Santiago Wine Guide: Day Trips to Maipo & Casablanca Valley

Santiago sits at the geographical heart of Chile's wine country — the capital is flanked by the Maipo Valley (30 minutes east), the Casablanca Valley (90 minutes west toward Valparaíso), and the Colchagua Valley (3 hours south), producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, and cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir that have transformed Chile into one of the world's most respected wine nations. Concha y Toro's Pirque estate in Maipo Valley — Chile's most famous winery — offers the most polished tours with access to the legendary Don Melchor Cabernet vineyards. Santa Rita's 120 estate, where 120 soldiers hid from Spanish forces in 1814, combines excellent Cabernet with a beautifully preserved colonial hacienda. Casablanca Valley's maritime fog produces some of the Southern Hemisphere's finest Sauvignon Blanc at Matetic, Kingston Family Vineyards, and Casa del Bosque. The Ruta del Vino in Colchagua is the most spectacular: Viña Santa Cruz's cable car over the valley is a serious contender for the best wine estate experience in South America.