This is a sample itinerary

 

Day 1: Arrival Santiago

Arrival at the Santiago International Airport where your English speaking guide will meet and accompany you to the Hotel Orly, a beautifully restored French mansion in the heart of Santiago’s upscale Providencia neighborhood. Later, we will go downtown to the historical sights of the city and enjoy a delicious seafood lunch at the Mercado Central.

Meals: N/A

Hotel: Hotel Orly  

 

Day 2: Maipo/Cachapoal/Colchagua Valleys

Check-out Hotel Orly.

Departing Santiago we will drive south along the foothills of the Andes and stop by some exciting new wineries. First, in the Maipo Valley, the oldest and most well known of Chile’s wine valleys 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 process from Alvaro’s charming wife Mariana before tasting their highly-acclaimed Antiyal and Kuyen wines. Continuing an hour south to the Cachapoal Valley we will visit 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. We will enjoy a traditional Chilean lunch at the local favorite El Encanto. Heading another 30 minutes south we will arrive at the eastern end of the Colchagua Valley. Here, the day will finish with a tour and tasting at Casa Silva, the oldest winery in the Colchagua Valley and known for their award winning Carmeneres, the signature grape of Chile. Unpack your bags and relax as we will be staying at the beautifully restored Casa Silva Hotel for the next three nights.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Hotel: Casa Silva

 

Day 3: Colchagua Valley

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 Vinedos Organicos Emiliana, known locally as “VOE” where Alvaro Espinoza is the consulting winemaker. Organic and heading towards biodynamic farming, this is a very interesting estate to visit, and the wine is exceptional. Next stop, 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 specially prepared lunch. Finally, 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.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Hotel: Casa Silva

 

Day 4: Curico Valley

We continue driving south arriving in the Curico Valley. The Curico 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.

Meals: Breakfas & Lunch

Hotel: Casa Silva

 

Day 5: Maipo/Santiago-Mendoza

Check-out Casa Silva.

We will have a relaxing morning at the hotel before departing for Santiago. Along the way we will stop at Santa Rita where we will enjoy our last meal together in Chile. The Doña Paula restaurant at Santa Rita is a national historic monument and offers a top menu of international cuisine. The tour will end at the airport as we say a final ‘Adios’ to Chile!    

Flight Santiago - Mendoza.

Arrival Mendoza late afternoon. Your English speaking host meets you from the airport/terminal and transfers you to the Park Hyatt Mendoza. After check-in your host is available to go over the itinerary and answer any questions you may have over a coffee (or Argentina´s famous maté). Evening free.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch 

Hotel: Park Hyatt  

 

Day 6: Lújan de Cuyo

We pick you up from your hotel at 8.15am and visit three Premium wineries in the wine growing area of Lújan de Cuyo ( La Primera Zona). This is the home of Malbec and where the most prestigious Argentine wineries are located. We visit the high quality sub-regions of Agrelo and Perdriel, the most expensive vineyard terrain in the country, with the snowcapped Andes in the background. We visit ALTA VISTA a French owned winery specializing in terroir expression. A tour of the winery concludes with a special tasting of their Grande Reserva. Next we visit  ACHAVAL FERRER which produces the high scoring Argentine wine in the Wine Spectator magazine. Here you will taste their Quimara and Altamira wines and conclude with a barrel tasting. Next a visit and tasting session at CARLOS PULENTA, an ultra-modern winery, is complemented by a gourmet lunch in their restaurant  LA BOURGOGNE (sister to the famous restaurant in Buenos Aires of the same name). Lunch includes their Corte B wine.

Meals: Brekfast & Lunch

Hotel: Park Hyatt

 

Day 7: Aconcagua Park & The High Mountains

Check-out Park Hyatt.

Your host picks you up at 9am and you take a very scenic drive to Aconcagua National Park, following a route steeped with history. You follow the old Trans-Andean railway as it climbs through the stunning Uspallata valley, a route known as Seven Tunnels. Just before the Chilean border, you arrive at Aconcagua National Park (and take a small trek to Los Horcones Lake), where the imposing summit of the tallest mountain outside the Himalayas can be viewed. You lunch at Puente del Inca (the Incan Bridge). This is a naturally formed bridge over a steep ravine, around which is a complex of thermal baths. On the return route you pass the picturesque town of Uspallata, before joining the Rio Mendoza which leads you back to Mendoza city. Transfer to Finca Adalgisa.