A Grape Escape

Itinerary

Day 1Depart home for Santiago.

Day 2Welcome! Your private guide will transfer you to your adorable boutique hotel located just minutes from the city center.
Santiago, the capital of Chile, is the central point of a region filled with many sites and activities. The very heart of Santiago is the Plaza de Armas, where walkers pass down tree-lined paths, past small squares and the Museo de Bellas Artes. The Bellavista neighborhood is home to many restaurants and cafes while the Parque Metropolitano is Santiago's playground, with walking trails and picnic areas. For stunning views of the city, head to the top of Cerro San Cristòbal, accessible by bus, funicular, or by a vigorous hike.

Day 3After breakfast you will enjoy a private tour to two of the largest and most important Chilean vineyards.
Classified as an area ideal for production of the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, your first winery was founded in 1884. You will have a chance to visit the vineyard’s beautiful family park, historical museum, and enchanting cellars and caves. Different wines will be sampled and you will have lunch as a picnic on the vineyard grounds.
The second winery’s modern installations are reflected in the building’s architecture, which was constructed to fulfill the technical objective of producing fine wines, and also harmonize with the surroundings and natural, rural landscape. You will have a chance to walk the vineyards and tour the interesting production building, followed with a tasting to give you an idea of the richness found in Chilean winemaking.

Day 4Prepare for an incredible full day excursion along the Sun Highway on the central coast with your private guide.
The first stop will be Isla Negra, home to Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, Nobel Prize winner of 1971. Neruda’s house, Le Sebastiana, overlooks the sea and was built as an escape from the hustle and bustle of Santiago.
Heading north to Valparaiso, the oldest and most important port of Chile, the picturesque layout is enhanced by the surrounding hills that seem to dive right into the ocean.
Traveling along the coastline, you will experience the city of Viña del Mar, giving you a chance to visit some of the world’s most pristine and beautiful beaches, as well as pass through the agricultural valleys of Curacavi and Casablanca, a premium white wine region.

Day 5After breakfast prepare for your transfer from Santiago to the Colchagua Valley. Before reaching Santa Cruz, you will pass through several small villages that are surrounded by magnificent vineyards, as you witness the traditional way of life in central Chile.
Enjoy your stay among the vineyards of a local winemaking family. Here you will find a classic hacienda-style property featuring lovely room accommodations under the same roof that protects the winery’s Premium wine and cellars.
Relax and spend time wandering about town. You may want to include a visit to the Museo de Colchagua or Pueblito de los Dominicos, a beautiful arts and crafts center nearby. Afterwards, enjoy a cup of local coffee in one of the Plaza’s cozy outdoor cafés.

Day 6Today you will visit three different and unique vineyards. The fertile soils of this region make it possible to produce many red wine varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chile’s emblematic Carmenére.
The Colchagua Valley enjoys a balmy, Mediterranean climate matched only in a few places in the world. As the modern Chilean wine industry has come to rely on scientific methods for drawing the best from its exceptional soils and microclimates, it has become apparent that the Colchagua Valley offers outstanding advantages for growers and producers alike.

Day 7You will return to Santiago where you can relax and delight in your final day in Chile. Not to be missed is Barrio Bellavista; famous for its bohemian nightlife as well as a popular place to purchase lapis lazuli.

Day 8Your guide will escort you to the Santiago Airport for your flight to Mendoza. You’ll fly over the most breathtakingly beautiful terrain imaginable as you cross over the Andes into Argentina. Upon arrival you will be met by a local host for transfer to your hotel.
Mendoza is situated on a major road between Argentina and Chile and is an action enthusiast’s fantasy with numerous activities to be enjoyed. Of note are two major industries of Mendoza: olive oil making and wine making.
Your hotel is a charming tourist-class hotel and winery in the heart of wine country. The owner transformed her beautiful 20th century manor home into a premier destination, located just 20 minutes from Mendoza and within walking distance of a village community with many shops and restaurants. Nightly, the hotel’s winery opens its doors to its guests to join in an evening of delicious food and hand-crafted wine.

Day 9Enjoy breakfast as you prepare for a full day of wine tastings. Your guide will take you on a visit of three wineries of the Lújan de Cuyo, home to the Malbec grape and where the most prestigious Argentine wineries are located.
Your first visit will be a boutique winery which produces limited quantities of high quality red wines. A strong passion and shared love for Mendoza’s terrain brought the perfect union of Argentinean and Italian friends to launch their esteemed winery in 1998. Your visit includes a fabulous tasting from the barrel, along with a stroll through the resplendent vineyards.
Next, enjoy a private visit and lunch at a winery that produces limited batches of wine coming from exclusive vineyards growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Tempranillo vintages. This winery is located in the heart of the Lújan de Cuyo and is currently not open to tourism, only to special wine visits like yours.
Your tour concludes with a visit to a winery located in the heart of Mendoza’s wine region. Their wines are crafted by utilizing vines planted at different vertical heights terraced on mountains found in the area, and are distinguished by their perfect balance of intensity and elegance.

Day 10Your guide will escort you to a relatively new and exciting wine region, where great grapes, walnuts and various fruits grow in abundance. The Uco Valley is a unique climate region with varying elevations, sometimes even in the same vineyard, and abundant sweet water that provides local winemakers with some of the best “terrior” they could ever wish for.
You’ll begin at a local estate winery established by two local brothers. Originally, the building which houses their operations was a warehouse, but it has been skillfully transformed into a winery.
Your second winery and lunch stop can be found at a truly unique Uco Valley winery. In the area of Tunuyán, more than 4000 feet above sea level, the cruciform construction of this highly regaled winery is an unprecedented design
Your final wine tasting this afternoon will be on an estate with classical architecture with the outstanding landscape of the Andes and the Tupungato mountain ranges providing stark contrasts with the high technology of their winemaking.

Day 11Enjoy your entire day at leisure, exploring this fascinating landscape and unique destination.
As this will be your final night in Argentina, reward yourself with an incredible dinner complemented by a bottle of the best wine you found on your tour while here in Mendoza.

Day 12Your driver will escort you to the airport in Mendoza. Once you arrive in Buenos Aires, you will be transferred from the regional airport to the International Airport to catch your departing flight to the United States.
We trust that your wine tour of Argentina was truly memorable, and we wish you Chau, Suerte!
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A Grape Escape

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