Backpacking South America

Packed with world-ranking wineries, the Colchagua Valley of Chile is its most famous wine region. On our recent stop in Santa Cruz, Chile, we spent a couple days enjoying Colchagua, including a day-long tour featuring three of its top wineries. Crisscrossing the valley, we were able to get a sampling of why the Colchagua Valley is so highly regarded internationally.

While not quite as extravagant as our day in Mendoza, we did take in our fair share of beautiful wineries, delicious wines and even made some new friends in the process. Working with the Ruta del Vino office on the main plaza in Santa Cruz (recommended), we were able to arrange three tours and a lunch.

In Chile, it seems that all wineries require a reservation at least 1, but sometimes 2 days in advance – which requires the foresight we often don’t have.  The morning after arranging our visits, our driver, Patricio, showed up at our hostal shortly after 10am and we were off to our first stop, Montgras.

Montgras

Now almost 20 years old, Montgras was the perfect start for our day.  We met our guide and first made our way into the vineyard to learn the differences between the leaves, grapes and bunch structure of the grape varieties.

Because it is still early in the growing season, all the grapes are the same color.  The red grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot, etc.) won’t get their red color until next month.  The grapes in this region are typically harvested in March and April, with some whites being picked a bit earlier.

Finally, we got to the fun part – tasting the wines.  Unlike other tastings we’ve usually participated in, each wine was paired with a little bite of something.  The Chardonnay with cracker, brie and honey; the Merlot with fig wrapped in bacon; the Carmenere and icon Syrah with chorizo.

Viu Manent

Viu Manent is one of the older wineries in the valley.  We arrived slightly late but quickly hopped onto a tour that was just starting (this was the only tour that started on time).  The only highlight of the tour was the quick, three-minute horse carriage ride to the facility where the wine goes through the fermentation and cellaring process.

After a quick three-minute carriage ride back, we made our way to the bar, got a quick tasting of a Vognier, Carmenere and Malbec.  We were surprised to see a Malbec in the mix, as this is Argentina’s signature grape, and we were slightly surprised by its quality.

After the tasting, we walked to the restaurant, which was in the same open air area as the wine bar.  We found a seat and settled in for a simple, but delicious three course lunch.  Our starter was a fresh green salad with parmesan, oil and vinegar.

For the main course, Jared had the sea bass over roasted vegetables and Carra had the grilled lamb and potatoes.  Both were delicious.  Dessert was called tres leches (three milks).  It was sweet, but a good jumping off point for our next and final tour.

Montes

Our final stop of the day was Montes, a world-renowned winery whose very modern facility is located in the Colchagua Valley.

Nestled against the hills, Montes has a differential of terrain that we didn’t see at the other two wineries.  A number of their vines stretch across the valley floor, but they also have extensive property that extend high up the hills.

Upon arrival, we hopped into the bed of a large truck with bench seats and railings and we went on a driving tour of the property.  We made our way up into the hill for a lookout over the valley and onto the Montes facility.  It was a tremendous view of the valley.

Next we entered the facility and were allowed to wander through the cellar room, filled with oak barrels and the sound of Gregorian Monks chanting over the sound system.  The winemakers treat their wine like it’s their baby – by playing it music.  Their rationale:  the great wines of France were made in monastery’s where monk’s would be chanting.  So that vibration must be good for the wine.  Jury is still out…

The wine tasting was nice.  We have had a number of their wines back in the states and I am a big fan of their Leyda Valley Sauvignon Blanc, which is very dry and full of mineral notes.  The reds in the Montes Alpha line were good, perhaps they needed more time or perhaps our mouths were just tired from tasting so many wines.

After the tour, Carra and I were able to sneak a small taste of the Montes M – their iconic wine.  The wine was well-balanced and the taste just continued to linger in our mouths.  Surprisingly, it had much more fruit in the mouth.  I had anticipated tasting more flavors imparted by the oak and feeling more tannins in the mouth.  It was a very tasty wine, but priced in the shop at about $100 – I think you could do better with that high of a price tag.  Our quick trip to the Colchagua Valley was a great course in the variety and quality of wines being produced in Chile’s most famous wine region.

While the day didn’t quite compare with the wines we tasted in Cafayate (here and here) or Mendoza (here, here and here), it was no less enjoyable.

We had a great stay in Santiago. There are so many things to see and do. As we previously noted, we had a great time visiting with our new friend Stephen and wandering Parque Metropolitano and the Botanical Gardens, and sharing a delicious meal with him two days later.

After our day with Stephen, we spent the next day walking through the old city.  We started by hiking to the top of Cerro Santa Lucia for panoramic views of the city and to explore the hilltop fortress.

We then made our way to the Mapoche train station, which is now a cultural center. Walking around the empty, immense train station was a peculiar feeling – somewhere between a museum and a feeling like you’re the last person on earth.

From there, we wandered to the central market (mostly fish and restaurants) where we had a positively disappointing, overpriced ceviche. Even though everybody says “You don’t want to miss this place”; it’s possible to pass through just for the experience of what they have, but I would definitely recommend passing over the restaurant selection.

We crossed the river to visit the local fruit and veggie market, which was much better priced and had a much more authentic feel. Along the way, we crossed a peculiar church that seemed very photogenic.

We then made our way by the Catedral Metropolitana and presidential palace, La Moneda.

Our last stop was Catedral San Francisco, which was built in the 16th century. It was incredible how thick the stone walls were.

Our final day was spent visiting the Bellas Artes Museum and procuring wine for our six course meal prepared by our three star chef.

Unexpected things happen all the time.  Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re not so good.  Our first full day in Santiago, Chile wasn’t going exactly as planned, but it wasn’t way off course.  We wanted to visit the city’s largest and probably most interesting park, Parque Metropolitano.

We tried the day before, but the Funicular (a cable car) to take us to the top of Cerro San Cristobal inside the park, was closed.  So, we tried the next day; while waiting for the Funicular, which was supposed to start service at 10am but was still not open at 11am when we arrived, we sat and chatted waiting to catch a ride to the top.

When it finally opened and started taking passengers, we were collecting our things, when a gentleman started talking to us.  We weren’t sure about his objective, but we went along.  After all, everybody has a story to tell.

The short exchange quickly moved to an actual conversation.  We’re in no rush, let’s hear this guy’s story.  Stephen is a three-star chef who runs a catering business in Croatia, where he calls home right now.  As yachts roll in from sea, he’s usually the guy you want to snag when you dock in Croatia and hire him on for a while to cook you up some really tasty meals that are either authentic to the Mediterranean or reminders of home.  He’s worn many hats in his lifetime and therefore has many stories to tell.  Eventually, once the line for the funicular had died down, the three of us made our way into the short queue.   The more we spoke to Stephen, the more we were enjoying his company.  So we spent the afternoon walking through the park (6km).

After the park, Carra and I had planned to visit the Concha y Toro tasting room (big winery in Chile whose wines are widely available). Stephen decided to join us on what turned out to be an hour and a half walk in the heat of the day, much further than it looked on the map.  Needless to say, we had plenty of time to get to know one another.  We weren’t disappointed by the stories Stephen had to tell – from being a chef (a three-star-chef) for famous people to his adventures (sometimes misadventures) of being a lifelong traveler.

When we finally arrived at Vinos CYT (Concha y Toro), they refused us a tasting because the machines that serve the wines weren’t working.  We know well enough that you don’t need a machine to help taste wine.  Yet, they refused to open any wine and provide a tasting, despite being the tasting room.

We were annoyed, but we were willing to shrug it off.  However, Stephen didn’t take too well to this fact.  After all, he is a three-star chef.  Playing his hand throughout a 10 minute back and forth conversation with the inhouse sommelier (whose hands were tied by the manager), Stephen was able to get the sommelier to buy a bottle for us to taste – and we weren’t disappointed.  We tasted a bottle of Marques de Casa Carmenere 2007.  At the opening, it was a bit tight, but by the second glass it had opened up and had a much longer taste.  We were all impressed by the quality and value of the wine.

Somewhere after the top of the cable car and our long walk down the hill and to the tasting room, we decided to do an extravagant dinner paired with wines.  Stephen would take care of the food (again, three-star-chef); we were in charge of the wine.  We discussed the courses during our walk and it was up to us to find the wines.

We parted in the evening with the plan to meet two nights later in a hostel.

We had to get out of Argentina, but only so we could return with a renewed 90 day tourist visa. Now, we haven’t been here for 90 days yet, but the only other option would be to cross into Bolivia in a few weeks, which would cost us $138 each – the same fee levied against Bolivians entering the US.

Mendoza is so close to Chile, so we decided to take a quick, weekend trip to Valparaiso. Known for its steep hills, graffiti and brightly painted houses, we had a wonderful time exploring many nooks and alleyways that are everywhere in the city.

Valparaiso

We spent one full day wandering the hills of Valparaiso, visiting the eccentric house of Chile’s beloved poet Pablo Neruda, and taking every acsensor (cable cars that ascend some of the steepest hills) we could find.

Check out the Flickr set

Vina del Mar

Our second day was spent in the neighboring city, Vina del Mar. Much newer, flatter and cleaner than Valpo, what it lacked in uniqueness it made up for in comfort. Our main destinations in Vina del Mar were Los Dunas (the dunes) and a recommended empanada stand.

And a video:

The dunes were quite a surprise. They were extremely large and offered a great vista of the entire coastline all the way to Valparaiso. After have a bit of fun running and jumping off the top of the dunes, we headed back into town to finish our mission. We found the restaurant Entre las Mezas, ordered our empanadas and were very delighted. I branched out and embraced local cuisine and tried the Empanada de Mariscos (empanada with shellfish) while Carra had a vegetarian empanada.

The main difference between Argentina and Chilean empanadas was the size and variety. Chilean empanadas are very large, about the size of a hand, whereas Argentine empanadas are about the size of a fist.

A Few Welcome Surprises

We were surprised by the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in Chilean markets. We stocked up on avocados, fruits and even chicken deli meat (there seems to be only ham in Argentina) and made some delicious sandwiches.

Also, our hostel, Casa Aventura, served a great breakfast with eggs, pineapple, oranges, pears, apples, and fresh baked bread everyday…and good coffee. It was by far the most complete and delicious breakfast we’ve had during our stay in South America.