Last updated on January 12, 2024.

I thought it would be a good idea to check out the best and most well-known of the wine producing areas in Chile, the Colchagua Valley. Chile has an excellent wine industry, and Chilean wines have been getting noticed more and more the past few years.

 

Tour with Turistik

Getting to some of the wineries in the Colchagua Valley is tricky and time consuming without your own car, so I decided to take a tour with Turistik. The tour (no longer available as of January 2024) included all transportation and the cost of the winery tours. It was very expensive, but still cheaper than renting a car for the day.

The service bus picked me up at 8:30am at Patio Bellavista in Santiago and took me to the actual tour van. We had 10 people on the tour, mostly from Brazil and a few from Australia and Switzerland. It was a good three hour drive before hitting the first vineyard, but we made a pit stop for breakfast halfway there.

 

Viña Montes

Viña Montes was our first stop. We had a great tour with a very funny guide. She first gave us a talk about the history of the winery as we looked over the vineyard from the patio at the main entrance.

Viña Montes in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Viña Montes
Viña Montes in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Viña Montes

Then, as she explained the harvest process, we got to taste some of the grapes that they use.

Grapes at Viña Montes in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Grapes
Machinery at Viña Montes in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Machinery

We got a chance to see the large barrels where the fermentation process takes place. After this, it was off to the wine cellar. They added to the atmosphere by piping classical music into the room. The group had about 10 minutes to wander around and take pictures.

Fermentation tanks at Viña Montes in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Fermentation tanks
Cellar at Viña Montes in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Cellar
Cellar at Viña Montes in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Cellar

Finally, we tasted four wines – a cabernet, merlot, carménère, and chardonnay. I liked every single one of them, which is unusual because I’m not a fan of merlot.

Tasting room at Viña Montes in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Tasting room

 

Santa Cruz

After the tour at Montes, we headed to the town of Santa Cruz for lunch. In typical Turistik fashion, we were taken to an overpriced tourist trap buffet restaurant. I wasn’t too happy about that.

Since the restaurant was located on the main square, Plaza de Armas, I decided to wander around and find something cheaper. I was very surprised there were no alternatives, so I went into the supermarket and got some empanadas and a drink for under CLP$2,000. Problem solved.

Plaza de Armas in Santa Cruz, Chile
Plaza de Armas
Church in Santa Cruz, Chile
Church
Church in Santa Cruz, Chile
Church

The town was nice. I would love to return and see the Colchagua Museum (Museo Colchagua). It’s regarded as the best private museum in all of Chile.

Colchagua Museum in Santa Cruz, Chile
Colchagua Museum

 

Viña Santa Cruz

Our next winery was Viña Santa Cruz. It was definitely the most beautiful winery of all I’ve visited in Chile. We started with a quick introduction at the entrance.

Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Viña Santa Cruz
Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Viña Santa Cruz
A path through the vineyard at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
A path through the vineyard

We then rode a cable car up to the top of a hill.

Cable car station at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Cable car station
Cable cars at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Cable cars

At the top there were some buildings that made up a museum about the indigenous groups of Chile.

Arch at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Arch
Museum at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Museum
Hut at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Hut
Exhibit inside the hut at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Exhibit inside the hut

After the museum, we saw a llama in a pen and had a chance to admire the views. I would definitely stay there a few days – if there was a swimming pool. The llama was a nice touch.

Llama at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Llama
Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Viña Santa Cruz

Next, we went into the winery to hear the same exact story about how their vineyard was unique in Chile, their fermentation process, blablabla. We were ready for the wine.

Fermentation tanks at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Fermentation tanks

We went into the cellar and tried four wines. I wasn’t impressed. Montes was the clear winner. A Chilean friend I spoke to after the tour told me that Montes is one of the best in Chile, but Santa Cruz was easily the most beautiful. I agree 100%.

Cellar at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Cellar
Bottles at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Bottles
Wine tasting at Viña Santa Cruz in Colchagua Valley, Chile
Wine tasting

 

Conclusion

Overall, it was a fun tour except for the lunch fiasco. If I had some friends with me, I would definitely rent a car and try out more wineries in the Colchagua Valley. The scenery alone is worth the trip.

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.