Chile’s Maipo Valley, an easy day trip from the Capital city of Santiago, is one of the country’s most important wine regions. It encapsulates much of the wine that the country is renowned for, since many of the wineries in Chile’s Maipo Valley specialize in premium, bold reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chile’s signature red wine grape, Carménère. If you like red wine, this wine region is for you. The wine region has not only some of Chile’s largest wineries but also several boutique ones, so a visitor can enjoy a diverse experience.
We had a wonderful, unique and in-depth tour of the wines of the Maipo Valley with Mick, owner of tour company Ride de Vuelta and a certified sommelier originally from the United States. His wine tours are limited to no more than seven people in order to provide personal service.
Vina Antiyal
Our first stop was at Vina Antiyal, a family owned boutique winery established in 1996. The owners were out of town, but because Mick is friends with them they provided him with access. The winery is both organic and biodynamic. After a tour of the vineyards, we had a thorough wine tasting lesson on the roof of the wine cellar.
We tasted:
Pura Fe 2018, a blend of Grenache and Syrah 😊++
Kuyan 2017, the winery’s premium blend wine of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, and Petit Verdot 😊++
Antiyal 2017, 95% Carménère and 5% Petit Verdot 😊😊
Santa Rita
Our next stop was Santa Rita, Chile’s third largest winery. Founded in 1880, it’s a large estate
with gardens, a hotel, a chapel, and an Andean museum. Our first two tastings were outside on the terrace.
We tasted:
Floresta 2013, a Pinot Noir 😊++
Triple C 2015, a premium wine combination of Cabernet Franc, Cabinet Sauvignon, and Carménère 😊😊
We then toured the winery, with our third wine in hand, Bougainville 2013, 92% Petit Syrah and 8% Syrah 😊+
William Fevre
Our next winery was William Fevre, a winery high in Chile’s Maipo Valley, in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. This was a smaller winery. We enjoyed the wine in its small tasting room with food pairings.
We tasted:
espino 2018, a Chardonnay 😊+
Little Quino 2018, a Pinot Noir grown in the winery’s vineyard in Chile’s south Malleco Valley 😊
espino gran cuvée 2017, 100% Carménère 😊+
Franq Rouge 2017, 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon 😊+
Haras de Pirque
After all that, we had a wonderful tour of the winery Haras de Pirque and ate lunch at its restaurant, Hussonet, with wine pairings.
We tasted:
Albaclara 2018, a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile’s coastal area, Leyda 😊
Haras de Pirque 2016, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Carménère 😊+
Hussonet Gran Reserva 2014, a blend of Syrah and Cabinet Sauvignon 😊😊
We hope you find these suggestions about the wine of Chile’s Maipo Valley helpful. For more information on how to customize your visit, go to our post about prioritizing your trip to Santiago’s wine regions. Salud!
Have any feedback? Don’t hesitate to send us a message at info@winewithourfamily.com.
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