. We’ll have lunch in their new restaurant and enjoy the chef’s special creations that pair with VOE wines.
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After lunch we will continue to the San Antonio Valley. This is the closest Chilean valley to the Pacific Ocean and the ocean breezes provide the ideal climate for white varietals. Casa Marin is the story of a dream by Maria Luz Marin, who was named “Business Woman of the Year” in 1998 being the first female winemaker in Chile to have her own winery. She and her husband Andy will share with us the results of her dream. Viña Matetic describes itself as “the future of Chilean wine!” Stunningly modern, this new all-organic winery has named their wine “EQ” which stands for “Equilibrio,” the Spanish word for balance - the harmony of soil, climate and vine.
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"Santiago Adventures provided a trip through Chile's wine country that exceeded our most optimistic expectations in every respect."
Dick West
Reno, Nevada
Seven Day Custom
Wine Tour
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Day 7 – Cachapoal – Brimming with Hidden Wine Gems. Our first stop in this valley one hour south of Santiago is Chateau Los Boldos (“The French Chateau of Chile”) owned by the Massenez family and producers of Eaux de Vie in Alsace, France. Then on to Altair, a partnership between Chile’s second largest winery San Pedro and Chateau Dassault in Saint Emilion, France. Nestled in a remote corner of the Cachapoal Valley, the winery provides fantastic views of the central valley and a great lunch spot. Heading south another 30 minutes we will arrive at the eastern end of the Colchagua Valley and Casa Silva, the oldest winery in the Colchagua Valley and known for their award winning Carmeneres, the signature grape of Chile.
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Day 8 – Colchagua – Pride of Chile. The Colchagua Valley is emerging as the new king of Chilean reds and today’s winery visits will no doubt demonstrate the quality of new wines coming from Colchagua, particularly of the Carmenere, Syrah and Malbec varieties. Our first stop will be Viu Manent, one of the oldest wineries in the valley and well known for producing one of the best Malbecs in South America. Your visit includes a ride through the vineyards by horse drawn carriage with an overview of the terroir of the Colchagua Valley before sitting down to a light lunch at their patio restaurant. Next, we will visit one of Chile’s most famous wineries, Montes. Aurelio Montes started the winery with three other Chileans in the late 1980s and their success as quality wine producers is now world famous. Their ultra modern winery is well worth a tour. We’ll return to the hotel for some leisure time.
In the early evening we head to Casa Lapostolle, Chile’s only other top Premium wine producer with an ‘excellent’ rating from Wine Spectator. We will visit their brand new, state-of-the-art gravity fed wine cellar Clos de Apalta before a sunset dinner on their terrace with magnificent views over the Colchagua Valley.
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Day 9 – Curico – birthplace of the Chilean wine boom. We continue driving south arriving in the Curico Valley. The valley is home to some of the big names in Chilean wine including San Pedro, the second largest winery in Chile, and Miguel Torres, the famous Spanish winemaker who first introduced modern winemaking techniques to Chile. We will stop in to the Miguel Torres winery for a bit of a history lesson about their arrival in Chile and taste some of their innovative wines. Next, we will visit the small family bodega of Echavarria where meticulous vineyard management and a great winemaker are producing some excellent reds. Finally, we will visit the new Viña Altacima winery. Owner/winemaker Klaus Schröder has been making wine in Chile for over 40 years – previously with wineries such as San Pedro, Santa Rita and Errazuriz. It is a small, modest winery, but very well-designed and producing first-rate results. We will have lunch in the Schröder’s home after the visit.
Our journey through Chile’s wine country has come to an end and we will return to Santiago in the late afternoon for departing flights or other travel arrangements.
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| To make a reservation call in US to 802-904- 6798, us or use our convenient reservation form. |
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