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Colchagua

Chile is a great place for American wine tourists these days because the dollar is still strong there. It doesn’t cost a fortune to be a wine tourist in Chile, as it does in Europe these days.

WHAT MAKES THE COLCHAGUA VALLEY SPECIAL

Chile is a great place for American wine tourists these days because the dollar is still strong there. It doesn't cost a fortune to be a wine tourist in Chile, as it does in Europe these days. The country has more than a dozen valleys where wine in made, but the Colchagua Valley does the best job of making a tourist feel at home. The panoramas are beautiful, with a combination of flat valley floors with towering and majestic mountains in the background. Colchagua's wineries have taken the extra time to figure out what turns on wine tourists and then to deliver that. The wines, of course, are great, especially the Carmenère. It's not surprising that the French have discovered Chile in a big way and blazed many of the trails to good wine. There's a historic Latin touch to the region that may bring back memories of Spain. Don't miss the folkloric music. Wine got started in Chile close to the capital of Santiago, but the best wine is starting to come from further away in the Colchagua Valley. More and more wineries are likely to be opening in this welcome spot where visitors quickly feel at home.

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE COLCHAGUA VALLEY WINES

Carmenère, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon

WINERIES TO VISIT

Viña Montes
This relatively new winery has jumped to the top ranks. Its best wines are Alpha M, a Bordeaux blend, Purple Angel, a Carmenère, and Folly, a Syrah. The very modern winery has touches of feng shui, and there is Gregorian Chant music in the aging room. Where else can you find that at wineries!

Casa Lapostelle
In 2008, its Clos Alpata was the wine of the year for Wine Spectator . If you can, spring to book a room right at the winery. It will be one of life's great experiences. The deep underground winemaking and storage facilities are ultra modern and interesting. The evening view from the terrace is spectacular.

Viña Santa Cruz
The owner Carlos Cardoen once sold weapons to Saddham Hussein, but that's another story. Its wines are not yet shipped around the world, but the quality is improving rapidly. For tourists there are two museums at the top of the nearby mountain, and a ski lift to take you there.

Viña Casa Silva
This is an old winery that only recently discovered wine tourism. Its seven-room hotel is a great place to stay right at the winery. The restaurant, which is also located there, specializes in fish from the nearby Pacific Ocean. From September to April there are weekly rodeos. And by the way, the wines are also excellent, especially the Chardonnay.

Viña Biquertt
This winery has one of the most beautiful tasting rooms in the country, with lots of heavy wood and history. The place has the feel of a resort that just happens to have a winery located on the grounds. Its wines are becoming better and better known thanks to winemaker Joana Pereira.

WHERE TO STAY

Casa Lapostolle
It's not cheap, but then the best things in life rarely are. This is one of the most spectacular places to stay in the world of wine. Owner Alexandra Mernier-Lapostolle built it to be her private retreat when she was visiting from Geneva, where she normally lives. The bungalows are named after grape varieties.

Viña Casa Silva
Very different from Lapostelle, but nice in its own way. Rooms are in what used to be the family home and have a feel of history. The winery is just out the front door. The cowboy huaso tradition is strong here.

Hotel Santa Cruz
Located on the main square in the city of Santa Cruz, this was the first international hotel in town. Nearby is a wine museum. The hotel has lovely outdoor dining and can arrange for visits to Viña Santa Cruz, whose owner had both properties.

Parador de la Viña
This small gem is located just outside Santa Cruz and has only a few rooms, but give it a try. Some of the rooms face right on vineyards, and it's very convenient as a central place to stay while traveling around the Colchagua Valley.

Casa Las Majadas de Colchagua
This is the guesthouse at the Viña Bisquertt winery. There are well-appointed furnishings and lovely gardens. The perfect place for a honeymoon or for a second honeymoon. The food is good and goes with their wines.

WHERE TO EAT

Your best bet in the Colchagua Valley is to eat at the wineries or hotels. All of the wineries mentioned above have good eating facilities, and the foods are meant to complement the wines. You can't go wrong at Viña Santa Cruz, Casa Lapostelle, Viña Casa Silva or Viña Bisquertt. Hotel Santa Cruz also has a good dining room. Away from wineries and major hotels, the food in Colchagua can be rustic and an adventure.

NON-WINE THINGS TO DO

If possible, arrange your visit to Colchagua so that you can take the Wine Train (Tren del Vino) that goes from San Fernando to Santa Cruz on Saturday mornings. It's an old-fashioned puffer that billows lots of black smoke, and aboard you will get a snack and a selection of local wines to enjoy as you pass through the vineyards. Lots of tourists are aboard, but also many local people. A singer wanders from car to car strumming a guitar and performing songs in Spanish during the trip. The conductor is always ready to answer your questions about both wine and Chile. At the end of the 90-minute trip in Santa Cruz a group of local dancers and musicians will perform. The whole voyage is wonderful, as are the wines on the train.

If you visit the Santa Rita winery be sure to leave enough time to tour the two museums at the top of the mountain on winery property. One is dedicated to Chilean culture, including a section on the people of Easter Island, which is part of Chile. The other reflects the eclectic collecting habits of Carlos Cardoen, the owner, who among other things is fascinated with the heavens and man's ventures into it. There's even a resident astronomer.