• Errazuriz Winery: Don Maximiano Errazuriz planted his first vineyard at Panquehue in the then-barren Aconcaqua Valley in 1870, using vines imported directly from France. The firm is now owned by his descendants, the Chadwick family, who produce about 5 million bottles annually under the Errazuriz label. Errazuriz's Wild Ferment Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines provide examples of how calculated risk-taking by the wine maker delivers something that is both outstanding and different. The grapes for both Wild Ferment Wines come from Errazuriz's La Escultura Vineyard in Casablanca Valley and are usually fermented with out being seeded with commercial wine yeasts. These are just one example of the many extraordinary wines that this old 1870's winery produce. Errazuriz was one of the most beautiful wineries we visited in Chile. The charm of its historical setting made me feel like I was stepping back in time. The wine tasting luncheon we are preparing in the old Barrel house will be one of the highlights of our visit.
• Montes: Montes was established in 1988 by four partners with years of experience in the art of winemaking and in the wine trade. The philosophy was, from day one, to produce premium quality wines from Chile. A level of quality that we felt was absent at the time. Premium wines that quickly became the standard to follow, such as MONTES and MONTES ALPHA, and now with ultra-premiums like MONTES ALPHA "M" (after Murray) and MONTES FOLLY, also the pioneers in the ultra-premium category. And follow they did! Not only did the large established wineries create premium wines to compete with MONTES ALPHA but many producers decided to try their luck exporting bottled wines. Wine exporters, as a result, went from about 10 to well over 100 wineries now. With 5 Estates, three in Curicó and two in Colchagua ("La Finca de Apalta" in Apalta and our new "El Arcangel de Marchigüe" in Marchigüe), totalling nearly 600 Hectares of vineyards with varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc -with Syrah and Pinot Noir producing for the first time, experimentally, in 1999 and in fuller scale in 2000- Montes wines are mainly exported (95% of total production) to over 60 countries in the five continents. (Source: monteswines.com)
• Casa Tamaya: Imagine how a wine is made, at a short distance from the driest desert in the world, very close to the Pacific Ocean, and at the feet of The Andes. With perfect brightness, cold nights and free of rain all year round. Only in Chile, only at Limari Valley. Only at Casa Tamaya Winery (source: limariwines.com).
  
• Tabalí: Legend and reality further north, Tabalí starts on the edge of Valle del Encanto, a magic place, where ceremonies and rituals were held and where history and the heritage of old towns meet with the wine making wisdom of men and women of today. Valle del Encanto, its a colonial legend and precious vestiges of the Molle and Diaguita culture, gives us proof of their mystic way of life: the presence of Rupestrian art, through Petroglyphs and Pictographs together with Tacita Stones, shows us these original villages, giving us a reference that Tabalí adopts as its own. Tabalí is the vineyard located in the northernmost part of Chile. Its vineyards comprise 150 hectares of virgin lands with special weather and geographic characteristics: its closeness to the Atacama desert, the proximity to the sea, its pristine skies, its warm days and cool nights. As there is no early frost and no rains during the harvest, the wines that are obtained here by the outstanding enologist Irene Paiva and the support and experience of Viña San Pedro, allow the grapes to ripen slowly. Thus the aromas and colors gently form the fine and varied wines that go out and conquer the world (source: limariwines.com).
  
  

• Fundador Hotel. This hospitable hotel has been functioning since 1991, and is tucked away in a quiet side-street, a short walk from the busy Alameda, Santiago's main thoroughfare. All the rooms are comfortable and elegantly furnished. For those guests who do not wish to take their breakfast in their room, a buffet service is available in the restaurant.
• Santa Cruz Hotel. This spectacular hotel is the perfect setting for a quiet stay at the Colchahua valley where more than a few wineries operate. It has a wonderful restaurant with a large wine selection and the rooms have a view to die for.
• Santa Cristina Ranch: A place full of history, where each space transports us back to the Spanish colony. Beautiful Antiques in every room, fresh vegetables from the garden, fresh goat cheese form nearby farms and all the amenities of a great southern Estancia (ranch). Santa Cristina Ranch will fulfill all of your expectations.
  
  

Chile is well known not only for its great wines but also for the superb sea food their long, long, pacific coast provides. There are rare and delicious dishes that will make your head spin with pleassure. We will visit a sample of the best they have to offer.