What a combo! – Argentina & Chile Wine Tour
10 days of sheer wine pleasure. This Argentina and Chile wine tour is a superb opportunity to experience the fruits of differing terroir on both sides of the Andes. We take you to iconic, famous and quirky vineyards on a private, exclusive tour – everything is organized to suit you, all fully customizable.
Although there are many exciting, outlying wine regions for an Argentina and Chile wine tour that are really worth a visit, Salta, Neuquen, Elqui and Osorno for example, the powerhouse regions of Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo, Uco Valley, Santiago, and Colchagua are the ones that we focus on with this combo.
Argentina & Chile Wine Tour Highlights
- Arrive in Santiago, Chile – enjoy a city tour if timing allows
- Tour Santiago & Casablanca Wineries – visits & pairing lunch at a winery
- Aconcagua Valley – visits & traditional lunch in the countryside
- Drive down to Colchagua – cooking class with lunch plus broad tasting
- Full day in the Colchagua Valley – visits, lunch and “make your own wine”
- Drive to Santiago airport and fly to Mendoza – free evening in Mendoza
- Tour wineries in Lujan De Cuyo from Mendoza – paring lunch included
- Drive down to the Uco Valley – lunch and winery visits during the afternoon
- A full day of visits in the Uco Valley – traditional lunch stop and farewell dinner
- Back to Mendoza – fly to Santiago (from here home or extend your trip?)
You can start this tour in either Argentina or Chile, and end anywhere, we plan your flights, hotels, and tours to match your wishes. But the tour shown below is logistically the best route for most travelers and we detail an itinerary starting and ending in Chile. We use the direct one-hour flight from Santiago to Mendoza and back to complete the international route.
Day 1 | Your First Night in Santiago
You have been picked up by us at the airport, driven to, and checked into your comfy hotel, enjoyed a hot shower, and you are now ready for a drink and to have something to eat. Sound about right?
So early evening we will swing by to take you to your introductory tasting. We work with a number of wine bars and “vinotecas” which are perfect for enjoying your first taste of Chilean wine on native soil. Your wine guide will take you through a flight of regional highlights with some local cheese and bread. We may choose an ancient bush vine Carignan from Itata, a tree-climbing Pais from Maule or a high altitude Carmenere from Aconcagua. You will enjoy 4 or 5 wines that differ in a number of ways and guide you through the geography and terroir that they express.
After the tasting, if you want to continue drinking at the same place or move on then that we can do. There are a large number of eating and drinking options nearby. Tired? If so we will walk back with you and bid you goodnight at your hotel.
Day 2 | Historic vs. Cutting Edge
Today we start our exploration of Chilean winery contrasts. Firstly we will take you for a tour and tasting at an iconic Santiago winery that is a national treasure, Cousiño Macul. Later you will enjoy a great lunch, then tour and taste at the high-tech, modern architectural marvel that is Haras de Pirque. Along the way, we will add another visit to add extra interest and fun to your day, which will remain a surprise for now.
The Cousiño Macul winery was founded in 1856 and obviously at that time it did not lie within urban Santiago, now it does. When we arrive we will enjoy a morning glass of wine to get our motors running and then it’s off to have a look at some of the vineyards.
After getting close up and personal with the all-important plants themselves, we will have a tour around some of the original buildings and equipment, some production areas, and of course the historic underground cellars. Along the way, we will try a couple more wines and at the end of the walkabout, we will taste a further 2 or 3 more premium wines in the comfort of the historic patio with a little bread and cheese to keep us fueled.
Add a glass of wine to this view and you have paradise!
Onward we go, back to the vehicle and driving out into the nearby countryside for around 40 minutes. There are a number of options we can opt for en-route and the beauty of a private tour is we can adapt to your interests.
Arriving at the impressive Haras de Pirque we will have lunch in the lovely restaurant first, as you will probably be hungry at this stage, and then enjoy a tour and tasting of this Antinori property. The rest of our afternoon is spent here with some time to simply relax and sip with the view you see above before we head back into the city and drop you at your hotel.
Gary shot the drone footage below when he wasn’t as good at flying and filming as he is now (he is still not great he admits!), but you can see how Haras de Pirque is a really spectacular winery. We can personally confirm that it’s a real treat to spend time lunching, sipping, and wandering around here.
Day 3 | The Aconcagua Valley
We build our time on this part of Argentina and Chile wine tour around the Errazuriz winery as a “must-do” and the benchmark for other wines in the area, and along the length and breadth of Chile.
Meltwater from the Aconcagua peak, the highest mountain in the Americas at nearly 23,000 feet above sea level, gives life to this valley. During our tastings throughout the Aconcagua region you will have several chances to experience the effect of, and the difference between, coastal and mountain terroir. Many of the larger, more well-established names have vineyards in a number of locations stretching across the full width of Chile, ranging from a couple of hundred meters of altitude close to the coast up to over two thousand meters inland towards the Andes proper.
The prestigious Errazuriz winery was founded way back in 1870 and today garners wine awards on a regular basis, in 2004 it placed ahead of Chateau Lafite and Margaux at a blind tasting in Berlin. The extensive vineyards stretch up into the surrounding hills and from the viewpoint above the winery, you will appreciate the whole picture. A visit to the cellar and production areas will be made before enjoying a premium tasting.
After enjoying some of the Errazuriz wines we will travel the short distance to the Viña San Esteban winery. The “In Situ” vineyards cling to the steep slopes of Mount Paidahuen which provide increased drainage and vine stress while these same fields also benefit from healthy cool breezes and plenty of sunshine at great angles. With the selection and production techniques employed here high-quality fruit is a given.
There are a number of other winery options and of course, we will have lunch around the route somewhere. We will choose a place to eat that has local character and where you can try more traditional Chilean food.
Day 4 | Drive down to the Colchagua Valley
Today we broaden your horizons even more on this Argentina and Chile wine tour when we pick you up after an early breakfast (to beat the traffic) and head down to the lovely Colchagua Valley, the heartland of Chilean wine. The drive down from the capital will take around 3 hours and on arrival, we will check you in your hotel.
There are several great lodging options in the town of Santa Cruz if you don’t choose an outlying vineyard hotel. This small town serves as a great base for exploring the Colchagua Valley as there are wineries and vineyards a short drive away in any direction. The Terraviña Hotel is a great option among vines and still only a very short distance from the town. The very well-appointed Santa Cruz Plaza is a very popular choice for its facilities and location on the main square in the town plus it has a great museum.
After check-in, we will take you to a local restaurant for a cooking class where you can learn to make a typical Chilean dish while you sip a glass or two of wine from wineries just a stone’s throw away. A local chef will walk you through the ingredients and let you get involved in the preparation and cooking, tell you a little about the traditional dish and then you can sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labors.
Missing Qvevri wine? We found a way back at De Martino in Chile
What is left of the afternoon can be spent on either of two options, we can leave you to wander the superb Colchagua Museum which is not what you might expect in a small town in a wine region. It is a very enlightening experience and well worth the visit – the exhibition on the trapped miners is a moving one. Or we can take you to a winery of your choice, there are so many to choose from.
Day 5 | A full day in the Colchagua Valley
During this Argentina and Chile wine tour combo we will always try to throw in a “curveball” winery or two, but saying that we will always visit a couple of the iconic powerhouses of both countries. In the case of Colchagua, that means Montes, Lapostolle, Hartwig, Viu Manent, Santa Cruz or Casa Silva. But if you have a specific one in mind just let us know when we are planning your trip so we make sure that is included.
Whichever wineries you choose to visit during the day we always like to include the blending and “make your own wine” experience at Mont Gras. This activity is great fun, and quite educational – you experiment blending the from three varieties on offer measuring and noting the proportions as a winemaker would, then pick your favorite blend, bottle it, make a label, insert the cork and fix the capsule. You then have your own wine to take home.
Another winery that we like to include on our Argentina and Chile wine tour, located firmly on the high-tech, high-investment end of the spectrum, is that of VIK. Driving out to the property is a treat in itself, lovely countryside, plenty of vines and fruit, small villages and farms, watermills and animals all offer photo ops en-route.
Click here to see a detailed description of the Vik winery hotel and wine tour experience. If you feel like splurging and treating yourself to something very luxurious you could ask us to book you into the Vik Hotel. The incredible hotel is shown in our drone video below – the winery can be seen in the background.
Day 6 | Colchagua to Mendoza
Today is a travel day. Depending on your flight time from Santiago to Mendoza we will fix a pick-up time from your hotel in Colchagua. With a late flight, you may have a little down-time before traveling, or have free time at the other end of the journey. The trip will be two and a half hours driving to the airport, then an hour flight to Mendoza. Obviously with the check-in time, baggage pickup and transfers the other end this takes most of the day.
Your Argentina and Chile wine tour has now taken you on the other side of the Andes mountain range and the delights of Argentina await. We will welcome you to Mendoza with a broad grin at the airport. Firstly we will give you a chance to change some money (or use the ATM) and then whisk you off to check into your wine country Posada (see suggestions below). In the evening you can wander the upscale neighborhood of Chacras de Coria, where small cafes, restaurants and plazas bustle. Perhaps enjoy dining out at the many restaurants that your accommodation hosts will be ready and able to give you. Our mid-range favorite in for this tour is Casa de Coria, click this link to take a look at the place.
To stay somewhere very exclusive, have a look at this blog – Locked Inside a Winery!
Day 7 | Exploring Lujan de Cuyo
Following a hearty country breakfast, our driver and guide will meet you for the start of your private Lujan de Cuyo wine tour and a day of exploring the area. We will begin at Bodega Benegas where we step back in time, touring a traditional winery owned by Federico Benegas, grandson of one of Mendoza’s most prominent wine industry players, Tiburcio Benegas.
Bodegas are quite tightly grouped in this area so we are driving very short distances between them, giving you maximum time at each. Next, we suggest a visit to Bodega Kaiken. The owners of Montes winery in Chile decided to extend their reach with a winery in Argentina and bought a winery originally built in 1920 and refitted it to modern standards. The wine is superb and benefits from different estate terroir scattered around Lujan and Uco according to the wishes of the Kaiken winemaker.
Bodega Lamadrid is next on the list. Experience which Bornardas, Cabernets, and Malbecs you like best in an exclusive tasting in the lovely underground cellar. The talented winemakers here blend different styles to capture the hearts and palates of wine enthusiasts looking for clean balanced wines. Either here or en-route we will grab a late lunch or a snack – remember that this tour is private, hence flexible. If you are hungry at any time just let your guide know, there are a great number of options to keep you fueled.
We will then drive west on a scenic drive through the splendid lower Andes, now and during the days with us if you need to stretch your legs we can stop for short walks, and of course photo ops abound. In the late afternoon, we will drop you at your hotel and leave you free to relax.
Day 8 | From Lujan de Cuyo to the Uco Valley
Following breakfast, we will meet you, load your bags, and then your Argentina and Chile wine tour ventures into the Uco Valley.
During a technical tasting (or non-technical) led by one of the Matervini sommeliers, you can indulge yourself to the ultra-premium single vineyard Malbecs made in 5 different native soil structures of Argentina’s western slopes of the Andes. Geology in a glass simplifies the experiences of learning more about the expansiveness of the Malbec potential.
To learn more about this incredible development, we visit Bodega Catena Zapata, a showcase winery designed like a Mayan temple overlooking dramatic views of vineyards and mountains. Taste from the barrels and later taste the same bottled wines with their team of Sommeliers.
We will then head to Bodega Renacer for a delicious three-course wine pairing lunch. Revel in the warmth and beauty of the landscape as you enjoy the perfectly paired wine with each course.
After we have run the gamut of wines we will check you into Posada Alpasion – our suggested hotel for this section of the tour – see the video below for a great view of two hotels, the second one being the more expensive Casa de Uco.
Day 9 | The Uco Valley Experience
Firstly we will be delighted with the wines and hospitality at Bodega Corazon del Sol. This is a small, yet ultra-modern winery where you can sip through the boutique collection and taste the vigor and uniqueness of his high altitude single vineyards. We will continue on for a traditional lunch of grilled meats for lunch at Gimenez Riili. Enjoy their delicious 5-course menu effortlessly paired with well extracted, high altitude Malbecs and Merlots in the company of the owners.
Your Argentina and Chile wine tour will now provide the added dimension of art and architecture at three unique showcase wineries in the Clos de Los Siete. Begin with an introductory tasting in Bodega Cuvelier Los Andes. Next, explore the big diamond inside Bodega Diamandes, a winery owned by a French family, the Bonnies (owners of Château Malartic-Lagravière and Château Gazin Rocquencourt).
This winery elegantly pairs deeply complex wines with state-of-the-art architecture, designed by Bórmida and Yanzon studios. A play on words – Diamond and Andes – the winery celebrates the natural Andean landscape and ultra-premium Bordeaux style wines. Next, marvel at the architectural masterpiece where old world meets new world in the remarkable winery Bodega Monteviejo. Enjoy a wine pairing lunch where world-famous winemaker Marcelo Pellereti’s unique portfolio of wines can be enjoyed with Chef Nadia Haron’s wonderful fusion dishes.
Depending on your departure time and arrangement we may drive to Mendoza City this afternoon and check-in at Casa Lila or similar, or you may stay overnight again in Uco.
Day 10 | Farewell to Mendoza
Today your Argentina and Chile wine tour ends and what you do next will very much depend on what you have chosen to do with us. If traveling on to other wine regions or countries then we will deal with continued arrangements for you and pick you up when you arrive at your next destination. If you are going home we will check you in and wave goodbye to you and your accumulated knowledge, photos and bottles
