Colchagua Valley is located about 150 km south of Santiago, between the Andes and the Pacific coastline. It is a relatively new area for vineyards since the first grapes were planted here in the late nineteen century. Since then, the story goes on and the region with its traditional small villages and picturesque hills is increasingly appreciated by the wine lovers living in or visiting South America.
There is a famous itinerary called Ruta del Vino formed by several wineries in the area but you can visit them as we did, independently, starting our own route from Santa Cruz. Find more information about the wine route online or at the information office at Plaza de Armas 298, Santa Cruz.
The chic Lapostolle was founded in 1994 by the French family Manier-Lapostolle that makes for more then six generation the well-known liqueur, Grand Manier. The winery has everything: beautiful landscapes, incredible architecture and interior design, high quality wine.
Lapostolle is designed on six vertical levels. The four levels at the bottom were carved into the granite Apalta hill to maintain a natural temperature for cellaring. The idea of this vertical design is not random: it allows the wine to fall down naturally with the aid of gravity and without the need of pumping, which can alter the flavor of wine at any stage of aging or production.
The winery is 100% certified organic winery and believes that in order to produce elite wines you must do anything to preserve the freshness and the flavor of grapes.
During harvesting, the grapes are manually collected and selected. Only the women are allowed to participate in this process because they are considered to be more meticulous and more patient than men could ever be. Also, there are no machines involved in the collecting event.
This is the tasting room. Here you'll see under the big glass table (literally), the private family wine collection. The owner keeps in this cellar at least one bottle from each year. A part of the glass table can be lifted and a stair goes directly to the cellar. Unfortunately, only the owner has the key. Bad luck :)
The winery is 100% certified organic winery and believes that in order to produce elite wines you must do anything to preserve the freshness and the flavor of grapes.
During harvesting, the grapes are manually collected and selected. Only the women are allowed to participate in this process because they are considered to be more meticulous and more patient than men could ever be. Also, there are no machines involved in the collecting event.
Viu Manent
Viu Manent is another beautiful place to visit in Colchagua Valley. It has a nice restaurant with delicious food and a terrace overlooking the winery. I recommend to any visitor to spoil his lunch with a bottle of wine from the Secreto colection. The wine contains a combination of Carmenere, Malbec, Syrah or Pinot Noir, but the blend of the grapes is a secret well preserved. Colchagua Valley has the largest Carmenere production in the world.
The winery has a beautiful room that looks like a theatre stage where the finest Montes wines stay until maturation. The stage has 800 French oak barrels and the tranquillity of their sleep is sometimes interrupted by the sounds of Gregorian chants.
Montes
What I've loved the most at this winery was the feeling of harmony and peace that I felt, at the entry of the winery and inside as well. No, this feeling wasn't provoked by the tasting of wines :), but by the energy of the place.
Montes was designed on the Feng Shui principles. You enter the building crossing a wooden bridge that goes over a rippling water lagoon that flows towards the imposing door. According to the Feng Shui belief, the prosperity will come if the positive energy, represented here by water, will flow to the center of the construction.
Montes was designed on the Feng Shui principles. You enter the building crossing a wooden bridge that goes over a rippling water lagoon that flows towards the imposing door. According to the Feng Shui belief, the prosperity will come if the positive energy, represented here by water, will flow to the center of the construction.
The winery has a beautiful room that looks like a theatre stage where the finest Montes wines stay until maturation. The stage has 800 French oak barrels and the tranquillity of their sleep is sometimes interrupted by the sounds of Gregorian chants.
Now I can totally understand where the ripe and tasteful Chilean red wines come from.
Cheers!
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