A beautiful location for any special occasion! The hubs surprised me with a birthday lunch and…read moretour/tasting here and everything was lovely. We've spent a lot of time in other wine valleys of the world like Napa, Sonoma, and Bordeaux, but this was our first visit to a Chilean region. I'm so glad this was our introduction to Chilean vineyards--the view, the meal, the tour, and the tasting were great, and contrary to the experience of other Yelpers who have visited, we found the service to be top-notch.
A quick note: This is no longer a Chilean-owned vineyard, in case that is something you are looking for.
We started with lunch, which was delicious and the service was terrific. One thing many visitors to Chile do not understand is that meals always last longer than an hour, usually two. So give yourself ample time to enjoy your meal before your tour. We had an hour and a half and that was just barely long enough!
I started with the mushroom soup, which seemed to have a broth, rather than cream, base. It was thick and yummy! For our mains, hubby had steak and I opted for the tuna steak that came on a bed of the most delicious clam risotto. I had a Sauvignon Blanc and hubby had a red blend. Both were excellent. One thing to note is that they have live music on the weekends! I loved having the violinist play during our meal--an extra special touch!
For dessert, hubby chose a layered merengue with a berry sorbet. I selected the opera cake, which I'd never had before but when I heard chocolate and almond, I was sold. It also had a fruit, but I can't put my finger on what it was--maybe kiwi? My husband loved the coffee flavor of it. Much to my surprise, my dessert plate was festively decorated for my birthday and I was presented a beautiful glass of rosé bubbly! A perfect ending to a great lunch, but it was soon time to close out the tab and join our tour.
Hector greeted our group of five for the English tour; the other three in our group were from South America and one was from Europe. We began on the terraza overlooking the vineyard and learned about the Casablanca valley's location, climate, and grape varietals that grow there. Next, we made our way into the giant tank room where all the magic happens, including the science. After that, we were ushered downstairs to the barrel cellar, taking our time learning about the different oaks and aging processes. Finally, we concluded our excursion with a tasting of last year's Sauvignon Blanc, a 2016 Pinot Noir, and finally a 2016 blend of Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon. ¡Riquísimo!
Throughout the tour, Hector allowed us to take photos and ask questions and we never felt rushed. My only disappointment was that we did not get an opportunity to walk amongst the grapes and take a look at the vines. I know not all vineyards allow this and maybe it's only because it was summertime and getting hot, but it might have been nice (and helped me digest all that food).
We ended up buying a bottle of wine to remember our visit. In the tasting area, you can purchase wines by the bottle or case (6 bottles). They have plenty of stock and excellent prices.
In the back of the tasting room are the bathrooms--ladies on the left, men on the right (it's not obvious). The bathroom stalls are plentiful but small. You have to push the door hard to open. Not all the doors have locking mechanisms, FYI, and they have the single-sheet tp that dispenses like tissues.
A final note: If you know this will be one of your stops, I recommend making a lunch reservation for the outdoor dining area. Even on a hot day, the breeze up there makes it a great spot!
