– A Journey with Clara & Maria

Hola! We’re Maria and Clara, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned from traveling through Chile Wine country, it’s that wine is never just wine. It’s history, people, landscapes — and stories waiting to be told.

The first time we wandered through the sun-drenched vineyards of Colchagua Valley, we had no clue just how much Chile’s wine country would steal our hearts. Sure, the wine was incredible (wow, the wine!), but it was more than that. It was the people who welcomed us like family, the stories tucked into every bottle, and the feeling that each valley had its own soul. Those moments stayed with us — and now, we can’t wait to share them with you.

In this blog, we’ll take you along on our journey through Chile’s wine country. You’ll find out the best times to visit, which valleys deserve a spot on your list, and the grapes and wines you really can’t miss. We’ll show you the boutique wineries that completely charmed us, and the vineyard lodges that turn a simple trip into a memory you’ll never forget. Think of this as your insider’s guide — part travel tips, part love letter — to one of the most magical wine regions in the world.

So before we leave you to dream about Carménère at sunset and mornings that smell of harvest, let us quickly tell you who we are. We’re Maria and Clara — sisters, women, entrepreneurs, and local experts who have been designing journeys through South America for more than twenty years. What started as a shared passion for travel and storytelling has become our life’s work: creating experiences that let travelers feel the soul of this continent the way we do. We’re endlessly in love with South America — its wines, its landscapes, its people — and we believe every trip should feel as personal and unforgettable as raising a glass together at the end of the day

Now, Let’s dive in.

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When is the Best Time to Visit Chile’s Wine Country?

We get this question a lot. If you’re like us and want to see the vineyards alive, harvest season (February to April) is absolutely magical. Picture golden light over ripening grapes, teams of workers gently clipping vines, and the scent of fermenting fruit in the air. That’s the moment when wine is born — and you feel it.

But honestly? Fall in Chile (March to May) is our favorite. Cooler weather, fewer crowds, and the vines turn into a sea of red and gold. It’s like autumn in Tuscany… but with Carménère.

What Are the Must-Visit Wine Regions in Chile?

Let’s spill some (Cabernet) tea — Chile has so many wine valleys, and each has its own flavor, personality, and rhythm. Here’s where we went and what we loved:

Colchagua Valley is where our journey began. Think bold reds — Carménère, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon. We toured Montes, Clos Apalta, and Viu Manent, but also stumbled on small, family-run wineries where the owner himself pours your glass. One morning we biked through the vines, sipped wine in a 150-year-old cellar, and finished the day soaking in a hot tub under the stars. Colchagua is romance, heritage, and red wine — in every sense.

Casablanca Valley was a revelation. Just a short drive from Santiago, the foggy mornings roll in from the Pacific, creating Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays that are crisp, fresh, and perfect for hot days. Clara couldn’t stop talking about a Pinot Noir we tried at Bodegas RE — “like strawberries had a love affair with the ocean,” she said. (She had a few glasses by then.)

Maipo Valley is the classic. If you want to understand the roots of Chilean wine, start here. It’s close to Santiago, so it’s ideal for a quick visit. The Cabernets are iconic — structured, deep, full of character. Maipo feels like meeting a wise old storyteller… who just happens to make excellent wine.

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Read More: The Best Wine Regions and Vineyards to visit in Chile

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What Grapes and Wines Should You Try?

Here’s our shortlist — take it from two women who “tasted our way” across the country.

Carménère is Chile’s flagship grape. Originally from France, it found its true home here. Smooth, herbal, spicy — like Cabernet’s artistic cousin. Cabernet Sauvignon, especially from Maipo and Colchagua, is bold, classic, unforgettable.

Syrah is deep, rich, and full of black fruit and spice.

Sauvignon Blanc is fresh and zippy, with hints of green apple and citrus — perfect from Casablanca. And País, a rustic, lesser-known red, is earthy and light, often used in natural wines we adored.

Each glass told us a different story about the land, the people, and the climate. And believe us, we listened.

The Best Boutique Wineries to Visit

When I first arrived at Santa Rita Winery in Chile’s Maipo Valley, the air was warm and sweet with the smell of sun-ripened grapes. I still remember the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze, and the way the Andes stood like quiet guardians over endless rows of vines. It’s easy to see why their Cabernet Sauvignon has put this region on the world map — but what we love most about Santa Rita is what most visitors never get to see.

Behind the grand estate and manicured gardens lies a history that breathes through every old cellar, every wall, and every pour of wine. Standing there, glass in hand, it felt less like a tasting and more like a conversation across centuries.

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On our recent Podcast Episode of Stories Across South America, Maria sat down with Elena, from Santa Rita’s Winery and they talked about one of the things we both find so inspiring about this winery: the way tradition and culture are not in conflict with modernization, but in harmony with it.

Elena explained that Santa Rita’s legacy — centuries of history, architecture, and iconic Cabernet Sauvignons — lives side by side with cutting-edge winemaking and innovation. Listening to her, it became clear that preserving Chile’s wine heritage doesn’t mean resisting change. Instead, it means letting the past and the future share the same glass, making every sip both timeless and new.

If you’d like to hear the whole conversation, we’d love for you to listen to this part of the episode on our podcast.

🎧 Listen to the story Here 👇

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There’s something about visiting Chile’s boutique wineries that feels different from the grand, polished estates. They may not always be the biggest or the most famous, but they are the ones that stay with you. These are the places where you feel the heartbeat of the land in every glass, where the winemaker’s story is poured alongside the wine, and where tradition and creativity live side by side. They’re intimate, soulful, and unforgettable — and a few of them became the highlights of our journey.

At Clos Apalta, in Colchagua, we discovered what winemaking as art truly means. The underground cellar carved into the hillside felt like entering a sacred space, and every pour was layered with elegance.

In Casablanca, Bodegas RE showed us creativity like no other. They play with ancestral methods and daring blends, reinventing tradition. Clara still laughs about how her Pinot Noir tasting notes turned into poetry that day.

We can’t forget Montes Winery, also in Colchagua. Its hillside setting, framed by eucalyptus groves, gave us wines that felt as alive as the land. The Syrah here is unforgettable, deep and peppery.

Viña Montes in Chile Wine Country, Colchagua Valley – Enjoy a wine tasting is this impressive, semi-circular underground cellar that lies at the heart of the building with 800 new French oak barrels where the finest Montes wines mature.

Montes Wines started in 2009 as a pioneering sustainable dry farming project, and today is the only winery in Chile that carries out dry farming, resulting in highly efficient water use.

This is one of the most modern Wineries in Chile and has incorporated the principle of maintaining the manipulation at a “Minimum” level, so it has incorporated the best technology to make gravity move the grapes.

Do not miss a fabulous lunch or dinner at the nearby Fuegos De Alpata restaurant, and do not miss tasting their icon wine, the sublime Purple Angel, one of the best Carmeneres in Chile!

And then there were the hidden family vineyards in Maule Valley, where the winemaker himself came to pour us a glass and share stories. No polished tasting rooms, no big tours — just authenticity in its purest form. These are the kinds of places that remind us why we fell in love with Chile’s wine country in the first place.

The Best Wine Lodges to Stay In Chile Wine Country

Staying in Chile’s vineyard lodges is an experience that lingers just as much as the wine itself. These aren’t just hotels — they’re places where the landscape, the wine, and your own story intertwine. We still remember arriving at Viña Vik Lodge in the Millahue Valley, its futuristic glass-and-titanium silhouette gleaming on a hillside above the vines. From the moment we stepped inside, it felt less like a hotel and more like stepping into a dream — each room designed as a work of art, every view framed by mountains and endless vineyards. That night, as we sipped Carménère while the valley turned gold in the fading light, we realized vineyard lodges are more than a place to rest; they’re a way to live inside Chile’s wine country, even if just for a few days.

And Viña Vik is only the beginning. Each of Chile’s vineyard lodges has its own personality — some feel like sanctuaries of silence, others like historic mansions that whisper stories of the past, and others like warm, welcoming homes where tradition lives on. Together, they form a tapestry of experiences that make a trip through Chile’s wine country unforgettable.

At Residencia Clos Apalta in Colchagua, silence feels luxurious. Perched above biodynamic vineyards and framed by the Andes, every suite opens to views that seem to go on forever. Candlelit dinners paired with their world-famous blends left us with the sense that time had slowed down just for us.

At VIBO Wine Lodge, within Viña Viu Manent, mornings began with birdsong and the glow of the sun spilling across Malbec vineyards. The experience felt intimate, almost like staying with family — cozy, unhurried, and full of soul. It was the kind of place where you linger over breakfast, and maybe over one more glass of wine by the fire.

In Casablanca, La Casona at Matetic Vineyards embraced us with colonial architecture, sprawling gardens, and a philosophy rooted in biodynamic winemaking. The lodge balanced old-world charm with modern comfort, making it the perfect base to explore the valley’s fresh, coastal wines.

And then there was Casa Real at Santa Rita Winery near Santiago. Tucked inside a beautifully preserved 19th-century mansion, this boutique hotel felt like stepping into Chile’s history. Surrounded by lush gardens and ancient cellars, Casa Real blended heritage with elegance. Staying here was like living inside a novel — a place where every corner carried the echoes of Chile’s winemaking past, yet still offered the comfort and intimacy of a private retreat.

Each of these lodges offered something different, yet they all had one thing in common: they didn’t just host us, they became part of our story. In Chile’s wine country, the places you stay shape your journey just as much as the wines you drink — weaving the landscapes, the history, and the flavors into memories that last long after the glass is empty.

Why Your Next Food & Wine Adventure Should Be in South America

One evening in Colchagua, we sat on a terrace with glasses of Carménère in hand. The sun was setting behind the Andes, the vines swayed gently in the breeze, and everything felt just right.

“We should do this forever,” Clara whispered.

Maybe we can’t. But we can keep sharing it with you.

So if you’re dreaming of bold reds, sunlit valleys, and unforgettable moments — come to Chile’s wine country. And if you do, we hope you taste it the way we did — with wonder, laughter, and a deep appreciation for the land.

And remember, Chile is only the beginning. South America is a continent where food and wine experiences run deep — from Argentina’s Malbec country to Uruguay’s coastal vineyards and Peru’s world-class gastronomy. If you’re ready to plan your own journey, we’ve curated a collection of Food & Wine Trips in South America that will take you straight to the heart (and flavor) of this extraordinary region.

AND Don’t forget to download our South America Food and Wine Luxury travel Guide We have included some fantastic foodie and wine experiences I know you will love and need to include in your dream tour to Chile or South America wine country.

Talk to you soon,

Cheers from Maria & Clara 🍷

Founders at Across South America

PS – Would you like to plan your Boutique & Luxury Wine and Gourmet trip to Chile with us? Book your 30 minutes call to connect with us, and we will take care of the rest for you! We are excited to hear from you soon!

FAQ About Chile Wine Country