I've been to a lot of vineyards, both in and out of Chile. And this is by far one of the coolest…read moreI've seen. Whoever designed this place is an architectural genius. We didn't get here until a little after 4 PM on a Wednesday. It felt like they stayed open just for me and my friend, though there was one French guy who joined us on the tour. What would he know about wine? The tour and tasting will run you about $45 US, but that includes their renowned 2012 Clos Apalta, which I actually found less enjoyable than their 2014 Merlot for about 1/6 the price. Our guide was excellent and explained the vineyard's operations in great detail, including their system of gravity, which was certainly a first for me. When you get to the tasting room, you'll soon realize you got your money's worth. The guide will offer you a robe to keep you warm before you head in toward the table which sits atop the owners' 6,000 bottle private collection. Apparently, access to the basement was off-limits, as was the wine in it. Bummer.

TOUR AND GROUNDS…read more Lapostolle's Clos Apalta Winery is a must if you are visiting Colchagua Valley. The fact that their wine is among the most highly rated in Chile is only part of the reason. If you are coming from the US, you are unlikely to purchase any wine here since it's cheaper to buy it in the US. But you have to come see this winery... from beginning to end, the design and the process.. it's like a love story to wine. The grounds are just stunning. In every room and part of the tour, they say something that makes you go "wow". I also learned a lot of new and very interesting things about winemaking and distribution. The tasting includes a white (Chardonnay/Semillion, from which I learned the Semillion takes away from the harshness of the Chard, softening it), the lower end red (a Merlot) to their high end Clos Apalta that sells for less than $100 in the US, mid $100s at the winery and $200 and up elsewhere in Chile. Tours are offered in English and Spanish and although a bit steep at 20.000 CLP (~ $33), it's the same price that they charge for a tour at Viu Manent. After coming this far to visit wine country, I can't imagine trying to skimp on the price of a tour. Just do it. LUNCH We stayed for the wine pairing lunch, which is served at the Residence at tables overlooking the vineyard. We had the "Menú Lapostolle Clos de Apalta" (60.000 CLP or $100 USD per person); for 40.000 CLP we could have had it paired with the Cuvée Alexandre wine instead. The menu includes Aperitif, Starter, Main Course and Dessert with coffee and chocolates and is the same regardless of your pairing. The only difference between the two menus is the wine served with the main. They are very accommodating of dietary restrictions, and I was served chicken instead of angus loin for the main because I don't eat red meat. Aperitif: Casa Sauvignon Blanc Grand Selection 2013 Organic Apple & Blueberry Gazpacho Cup Blue Cheese Grilled Scallop Spoon Chive & Cheese Empanadita Starter: Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Chardonnay 2013 Preserved lemon seasoned shrimp over pumpkin & cinnamon cream, vanilla oil, flowers from the garden Main: Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2010 *** (better than the one they give you on the tour) Masala Chicken with pan seared organic tomaotes Dessert: Grand Marnier (by the way, this vineyard is owned by the Marnier Lapostolle family, which owns both, as well as Kappa Pisco.. a French family with a long history in the business) Cherimoya cream stuffed Meringue with homemade dulce de leche & Armagnac ice cream I don't need to go into each item and what was good and not because everything was outstanding. Really. The pairing was perfect, each item was perfection, I just loved the whole thing. Ranks up there with the best meals ever. Expensive? Sure. But considering the wine pairing and the amount of food we got, it was totally reasonable. Much better than meals I've paid more for in the US. Our lunch was relaxed and we spent well over two hours enjoying our food, wine, and the view. It was really a lovely afternoon and the highlight of our visit to Colchagua.

I tried to communicate ahead of time we wanted to see only the finest wines no matter the cost but…read moreended up tasting only $13 wines. I did not want to hurt the rest of groups fun so kept quiet but if you are looking for better private tour take a pass here! Was painful to have guide keep saying what do you think. Francis Mallman next door is fabulous skirt steak however! Just like Mendoza or Miami locations.

Gorgeous vineyard, colorful Apalta Valley landscape and (of course) world-class vino -- these are…read morethe essentials of not just a wine vacation, but a Chilean vacation where you get the full Chileno experience! If you are trying to decide which vineyard to visit to make your wine lover's retreat an epic one then Viña Montes must be #1 on your list! First, we started with lunch at the Montes restaurant, Bistro Alfredo since our tour reservation wasn't until 3 and we had two hours to kill. What a pleasant surprise!! We sat outside under a breezy umbrella and gazed at the vineyards beautiful mountainous landscape as we started off with glass of merlot and chardonnay and a cheese pairing. Then for lunch we had pork medallions and a chupe de jaiva (crab casserole thing) and both were AMAZING and full of rich taste! Great wine, food and Wifi was the best first stop we could have done before our tasting! So what about the tour? For 30,000 Chilean pesos ($42 for Americans since the exchange rate is great for us now), tantalize your taste buds with Montes best wines. What's your thing? carmenère, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot, pino noir?? Whatever your vino "thing" is, Montes wines will not only satisfy but rock your vino world! First we took a very short tour of the vineyard on an open bus which was just okay. I would have liked to have been able to get off, touch the grapes and really get more immersed with the actual vineyard, but this was not offered as a part of the tour. Emmanuel (our tour guide) took us on a vino journey that allowed us to taste 4 premium wines and 2 of their icon wines: Montes Folly and Purple Angel. Emmanuel was very knowledgeable and provided us with a tasting 101 lesson on which wine to pair with which selection. And to top off Emmanuel's coolness factor, his servings were not only generous, but also allowed us to even have seconds (or until the bottles were empty) on our favorite wines from the tasting! If you are doing the icon wine tour, first you start your tour with those who are doing the premium tasting in a tasting area just outside the giant stainless steel and french oak vats! For the icon tour/tasting you are then taken to a private table in the damp barrel room where they house their icon selections while listening to Gregorian chants! The icon tour is a MUST!!! The Purple Angel and Folly tastings take you on an intense, elegant palate adventure that you will not want to miss! After these two tastings (both premium and icon), your relaxation levels will increase, your eye lids will start to feel heavy and you'll think to yourself, "Wow, this was way better than any spa day!"

What a gorgeous Winery, with amazing people and fantastic food!…read more If you want to have a meal, make sure to make a reservation, they have a rather small restaurant and will run out of room. Food is amazing and totally worth it. I had the ossobuco and it was absolutely fantastic, falling off the bone, melting in your mouth delicious! Their wines are also delicious. We did the historical tour plus tasting, and they served 4 of their signature wines. All super smooth, delicious. They sell most of their production internally to Chile. Their wine is fantastic: dry but smooth. I highly recommend the tour as well, you get to learn about the property, all the owners and how it got to what it is today. Highly recommend it visiting the Santa Rita Winery if you ever find yourself in Chile.

Absolutely gorgeous gardens. A charming walk through its views, walking among the trees and getting…read moreto know every corner was a beautiful experience, the winery was very well preserved and the tours were very interesting. We had 4 wines. Paired with cheese and crackers.

Stopped by for a wine tasting at this winery in Chile, about an hour from Santiago, and was really…read moreimpressed. They had a great selection with plenty of variety, and the prices were very reasonable for the quality. I only wish I'd come with a fresher palate, I'd already had a few beforehand but I still found a couple of bottles I couldn't pass up and brought them home. Highly recommend making the trip out here if you're visiting Chile.

Maquis is a pretty magical place. Between the long, beautiful entrance, the rustic sign displaying…read morethe name of the vineyard, the olive trees, and the welcome center/tasting room/processing facilities covered in greens, you get a little slice of heaven on earth. Javiera was an amazing guide who spent about an hour with us giving us a tour and tasting. Even though we were only scheduled to be here for a tasting, she gave us a tour anyway. During the tasting, you'll likely try the Lien (blend of Carmenere, Cab Franc and Syrah), the Viola (100% Carmenere) and the Franco (Cab Franc). Prices range from about $20 t0 $90 US. I took home the Franco for about $90 US, which will supposedly hold in my collection for another 15 years or so. If you're in the Santa Cruz area and you only have limited time, add this vineyard to your must-visit list.

From the owner: We invite you to enjoy and be surprised by unique experiences while immersed in a privileged…read moreenvironment between two rivers in the Colchagua Valley, at Viña Maquis, where world-class wines are produced from grapes from two different origins within the same valley, giving rise to the Maquis and Calcu wines.

This was an optional excursion offered on our recent South America tour…read more Our private tour was led by a very enthusiastic member of the winery. We toured the grounds first and later led into the cellar. Then into the private tasting room. Four wines - * Sauvignon blanc * Cabernet * carmenere - a blend * dessert - way too sweet The wine glass is yours to keep. We made it back home with it intact two weeks later.

Located on the outskirts of Santiago, this is worth a day trip. The tour lasts about 1 hour through…read morereally nice scenery and well-maintained grounds. You may catch a lamb roast on the way out. The wines offered in the tasting are far from their best, but their top shelf options are available for purchase in the store.

We visited El Principal as part of a day-long tour and were blown away by the vistas of this…read moreincredible property. We tasted several different wines, including one of favorites of the trip, Memorias. The one we tried was a little young so we bought a 2008 to take with us, and it was incredible. While we enjoyed our tasting and learned a lot, we did feel a bit rushed, maybe because it was towards the end of the day. While the cellar was nice, it did seem a shame to be in the basement when those views were all around.