I tried to communicate ahead of time we wanted to see only the finest wines no matter the cost but ended 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. read more

Gorgeous vineyard, colorful Apalta Valley landscape and (of course) world-class vino -- these are the 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!" read more

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This was my favorite winery during our Chilean wine touring. The scenery was amazing and breathtaking. They are very detailed during the tour starting with a ride to the actual vines and tasting of the grapes, then they take you to the rooftop where the process commences after the grapes are picked. A very unique part of this tour was the barrel room, WOW!!! I will not describe it as I do not want to spoil the experience for those of you that will visit. And lastly, PURPLE ANGEL, my favorite blended wine. To have a glass while looking at the valley was an amazing experience for my husband and I. read more