We are off to explore the Aconcagua Valley wine region and drive northeast of Santiago towards the Andes mountains. What a stunning view! After an hour or so drive we arrive at Vina San Esteban/In Situ. A boutique wine producer with only 300 acres planted on the slopes of the Andes foothills. We have a nice tour of the vineyards, winery and cellar before a nice tasting of their wines. Our next stop is Flaherty Wines, owned and operated by a California couple who arrived in 1993 to work a harvest and never left, they started this winery in 2004. Also a boutique winery, their annual production is about 3300 cases a year.
Next, we head to a small town to have lunch at a local restaurant. Maurice orders a selection of menu items for the 4 of us to share. We have grilled t-bone, grilled ribs, a fresh salad and some potatoes. There is also a salsa like condiment that you eat on dinner rolls, very yummy. Maurice has his wine stash with him and brings out a nice bottle of wine to pair with the meal. Our final stop of the day is Vina El Escorial with a nice tour of the facility and a tasting in the cellar room.
We have a nice drive through the foothills and return home around 7:00pm.
M
Finally – a wine tour!
Our first wine valley to tour in Chile’s Central Valley is about an hour north of the city in the Aconcagua region. After spending a few weeks in Peru, it’s amazing how nice the road north is – much like the states (including tolls!).
The road takes us along the west side of the Andes Cordilla through the small town of ‘Los Andes’. Along the way are simple, but well kept, homes with beautiful plantings. This looked to be a very nice area. Views of the Andes are incredible, including Acongagua Mountain at 22,837 feet – the highest peak outside of Asia.
Most of the wineries & vineyards in the Acongagua Valley are in the Los Andes / San Felipe area. Big reds are the prizes here – world-class Cabernet Sauvignon , local hero Carmenere, and Merlot. We visited three wineries: San Estaban (In Situ), Flaherty Wines, and Vina Escorial. All are small, boutique operations, family owned & operated, and excellent. In Situ has the added attraction of ancient petroglyphs on the grounds! Lunch is at the La Ruca restaurant in San Felipe where we enjoyed a sample of local foods & barbequed meats. It’s a really popular place with music in the courtyard and beautiful views.
D.
