Colchagua Valley

If you have ever had wine from Chile, the chances are that it comes from the Colchagua valley. This valley, nestled in between the ocean and the Andes mountains on the western half of Chile, is world renown for their wines, especially Cabernet Savignon and Malbec grapes. While on our way to Pichilemu for the night, we stopped at a few wineries along the way to see what it was all about.
The wines were good (but actually more expensive than we were expecting), but the grounds were spectacular. Nestled on mountain ridges, the views of Colchagua Valley wine country was as beautiful as anything you can see in Sonoma or Napa Valley in California.

While our experience in this area way brief, it's definitely on my list to get back to drinking Colchagua Valley wine as soon as possible!

Here are some photos of our trip. We drove to Viu Manet winery on our way into town, and I would love to stop back there again to enjoy a lunch on their beautiful grounds.

On the way back, we stopped at a massive wine distribution warehouse that did not allow tours. Even with no tours allowed, we managed to sneak some photos of their massive fermentation tanks. This is likely the type of wine that you consume in America from Chile.

Our last stop was at Lapostolle winery, which was nestled into a hill with a beautiful design that looked a lot like the sales from a ship built entirely out of wood. This winery had a gorgeous fermentation room that they used to age their wine. I assumed that this room was sterile, but I was surprised when I saw a tarantula walking around. That was my reminder that I was in Chile and not the USA.

If (and when) I come back to Chile, I am going to be sure to visit the Colchagua Valley wine area longer. I will likely do some more research on wineries before leaving to make sure I go to the right places, and I will be sure to plan lunch at Viu Manet. That place is awesome.