Travel to the Santiago Winelands

reminiscent of Tuscany and Franschhoek

The Santiago Winelands lie between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, around 200 km north and south of the capital.

This is a large and, in parts, a very scenic area, comprised of broad agricultural valleys, surrounded by low wooded hills and set against the dramatic snow-capped peaks of the Andes.

The first vines were planted here by the Spanish around 1550, which means that Chile started production over 100 years before South Africa and 200 years before California. French grape varieties arrived here around 1850 and are now by far the most popular.

Don’t be deceived by the cheap Chilean wines that you might see back home, these are winelands with a great history and pedigree.

Chilean wine has enjoyed a major boom in recent decades, leading to a five-fold increase in production since the turn of the century.

There has also been a corresponding increase in the amount of travellers who are interested in including the winelands in their trip, which has led to the development of a handful of extremely high quality rural winery lodges.

The Santiago Winelands are spread across many different valleys, each with a slightly different micro-climate and soils, leading to differing specialities, from rich and heavy reds to light whites …

Maipo Valley

The Maipo Valley lies immediately south of Santiago and is the location of many of the country’s oldest and most historic hacienda wineries, some of which were established by the original Spanish conquistadors. This area is most commonly visited on day trips out of the city.

Colchagua Valley

Further to the south lies the Colchagua Valley, which is also renowned for historic producers (some dating back to the 1650s) and very fine wines, as well as some very good value labels. The area is centred on the town of Santa Cruz and retains a traditional feel, with mounted gauchos and horse-drawn carriages.

Millahue Valley

Adjacent to the Colchagua Valley is the Millahue Valley, which is arguably a more remote, rural, and beautiful area and also happens to be home to one of the very best lodges, Vik Chile.

Casablanca Valley

Set further over towards the coast, the Casablanca Valley is home to many of the more modern producers, renowned for their crisp white wines, since the cooler coastal climate is better suited to grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

The best time to visit the Santiago Winelands is generally considered to be during the Oct-Apr warm dry summer season.

The Central Valley has a cool semi-arid climate, with two clearly defined seasons.

During the Oct-Apr summer season the conditions are usually warm and dry, with lots of sunshine. Average daytime temperatures usually reach around 29C/84F, with nighttime lows holding up around 10C/50F. Sunshine is up around 10-12 hours per day, peaking in Dec-Jan.

During the May-Sep winter season the weather is usually cool and humid, but with rainfall remaining relatively light at 50mm (2”) per month. Average daytime temperatures usually manage to reach around 14C/57F, with nighttime lows dropping to around 2C/36F, causing regular frosts. Sunshine drops to only around 4 hours per day in June.

The grape harvest takes place during the Mar-May autumn season.

Getting there

The Santiago Winelands are accessed by road from Santiago or Valparaiso, with transfers typically taking 2-3 hours, depending on your choice of accommodation.

Where to stay

Most people who choose to visit the Santiago Winelands base themselves at one lodge for between two and four nights, usually limiting themselves to explorations of just one area.
If you are really into your wines, then it’s easily possible to spend much longer in the winelands, touring around and staying in multiple locations.

a great warm weather extension to Patagonia