Chile Travel Advice & Guide To Wine Producing Regions

Oenophiles looking for a taste of Chile travel advice should start with the lay of the land. The entire country is one narrow but very long piece of land (4000 miles) jammed in between the towering Andes in the East and the Pacific Ocean to the West. This strange landscape and climate clash allows for well irrigated, mineral-rich soil at a high elevation. This is the primary reason why Chilean wine is so much in demand all over the world, including in the US.

For Western tourists and visitors, a visit here usually begins with a flight that touches down at Santiago. Since there is an extensive local network of connecting flights, it's quite easy to move around and visit Casablanca, Easter Island and other destinations. Another way visitors can enter is by bus, via bordering nations like Argentina, Bolivia and Peru or even Brazil which is not a bordering nation.

Since oenophiles reading this will likely be getting impatient, let's go straight to the destinations famed for Merlots, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chilean red wines. The country is divided into several Denominacion de Orign or DO's. Out of all destinations and the DO's in the country, the ones in Central Valley & Aconcagua get the lion's share of visitors and wine tourists.

Limari (DO - Coquimbo): The country's north is essentially the arid Atacama Desert. So the vineyards of the Limari Valley with a coastal breeze & morning fog are literally a breath of cool, fresh air for visitors. Wine tours apart, visitors can also marvel at historic petroglyphs and the wonders of Fray Jorge National Park.

Aconcagua (DO - Aconcagua): Of all the Chilean wine producing regions, Aconcagua stands out as the crown jewel. The red wine grape vineyards that grow in Mt. Aconcagua's foothills morph into white wines nearer the coast. The sheer beauty of the tallest mountain in the Americas with its snow-capped peak is a big draw for tourists.

Casablanca (DO - Aconcagua): A late addition to the country's historic wine producing regions, Casablanca has done very well by making a name for its Chardonnay & Sauvignon Blanc wines. Not to mention authentic classics such as Pinot Noir and Merlot. The cool climes and proximity to Santiago bring in many visitors, and the wine circuit tours here are very popular.

Maipo (DO - Central Valley): The vineyards here cover an expansive 10,000 hectares in the Central Valley in-between the coast and Santiago. They're prolific in their production of Cabernet Sauvignon. Being neighbors with Santiago has its advantages, and one of them is that visitors can keep coming back for half-day or day trips and explore the area slowly, tasting wines at only one or two vineyards in each foray.

Rapel (DO - Central Valley): Cachapoal & Colchagua are the Rapel Valley's two different wine producing areas. Cachapoal is famed for its Cabernet Sauvignon which the region churns out in large quantities, and Colchagua is just as good at producing Carmenere & Merlot. Winery tours here are interesting because they allow visitors to see all the production facilities and offer tastings too.

Curico (DO - Central Valley): The best Chile travel advice anyone can provide as regards wine tours and tastings is to head straight for Curico, where visitors can get a taste of all kinds of Chilean wine. The vineyards here cover 19,000 hectares and grow in excess of 30 distinct wine grapes. To top it off, Curico has many events and festivals such as the Grape Harvest Festival and even fashion shows.


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