Chile & Argentina Multisport Wine Adventure
Including Mendoza's Vendimia Festival
March 5-11, 2010

While we love all of South America, traveling to the wine areas of Chile and Argentina is special. The hotels are upscale, the restaurants are high quality, the vineyards are beautiful, and the wine is world class. You'll be impressed by both countries.

But what makes the area fantastic is not just that the Chileans and Argentinians clearly have their acts together. It is that they have their acts together while doing things their way. Heading for a late dinner in the hip city of Mendoza, engaging in conversation with a Chilean wine maker, or simply saying Hola to the many locals we meet on our activities reminds one the South Americans seem to have a proper balance to their lives, with friends, family, and fun co-existing with work.

And there is no better time to see the emphasis on fun than during Mendoza's famous harvest festival, Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia. We attend festival activities including Vía Blanca de las Reinas (the parade of harvest queens from around Argentina), El Carrusel (another festival parade with horses, gauchos, old style cars, dancers from around South America, and more), and the main Acto Central party with crowning of the harvest queen, fireworks, and a lot of wine! Interspersed with the harvest party, we undertake our own adventures including a bike ride in the Uco Valley, a cooking class with one of Mendoza's top chefs, a vineyard walk, and a hike in the pre-Andes cordillera mountains to the family-run Jerome Brewery.

On the fourth day, we head over the Andes mountains to Chile. In Chile we visit three separate wine valleys (the Aconcagua, Casablanca, and Maipo) and have the opportunity to hike, bike, and even horseback ride in and among the vineyards. One of the most enchanting evenings you will ever experience is from the picnic area of the San Esteban winery as you gaze at the Andes mountains.

Chile and Argentina are beautiful countries and there is no better way to see them than in the wine areas while Vendimia is in process and while staying active. (You can see a photo slideshow of our 2009 tour activities.)

Private Tour
This March 5-11 tour date is a private tour for customers, friends, and soon-to-be friends of the fine folks at Christopher's Wine & Cheese shop and the Blowing Rock Victorian Inn in Blocking Rock, North Carolina. In addition to the Zephyr Adventures' guides, we will be joined by Chris and/or Scott from the shop and inn. When you register for the tour, we will automatically process your credit card for the $500 deposit as per our normal  reservation policies. The minimum number needed for this tour is 12 participants. If for some reason we do not reach this minimum, we will refund your money or you can transfer to another tour.

Accommodations
We stay in three excellent hotels during our six nights in Chile and Argentina. We start our tour by spending three nights in the Hyatt Hotel in Mendoza. The Hyatt is one of the premier hotels in Mendoza, retains the original 19th century Spanish colonial facade, and is located right on the central Plaza de la Independencia. Our first two nights in Chile we stay at the brand new Inca Hotel in Los Andes, a fun market town in the Aconcagua Valley. We then proceed to the Hotel Oceanic in Viña del Mar on Chile's coast. Situated right on the water, most of the hotel's rooms have an incredible view of the crashing waves below. You'll enjoy all the hotels on this trip.

For More Information
See our Chile & Argentina Frequently Asked Questions or Itinerary pages. You can also reserve your spot now.