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QUICK FACTS |
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Based
in: Chile
When: All year
Tour:
10 Days
Accommodation:
Hotels
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CHILEAN WINE EXPERIENCE
Chile shares
borders with Peru in the North, Bolivia and Argentina in the East, and is
bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the south and west. It is one of the longest
countires on earth, with a
length of approximately 4,270 km, and an average width of less than
180 km
ITINERARY
Day 1, Sunday:
Santiago
Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by your
wine expert guide and transferred to the Ritz Carlton Hotel. In the
afternoon you will start the exploration of the city at the San Francisco
Church built between 1572 and 1618. Then you will visit the "Club Hípico"
horse-racing track, which is considered one of the most beautiful tracks in
South America, before passing the Palacio de la Moneda, currently seat of
the government and continue on to visit the Plaza de Armas where you will
see important national monuments such as the Cathedral, the Main Post Office
and the City Hall. You will go on to the beautifully landscaped Santa Lucia
Hill where the city was founded in 1541. After crossing the Mapocho River,
you will pass through different residential districts to gain a general
impression of the city. You will enjoy your exclusive dinner at the Ritz
Carlton, not only famous for its excellent cuisine but also for its supreme
selection of fine Chilean wines. While sampling some of Chile's premium
wines, you will be introduced to the Chilean art of winemaking by your wine
expert tour guide. (D)
Day 2,
Monday: Santiago - Tierra y Fuego Vineyards
After breakfast you will be
transferred to Santiago's Airport to board a short flight to
Concepción where the legendary Bio Bio River meets the Pacific
Ocean. Upon arrival at Concepción, your journey continues east
towards Bulnes. Here in the Itata Valley - one of Chile's
southernmost wine growing regions - you will be welcomed at the
first of the many surprising wineries throughout your trip. The
winemakers of the Tierra y Fuego Winery will show you their
facilities and you will participate in a premium wine tasting.
Organic production here include 16 different grapevine stocks; this
allows you to sample the majority of all wines grown in Chile. The
Swiss-owned and award winning Tierra y Fuego is the vineyard that
produces the greatest variety of Chilean wines, it is the only one
that has produced white wines from Malbec and Merlot grapes, they
produce French cask wines of grape and also produce traditional vine
stock such as Carmenère, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel, Semillón,
Hermitage and Gewürztraminer. Lunch and dinner at the winery's
homely restaurant with its exquisite culinary offer. Overnight at
the colonial-style winery. (B,D,L)
Day 3,
Tuesday: Itata Valley - Quinamavida Spa - Gilmore Winery & Vineyards
In the morning you will continue your journey leaving the Itata
Valley to head up north to the distinguished Maule Valley. Before
entering the Maule Region, you will stop for lunch at the
colonialstyle Quinamavida Spa & Resort to enjoy lunch and the hot
springs. Once you arrive at the idyllic Maule River Valley with its
rolling green hills, you will visit one of Chile's prime boutique
vineyards strategically located in the heart of the valley, home to
Chile's most extensive wine growing region. The Gillmore Winery &
Vineyards are a family business created in 1990 by Francisco
Gillmore, in joint venture with his daughter and his son-in-law. The
annual production of the Gilmore vineyard is 25,000 bottles,
consisting exclusively of ultra premium red wines. Wine tasting,
superb meals and overnight in the very exceptional Hotel Tabonkö
that belongs to the vineyard, characterized by its gardens, lagoon,
pool, private zoo, creative architecture and activities being
offered. (B,L,D)
Day 4,
Wednesday: Gillmore Vinery - The Maule Train - Gillmore Vinery
After an early breakfast you will
leave for the nearby train station in Talca. Today you will discover
part of the genuine Chilean country life on board a very remarkable
train ride alongside the beautiful Maule River Valley. The tracks
between Talca and the coastal city of Constitución are some of the
last ones in Chile still used by passenger trains. The laid-back
convoy consisting of the engine and a single car follows the Río
Maule and sometimes stops in the middle of a field to let people get
off and on. It reaches Constitución after 2.5 hours. Upon arrival in
Constitución, you will be driven to the beautiful beach where you
can walk on the black lava sand and appreciate its high imposing
rock cliffs. For lunch, you will enjoy recently caught fish in one
of the small restaurants along the waterfront. After lunch your
vehicle will take you back to Tabonkö Hotel,where you can enjoy the
facilities of the hotel, ride a Chilean horse or relax by the pool.
Dinner and overnight at Tabonkö Hotel. (B,L,D)
Day 5,
Thursday: Gillmore Vinery - Casa Donoso
After breakfast you will visit a very
particular and traditional vineyard. After a short drive you will
meet a unique wine-making artisan who will introduce you to his
age-old means of making a traditional wine. Using ancient tools and
without any kind of technology or artificial ingredients, he
produces excellent wine. It is truly a must-see! You won't find
anything of this kind anywhere else. You then will continue your
trip north on the Maule Wine Route. The vineyards in this area are
experienced in the art of wine growing and making, with a long
winemaking tradition dating back to the times of the Spanish
colonization. Today, this region has over 20,000 hectares / 49.421
acres of wine plantations. You will visit the ancient Hacienda
Huilquilemu with its beautiful gardens and colonial patio, now a
cultural center and museum. Here you will enjoy lunch at the refined
restaurant El Antojo, located near the Casa Donoso Vineyard. This
restaurant specializes in typical Chilean cuisine. After lunch you
continue to the Casa Donoso wine property. The vineyard is
Frenchowned and one of the oldest vineyards in the country; it is
blessed with good lands and produces mainly top-quality red wines
like Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère and some exceptional white
wines - mainly Chardonnay. Once owned by the reputable Donoso
Family, Casa Donoso estate was purchased in 1989 by a group of
French investors who live in Tahiti, French Polynesia, and who were
amongst the first foreign investors to introduce modern technology
to the wine making process in Chile. Sample some of their premium
wines before dinner at the restaurant with its great atmosphere.
Overnight at Casa Donoso's own colonial-style guesthouse right on
the vineyard. (B,L,D)
Day 6,
Friday: Casa Donoso - Casa Silva
Today you will leave the Maule wine
region and continue your wine trip to the celebrated Colchagua Wine
Valley. Traveling up north on the Panamerican Highway, it will take
a little less than 2 hours to arrive at Casa Silva near San Fernando
where Emilio Bouchon arrived from Bordeaux to Chile in 1892. He was
a pioneer of Colchagua Valley and responsible for the planting of
high quality vineyards.
Some of the
vines still in production date back to 1912. Viña Casa Silva has
become widely recognized as one of the most significant producers of
premium wine from Chile. It has won important international
recognitions and over the last few years has been amongst the most
highly awarded Chilean wineries. The wines are hand crafted, highly
personalized and unique in themselves. The family's intimate
knowledge of their land allows for grape separation prior to and
during the harvest. The recognition of even the smallest details
helps produce complex wines of excellent body and color, soft
tannins and pure fruit working in harmony to allow for elegant,
unique terroir wines. At Casa Silva, you will be able to sample some
of their award-winning premium wines. Lunch will be served on the
estate. Enjoy the rest of the day on the idyllic estate with its
colonial ambiance and charm. Dinner and overnight at Casa Silva. (B,L,D)
Day 7,
Saturday: Casa Silva - San Fernando - Tren del Vino - Viu Manent -
Santa Cruz
After breakfast you will continue to
the San Fernando train station to embark on a fantastic trip back in
time. The nostalgic wine train - a steam engine from 1913 - starts
in the city of San Fernando and the trip takes 90 minutes to the
historic town Santa Cruz, passing some of Colcahgua Valley's main
vineyards on the way. During the excursion you will have the
opportunity to taste wines accompanied by abundant appetizers while
a characteristic Chilean folklore singer entertains you with his
songs and poetic compositions. From the Santa Cruz station, where a
folklore group will welcome passengers, you will go on to visit the
first of two exclusive vineyards of the Colchagua Valley. After only
a short ride you will arrive at Viu Manent Vineyard - it played an
important part in the history and tradition of Chilean wines. The
company has been exclusively owned by the family since its
inauguration in1935 and it is famous for its outstanding reds and
enchanting whites. After tasting of some of their premium wines,
lunch will be served at Viu Manent's new restaurant located in an
old colonial construction called "La Llaveria." This restaurant
offers a menu that reflects the exceptional gourmet tradition of the
Colchagua Valley. In creating the menu, these masters of fine
cuisine were inspired to find the best food pairings for the Viu
Manent wines. The restaurant offers a fascinating ambience, with
tables both indoors and outside, and an excellent service to make
your visit an unforgettable experience. Later in the afternoon, you
will visit the Colchagua Museum, which is around the corner of your
hotel. It is the biggest private collection in South America,
exhibiting paleontological, archaeological, pre- Colombian and
colonial Spanish artifacts. Apart from these samples, it includes
thematic pavilions about the modernity, history, and development of
arms, Huaso riding gears, coaches and carriages, agricultural
machinery and pavilions on railways and automobiles. Overnight and
dinner at the colonial-style Hotel Plaza Santa Cruz. (B,L,D)
Day 8,
Sunday: Santa Cruz - Montes - Tarapacá
After breakfast, you will leave for
the reputed Montes Vineyard. After sampling Montes first-rate
premium wines you will explore local flora on the vineyard's estate;
during your hike you will be able to distinguish more than a hundred
varieties of trees, shrubs, and flowers, always accompanied by the
spectacular view of the Colchagua Valley. A delicious lunch will be
served on the vineyards lookout. Your trip then continues up north
on the Panamerican Highway. Close to Santiago, in the Maipo Valley,
you will visit the Tarapacá Vineyard and Winery. The small hotel
with its beautiful park is one of the very special places in Chile.
Viña Tarapacá Ex Zavala S.A. is one of the most traditional and
experienced wineries in Chile. The establishment of the first
vineyards, on the foothills of the renowned Maipo Valley, dates back
to 1874. Today, the winery consists of 850 planted hectares with
fine grape varieties designated to the production of top quality
wines. In recent years, efforts have been focused on establishing
non-traditional varieties, such as Mourvedre, Syrah, Cabernet Franc,
Pinot Noir, Viognier, Malbec, and others, with excellent results, as
the wines themselves prove. First-class wine tasting and dinner at
the vineyard. For the remainder of the day, enjoy the beautiful
setting of the hotel and its facilities. Casa Tarapacá has a
swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, tennis courts, games room and a golf
course. Dinner and overnight at Casa Tarapacá. (B,L,D)
Day 9,
Monday: Tarapacá - Almaviva - Santa Rita
After breakfast visit Almaviva. This is a joint project of Concha y Toro and Baron
Philippe de Rothschild. Following our sampling of this exceptional
wine, we will continue our trip to nearby Casa Real at Santa Rita
Vineyard, on the outskirts of Santiago but still in the Maipo
Valley, world-renowned for its Cabernets. Don Domingo Fernández, a
distinguished politician, founded Viña Santa Rita in 1880 and
promoted the introduction of the finest French vine stocks. Viña
Santa Rita then established itself as a modern wine producing
enterprise. At the same time, it became known as an important
cultural, political, and spiritual center. You will visit the Santa
Rita property and sample some of the premium wines and enjoy a
delicious lunch at the restaurant Doña Paula. Tonight you will stay
at the Casa Real. Built in the 1880s, the Casa Real has been
converted into a luxury country hotel. The large house is kept in a
Pompeian style; combining old and modern features. Tear lamps,
heaters, pictures, tapestry and armoires are combined in a
contemporary decoration, yet the classic style is not abandoned. The
trip made by one of the restorers of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel
from Florence, Italy to recover this temple was not in vain. Here
you will enjoy a delicious farewell dinner prepared by the excellent
chef. (B,L,D)
Day 10,
Tuesday: Santa Rita - Santiago
Time allowing, enjoy the morning at Casa Real at Santa Rita's
Vineyard. Transfer to Santiago (B)
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