Chilean wine valleys in style

Casitas Lapostolle; luxury in the vineyards

A week touring the Chilean wine routes is a fantastic way to see the countryside, learn a little bit about the Chilean people's culture, try local foods and to drink some very nice wines. Chile is a beautiful, safe country offering high-quality accommodation, food and wines, including a red variety not grown anywhere else in the world, called Carmenere, and also some very impressive white wines.

Vina Perez Cruz, Maipo Valley, Chile

There are a number of influential and important valleys producing wine in Chile, and depending on how much time is available, all are interesting to visit. In 6 days we saw the main wineries in Casablanca, San Antonio, Maipo, Colchagua and Aconcagua valleys as well as some important landmarks, a world-renowned museum and I learnt a HUGE amount (from a fairly low base I'm afraid to admit) about Chilean wines. We chose to travel with a driver, Hugo, (who was also an absolute wealth of information about anything & everything we thought to ask!) and Karen, one of Chile's foremost wine experts and also a consultant to Wines of Chile. I would highly recommend this team as words cannot express how above & beyond they went to ensure we had a trip, truely, of a lifetime.

Carmenere grapes, Colchagua Valley, Chile

Fresh, delicious local foods included salmon, trout, ceviche (fish 'cooked' in lemon & lime juices and some spices), humitas and tamales (corn-based dishes), plenty of red meat, empanadas and very importantly; pisco sours - an alcoholic and very delicious drink!

Biodynamic Emiliana vineyard

Red varieties, especially Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon, are very popular in Chile but for us it was the white varietals - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Gris - that really impressed. Very different in style from Australian & NZ wines, they were 'minerally', linear, elegant wines with nice fruit & excellent balance. It was a treat to try these wines and I could easily see how Casa Marin (in San Antonio Valley) won the best Savignon Blanc in the world in 2010.

Carmenere was brought to Chile from France pre-phylloxera mistakenly as Merlot; it has since flourished and become something of a national grape for Chile (although Cab Sav is arguably the most popular locally) as it is now the only country in which the variety is produced. Low in acid, the wines made from Carmenere are deep, rich coloured with velvety, chocolate nuances and fragrant aromas. It is very late ripening, with the leaves turning a brilliant red in autumn. There are some excellent examples made and they are truely world-beating wines; Clos Apalta from Lapostolle as an example (it is a blend but Carmenere is the prime varietal)

Vina Montes, Colchagua Valley, Chile

Vina Errazuriz, Aconcagua Valley

 While international tourism to Chile's wine regions is really in its infancy, the quality and striking architecture of the wineries made us think a little of Margaret River on steroids - several have been designed by world-renowned architects, all that we visited had beautiful (often breathtaking) grounds and views, and some also have excellent restaurants and accommodation options; one or more certainly to suit even the most extravagant budget. The valleys are beautiful and there is a lot of history that can be soaked up simply by visiting the country and visiting the local towns and vineyards.    

For more information on visiting Chile and/or its wine regions, please email me at: info@travelapasionado.com.au     
www.travelapasionado.com.au