Chile & Argentina Wine Adventure Itinerary
Day 1: We meet you at 9:00 in the morning at the Santiago airport after your flight into the country. We shuttle to the Maipo wine valley and Antiyal Winery, where we meet the owners, take a walk through their vineyards, and taste the wines. We head to the Fundacion Origen agricultural school for a tour of their facilities and lunch on the patio before shuttling to Santa Cruz and our hotel for the evening.
Day 2: We visit Viña Montes winery in the Apalta valley in the morning for a vineyard hike, tasting, and lunch. In the afternoon we visit Viña Santa Cruz in the Colchagua valley to compare tastes at these two nearby wine areas. We have a fantastic dinner that evening at a Chilean-style barbeque restaurant located right near the wine groves.
Day 3: We head north and then west to the Casablanca Valley, closer to the coast and thus known more for white wines. We spend the day biking on back roads, visiting wineries, and talking with the local vintners. We can honestly say you'll be swept away by some of the people, wines, and scenery - we were when we set this tour up. In the late afternoon, we continue by bus to the coast and our oceanside hotel.
Day 4: Leaving the coast, we head east for the mountains and the Aconcagua wine valley, known for heavier reds such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. We check into our spa hotel, meet our wranglers for a horseback ride in the hills, and then visit a few of the nearby wineries. We have time to relax in the evening and make use of the spa facilities.
Day 5: We make the long but incredibly scenic drive up and over the Andes mountains into Argentina. On the way back down, we stop at an "adventure center" where you have your choice of activities: river rafting, hiking, or rapelling down a waterfall. After this excursion, we continue down to the valley floor and into Mendoza, where we check into the Hotel Villagio, home for the next three nights.
Day 6: We have set up a unique Vineyard Walk in the Mendoza area. Starting at the Cavas Wine Lodge, we walk to the nearby Bodega Landelia for a tour and tasting. We then walk (or shuttle if you have had enough walking) back to Cavas for a tasting and lunch in the vineyards. That evening we have a flight tasting at Vines of Mendoza; dinner is on your own.
Day 7: We head south from Mendoza for the Uco Valley, where we will pick up our bicycles and ride the agricultural roads of this wine area. We'll stop in several wineries, including Salentein and Andeluna, and have a great lunch before heading back to Mendoza for our final dinner.
Day 8: This morning we'll make a switch and take a group cooking class in the Argentinian style. What we make we'll eat for lunch and then you'll have the afternoon free for some final shopping before we say goodbye. Most of the group will fly out from Mendoza to Santiago that afternoon to catch evening flights home.