Colchagua Valley Chile’s Wine Country: Two Days in the Colchagua Valley

Patagonia. Santiago to Ushuaia — the southernmost city on earth. Picking up from Chilean Home Cooking and Twenty-Nine Switchbacks. The series starts here: Some People Collect Stamps. We Collect Roads.

The road trip started in earnest today. A relatively short drive south from Santiago, the highway dual-laned and punctuated by tolls, heading into the heart of Chilean wine country.

Our first stop was Santa Cruz — a slow loop around the town square, getting a feel for the place. Leaving proved more eventful than arriving. A wrong turn led us down a road blocked by a market in full swing. What followed involved a lot of loud Spanish, several enthusiastic hand signals, and a very careful reverse. We got out without hitting anything. A win by any measure.

From there, the valley opened up — rows of vines in every direction, the kind of landscape that makes you want to slow down and stay a while. Which, conveniently, was exactly the plan. The Hotel Noi Blend Colchagua sits right among the vineyards. We checked in, looked out at the vines, and agreed that the road trip was off to a very good start.

Some details matter more than others. We were collected the next morning by Mercedes. For a past president of the Mercedes-Benz Car Club, this was not lost on Daryl.

Our wine tour delivered us to two of the valley’s finest wineries in appropriate style. First, Viña Maquis — sitting between two rivers, its conditions mirroring those of Bordeaux. The estate was originally bought by a wealthy Chilean family purely for entertaining, but twenty years ago one of the sons turned it into a serious winemaking venture. Our guide had spent time in Hawke’s Bay, which meant she understood us immediately — accent and all. The Leín was a standout blend. Daryl bought two bottles. Possibly a conservative estimate.

Second was Viña Mont Gras, where the vintner walked us through the vines with genuine passion. The highlight was the Carmenère grape — endemic to Chile and largely unknown elsewhere. It produces a red wine of real depth and character. A couple of bottles found their way into the collection.

The education continued at the tasting — how to prepare your palate, what food pairs with what wine, how to get into the right sensory space to fully appreciate what’s in the glass.

Janine not liking red wine meant someone at the table had extra tastings to work through. Daryl managed this responsibility admirably.

Lunch was unhurried and quietly perfect — a table overlooking the vineyard at Casa Colchagua Restaurante. The afternoon unwound gently back at the hotel. Dinner at Noi Blend Colchagua rounded out what had been a very civilised day.

The bottles were carefully packed the next morning. Priorities firmly in order.