Chilean Vineyards

Over the last few decades, vineyards and wineries have come up as a major tourist attraction in the South American nation of Chile. If Chilean tourism industry folks are to be believed, a visit to Chile is incomplete without a wine tour across the beautiful landscapes marked by some of the most popular Chilean vineyards.

Chile boasts of being a producer of some of the best quality wines in the world. Other than a chance of tasting different types of wine, you will also get a chance to see original mansions with vast gardens and wine cellars from the 1800's on your visit to Chilean vineyards - all of which is bound to give you the feel of 19th century Chile in the 21st century.

Chile: Ideal Location

In Chile, the 600 mile stretch of land lying between gigantic Andes mountain range and the Pacific coast is a heaven for vineyards. The fertile soil of this region, abundant water supply from glaciers in Andes and mild weather prevailing over the entire year - all combine together to form ideal conditions required for growth of grape vines. The stretch of land is divided into various regions - most prominent among which are Casablanca, Aconcagua, Curicó and Maule, Rapel, Bío Bío etc.

As of today, more than 20 different varieties of grapes are grown in these Chilean vineyards - most popular ones among which are the Cabernet Sauvignon (most widely recognized red wine grape varieties in the world) Carmenère, Merlot etc. Most of these varieties of grapes are a mixture of Spanish and French varieties, and continuous experiments of cross breeding two different varieties that are in progress even today only mean that the figure will continue to increase in future.

Best Chilean Vineyards, Wineries and Wines

Some of the most famous names in the list of best vineyards of Chile include Viña Concha y Toro and Viña Portal del Alto in Santiago, Viña Miguel Torres in Chile's central valley, Viña Hacienda Araucano and Viña La Playa in the Colchagua Valley, Viña Santa Rita on the outskirts of the city of Buin, etc. A special mention goes to Viña Orgánicos Emiliana - which boats of being the first Chilean vineyard to produce wines from organically grown grape varieties. Some of the best wineries of Chile include, Casas del Bosque and Kingston Family Vineyards in Casablanca Valley, Vina Calina and Balduzzi Vineyards & Winery in Maule Valley, etc. Coming to the list of best Chilean wines, some of the most obvious names in this list include, Agustinos Gran Reserva 2007 Pinot Noir, Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon, Concha y Toro Terrunyo 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Anakena ONA Syrah, Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2005, Montes 2005 Purple Angel, etc.

Chilean Vineyards and Wineries Tours

If you intend to get a first hand experience of the vineyards and wineries in this region, you need to be on the lookout for Chilean wine tours. These wine tours have become an important attribute of Chilean travel and tourism industry today. Even though the development of wineries in Chile can be traced back to the 16th century, wine tasting made its debut in Chilean wineries only around a decade ago. Over the period of time, it has come a long way to become one of the most popular activity in this part of the world. People from all corners of the world throng to these wineries to taste what is called the finest wine in the world. As opposed to the situation which prevailed over a decade ago, these vineyards and wineries are easily accessible today and therefore, experiencing the divine feeling of tasting wine right in Chilean wineries has become all the more easy.

Such is the beauty of these vineyards that you can't windup your tour of Chile without visiting them. On your tour, you will also get to see several signs saying "Chilean vineyards for sale" in this region, and that, we believe, will be of more interest for you if you are more of an entrepreneur - than a traveler.