Insider’s 6-Day Wine & Culinary Tour of Argentina & Chile | 2027
This will be a comprehensive, week-long wine and culinary tour beginning in Santiago, Chile and ending in Mendoza, Argentina. We will visit three famous wine valleys in Chile (Cachapoal, Colchagua and Maipo) and three famous wine regions in Argentina (Lujan de Cuyo, Gualtallary and Valle de Uco). Please scroll down to read the specifics but in the meantime, dates and registration info is directly below.
DATES
TOUR #1 ~ February 6-13, 2027
RSVP
Send an email to chris@winevaultbistro.com with everyone in your party’s:
1. Full names
2. Cell phone numbers for everyone and best date/time to call for your credit card info
3. Email addresses for everyone in your party
4. Whether you want one or two beds in your room
5. Which tour you want to be on
COST
$4,225 per person based on double occupancy
$495 single occupancy upcharge
DEPOSITS
25% non-refundable initial deposit due upon registration
45% non-refundable second deposit due 180 days before tour start date
40% non-refundable final payment due 90 days before tour start date
INCLUDED IN COST
1. Seven nights lodging (3 nights in Chile + 4 nights in Argentina)
2. Ground transportation to all venues beginning Sunday morning and ending Saturday morning
3. Seven breakfasts
4. Six lunches
5. Five dinners (one at a Michelin Star restaurant)
6. All winery tours and tastings
NOT INCLUDED IN COST
1. Airfare and ground transportation getting to Santiago and leaving from Mendoza
2. Dinner on Sunday (but you probably won’t be hungry after the big lunch)
3. Flight from Santiago to Mendoza (plan on $100-200 per person depending upon how much luggage you have)
4. Taxi fare from Mendoza airport to Mendoza hotel (plan on about $10 per person)
5. Gratuities for the drivers and servers (plan on $30-35 total per person for the entire tour)
6. Bottle of wine per couple to share at the finale dinner
PHYSICAL ABILITY
This tour involves some walking that at times will be on rocky terrain in the vineyards. Please do not make a reservation for this tour if this is going to be an issue.
TRIP INSURANCE
I cannot even begin to stress how strongly I recommend that you get trip insurance. I’ve made arrangements with a reputable local travel professional I’ve known for years who can provide that service if you don’t have your own travel agent. He can also help with discounted flights and pre- and post- tour accommodations. If you’re interested, I will provide his information once you sign up.
HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT
Upon registration you will be required to accept the conditions of our hold harmless agreement before your reservation will be finalized.
PASSPORT
Make sure your passport is valid for at least six (6) months past your return date.
MENU ABERRATIONS
Please try to keep menu aberrations to an absolute minimum ... but definitely let us know when you RSVP (not after the tour starts) if you’re allergic to anything or have any other dietary restrictions.
ITINERARY CHANGES
While we don’t anticipate having to make any changes to the itinerary, we reserve the right to do so at our discretion if necessary.
TOUR OUTLINE
The tour will start in Santiago, Chile and end in Mendoza, Argentina. The hotel we’re staying at in Santiago is less than ten minutes from the Santiago International Airport and provides a free shuttle. I’ve made arrangements with the hotel for discounted rates if you want to arrive a day or two early. From there we’ll head south through Cachapoal Valley to Santa Cruz which will be our home for the next two days while we visit wineries in Colchagua Valley. On Tuesday we’ll head north through Maipo en route back to Santiago where we’ll fly over the Andes to Mendoza. (The flight is only 35 minutes long but it has some of the most scenic, jaw dropping views in the world.) Once in Mendoza, we’ll stay at the same hotel for the next four nights. The next three days will be spent exploring some iconic and some off-the-beaten-path wineries in Argentina. The finale will be an amazing asado dinner at the hotel with everyone sharing a special bottle of wine that they purchased on the tour. For those who want to extend their stay in Mendoza I’ve made arrangements with the hotel for discounted rates. Whenever you’re ready to leave simply take a taxi to the airport and fly out from there. (There are many exciting destinations ... think Lima, Machu Picchu, Patagonia, Antarctica ... that are “relatively” close by so, instead of going straight home, now just may be the time to check off some of those destinations on your travel bucket list!)
So here's the blow-by-blow itinerary. A few of the venues are still slightly tentative so we do reserve the right to make a few changes if necessary but, by and large, it’s pretty accurate.
SATURDAY
The tour actually doesn’t start until Sunday morning but we’re including lodging at the Hilton Saturday night as the tour starts right after breakfast Sunday morning. So you’re on your own that Saturday but I suspect most of you will want to lay low that day to start acclimating to the five-hour time difference (from the west coast; east coast is only two hours). There are also some chartered day trips to nearby Valparaiso on the coast that you can find on line if you want to come in a day or two early as well as one of the most amazing seafood restaurants in town that’s only a ten-dollar Uber ride away.
SUNDAY
After breakfast Sunday morning we’ll have a meet ‘n’ greet orientation in one of the hotel’s meeting rooms (with bottles of Rosé on ice, of course!). After that we’ll pack up and board our two mini-buses and head an hour-and-a-half south to Cachapoal Valley to visit Viña San Pedro, a gorgeous winery nestled in the remote hills at the foot of the Andes. We’ll tour their cellars and then enjoy a leisurely-paced, multi-course lunch paired with their premium wines while soaking up the breathtaking views. From there we’ll head another hour-and-a-half south to Santa Cruz for the night.
Santa Cruz is the largest town in the famous Colchagua Valley and is home to some of the most famous and high-end wineries in all of Chile. We’re staying at Hotel Santa Cruz, which is the only hotel within 100 miles that can accommodate groups our size. It’s an old, hacienda-style hotel with lots of character in the middle of a tropical setting. While it may not have all of the amenities you’re used to in a hotel, it is clean, charming and in the perfect location. Dinner is not included tonight but you’ll probably still be full from your late lunch. But if you want to get something light they do have an outdoor restaurant on site or you can explore the shops and restaurants in the main town square just down the street. I’m guessing many of you will still be on the tail end of jet lag so feel free to make it an early night as the gloves come off on Monday!
MONDAY
Today we will visit three of the most iconic wineries in Colchagua Valley. After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll board the mini-buses and head to Vina Neyen, home to the oldest vines in Apalta, where we’ll visit their “aroma garden” where you’ll learn how to sharpen your olfactory senses by smelling the various varietals. Then we’ll tour the century-plus year old vineyards before enjoying an ultra-premium tasting including a vertical tasting of their best wines.
Next we’ll head to Viña Maquis, a fourth-generation winery with the highest rated Cabernet Franc in all of Chile. We’ll start on the winery’s rooftop enjoying a glass of Rosé paired with gazpacho while soaking in the views. Then we’ll take a walk through their “biological corridor,” a fascinating sustainable habitat that’s home to many of the plants and animals that are beneficial to the vines. Their famous “Franco” vineyard is right next to the corridor so naturally we’ll have a glass in hand of their uber-premium Cab Franc to enjoy as we walk alongside the very vines that the wine came from. After a few more minutes we’ll reach the river where skewers of lamb will be grilling over charcoal to enjoy with the Cab Franc. We’ll end our trek at the tasting room casona where we’ll enjoy a three-year vertical of their high-end Carmenère on the patio overlooking the river.
From here we’ll go Vina Encierra, one of the oldest wineries in the region going back to 1887. They, along with neighboring winery Los Vascos, have ties to Lafite Rothschild, one of the most famous Bordeaux houses in France. Here we’ll be welcomed with a glass of Rose while touring the family chapel, winery and vineyards before enjoying a premium tasting paired with a gourmet cheese board. After that we’ll have an authentic outdoor asado with grilled ribeyes, chicken and trout along with every imaginable accompaniments and unlimited wines. Dinner will be under the stars with a live sax playing in the background. Should be an amazing experience you’ll not soon forget!
After a most satisfying day of sampling some of the best wines and eating some of the best food of Chile we’ll hop back on the shuttles for the short ride back to the hotel for a night of comatose sleep!
TUESDAY
After breakfast we’ll pack up and leave Santa Cruz for Tarapaca a little over two hours north right in the heart of Maipo Valley in the heart of Chile. Viña Tarapacá is surrounded by miles of vineyards located inside a private gated village out in the middle of nowhere. (This is one of the few places in the world where you’ll see cactus growing next to grape vines!) We’ll do a quick walking tour of their tropical grounds before heading to their formal villa for a tasting and multi-course pairing lunch which should tide us over until we get to Argentina.
After lunch we’ll drive just under an hour north where the buses will drop everyone off at the Santiago Airport for the flight to Mendoza. (IMPORTANT NOTE: The flight is NOT included in the tour. You will have to purchase tickets for the LATAM Airlines flight currently departing Santiago at 5:53PM and arriving Mendoza at 7:00PM. As of right now, and subject to change with the whims of demand and inflation, plan on $100-150 per person depending upon how much luggage you have. We’ll provide exact flight numbers and additional info as we get closer.)
Once on board, the actual flight time is only about 40 minutes. But what an amazing flight it is! From Santiago the flight rapidly ascends 23,000 feet to the peaks of the Andes (which are absolutely spectacular and are snow-capped twelve months out of the year) and then rapidly descends into Mendoza. The flight will be over before you know it so make sure to have your camera ready to take some amazing pictures at the top of the Andes!
Once we land in Mendoza just grab your bags and get a taxi (on your own; plan on about $10 per person) to the Sheraton Mendoza about fifteen minutes away. After check-in we’ll have a private welcome reception in the top floor view deck with some empanadas and sparkling wine which should be just enough to tide you through after our big lunch earlier. If you’re still hungry there’s a restaurant in the hotel but I will caution you that there are going to be two huge meals on Wednesday so my advice would be to go to bed a little hungry!
After the welcome reception you’re welcome to do whatever you want but my recommendation would be to make it an early night and hit the hay as we’ve got a huge day tomorrow. We’ll be at this hotel for the next four nights so you can “unpack” unpack. And yes, I have made arrangements with the hotel for discounted rates if any of you want to stay a day or two after the tour.
WEDNESDAY
After breakfast we’ll board our Sprinters (some of the roads in Argentina are too narrow for a conventional bus so we’re going to use three Mercedes 17-19 passenger Sprinter passenger vans instead) and head south to Bodega Casarena. On the way we’ll stop to visit their iconic Owen Vineyard, home to Cabernet vines planted on traditional pergolas from 1933. We’ll enjoy a glass or two of the old vine Cabernet from those vines during the trek there and you’ll also see many examples of their unique “mother-daughter” vine propagation system. From there we’ll make the short drive to their winery at the foot of the Andes to have an empanada making cooking class in conjunction with a special tasting of their other vineyard designate wines. After the class we’ll all sit down for an another asado but this time we’ll take a break from all the meat and feature fresh grilled vegetables at the peak of their prime instead (remember, it’s summertime down there!) along with delicious tomato salads and poultry.
After lunch we’ll make the short drive to Catena Zapata, perhaps the most well-known winery in all of Argentina. We’ve featured the wines of Catena many times at our bistro in the past and Laura Catena was here in person several years ago to host a winemaker which many of you may have attended. With its distinctive pyramid shape, the winery is recognizable for miles. They are very much involved in the scientific study of everything vine and wine related, and have many accolades to prove it. (Tomorrow we’ll visit their Adrianna Vineyard ... named after Laura’s sister ... which is literally the most studied vineyard in the entire world.) Anyway, after a welcome glass of their sparkling wine, we’ll split into smaller groups and tour the facility under the direction of their highly qualified sommelier guides for a more technical explanation of the vine growing and winemaking process. After the tour we’ll sit down for a focused tasting of six of their premium wines. After that (bonus!) we’ll drive a couple of minutes up the road to their new underground distillery which is nothing short of spectacular. We’ll have a brief tour of their gorgeous, state-of-the-art red alembic still and a quick tasting there before leaving for dinner.
From here we’ll go to Santa Julia winery to visit their olive oil production facility and sample their wines before having another amazing asado dinner in their intimate dining room set in the middle of their vineyards. After another satisfying dinner we’ll make the just under half hour drive back to the hotel to grab some shuteye and store up some energy for yet another jam-packed adventure tomorrow.
THURSDAY
We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today so after breakfast we’ll make a slightly earlier departure than usual so we can fit everything in. This will be our Valle de Uco day. Valle de Uco is probably the second most famous wine region (after Luján de Cuyo) and is located just under two hours south of Mendoza.
Our first stop will be in the Gualtallary region, home to some of the most renown high-altitude vineyards in Argentina. I had wanted to visit Luca here which is a tiny winery founded by Laura Catena but it is simply too small for groups our size plus they’re not set up for visitors. So we’re doing the next best thing! Adrianna Vineyard (that we wrote about earlier) is right down the road from Luca and has a private stone “Mirador,” or lookout building that overlooks the vineyard. Since it’s unoccupied, they are graciously giving us the gate code so our groups can make a quick stop there to go up to the Mirador’s roof deck. We’ll bring some Luca wines with us on the Sprinters so we’ll pop a few bottles up there so you can enjoy the wines while seeing the actual vines they were made from. Kinda geeky, yes ... but definitely a great photo op and an experience you won’t forget and something no other tour will ever be able to do. And, no promises, but if Mariano (the winemaker at Luca) is available, he will stop by to narrate the tasting.
From there we’ll head to Bodega Salentein, one of the most beautiful wineries in the region (and the world, for that matter) with a mind-blowing, cross-shaped cellar that culminates with an acoustically perfect center point where you can literally hear a pin drop. There’s even a baby grand there so if we have any pianists in the group you’ll be able to test the amazing acoustics firsthand! The winery itself is surrounded by the vineyards and is a short walk from the reception center where we’ll stop for a light lunch with an amazing assortment of heavy appetizers and unlimited wines. We’re purposely keeping the food light here as we’ve got a huge dinner later.
Next we’ll make the short drive to Bodega Corazón del Sol in the heart of the Uco Valley. Founded by Dr. Revana, a cardiologist from Texas who also has wineries in Napa and Oregon, Corazón del Sol produces some Malbec but is most well known for producing Rhône varietals like Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Upon arrival we’ll do a quick winery and vineyard tour and then settle down for a serious tasting of their limited production (most are only 3-4 barrels each) wines along with some appetizers.
Finally, we’ll head a little farther south to Zuccardi in the southernmost part of the Uco Valley. Zuccardi is a huge player in the Argentine wine industry and their facility here really shows it. Everything is absolutely cutting-edge perfection and no expenses were spared. We’ll start with an extensive tour of their state-of-the-art winery and grounds and then enjoy a premium tasting on their patios overlooking the vineyards before having a extensive multi-course pairing menu for a leisurely dinner. This will definitely be a visit you’ll not forget soon! After dinner we’ll make the drive back to Mendoza for some well deserved rest after this jam packed day!
FRIDAY
We’re going to keep things close to home on this last full day in Argentina so total travel time for the entire day will be less than an hour. After breakfast we’ll head less than twenty minutes south to Mendel. Mendel is an old-school winery located in the middle of Malbec vines planted almost a century ago. We’ll meet up with winemaker Roberto de la Mota who is one of the most famous and respected winemakers in all of Argentina. We’re going to forego a winery tour as it’s pretty much of a working facility and not really set up for tours and meet instead in their center outdoor courtyard for an informal tasting with Roberto himself. He’ll be pouring his Semillon, Malbec, Cab Sauv and “Unus,” his premium Malbec-dominated Bordeaux. He’ll also pour a couple of decade-old wines so you can compare them to the current releases to get an idea of how they’ll age. And then for good measure he’s going to throw in a surprise library wine, usually a magnum from his personal cellar. They’ll also be serving some of their estate olive oil along with some homemade bread for dipping. This promises to be a rare opportunity to taste with one of the masters himself. Lots and lots of history here.
From there it’s only about ten minutes away to Antigal, voted the New World Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2023. We’ll start on their patio for a very, very special three-year vertical tasting of their uber high end, single vineyard Malbec from La Dolores Vineyard in Gualtallary simply called ONE. After that we’ll visit their cellars and afterwards enjoy an al fresco lunch served with an unlimited assortment of their white wines. (We’re purposely keeping the food light again during the day today so you’ll have room for the huge asado tonight!)
After that we’ll head back to the hotel where we’ll meet up in the secret “Cava” two stories below the street for a final vertical tasting with my friend Jimena Lopez. Her “real” job is winemaker for Andaluna, a large winery in Valle de Uco but her passion project is her own small winery called Graffito. We’ll have a stand-up tasting of three vintages of her Graffito Malbec in the Cava where you’ll be able to meet her informally and get answers to any of your “geeky” wine questions.
After that we’ll have about three hours of free time for you to just relax or get caught up on stuff or to explore the downtown neighborhood as you wish. Then at 7:00 we’ll meet for our finale dinner at La Cabrera which is located on the ground floor of the hotel. We’ll start with a welcome glass of sparkling wine with an empanada and then some white with a delicious tomato salad before getting down to business for the asado. Rather than serve typical grilled meat asado fare, we’re going to pull out the stops and serve monster T-bones instead. Each steak averages 1.5 kilos (almost 3 pounds) so we’ll serve one per couple (and probably still have leftovers). This will be a super informal fun dinner where each couple needs to bring a special bottle of wine purchased on the trip to share with everyone. We’ve done this on many tours in the past and it’s always a highlight. The restaurant is ours for the evening so you can stay as long as you wish. During dessert we’ll give everyone who wants to an opportunity to share some of their highlights (while wearing the obligatory scarf!) with their fellow travelers and new best friends. It should be a wonderful way to end a wonderful week!
SATURDAY
The tour is officially over after breakfast Saturday morning but I suspect some of you will want to extend your stay here for another day or two. And yes, I did make arrangements for discounted hotel rates for those of you who want to stay longer. When you’re ready to leave, simply taxi to the Mendoza airport and fly out from there. If commitments back home allow, I definitely recommend taking advantage of this opportunity to do some additional post tour exploring in the area if at all possible! (Think Machu Picchu, Patagonia, Antarctica or wherever else strikes your fancy!) Thanks for reading and we hope to see you in South America!
HOUR-BY-HOUR ITINERARY
SATURDAY
Check into Hilton Garden Inn Santiago Airport anytime the night before the tour starts
SUNDAY
09:00AM orientation meeting in hotel meeting room
10:45AM depart Hilton Garden Inn Santiago Airport
12:30PM arrive Vina San Pedro in Cachapoal (tour, tasting, lunch)
03:45PM depart Vina San Pedro
05:15PM arrive Hotel Santa Cruz for the night (evening on your own)
MONDAY
09:00AM depart Hotel Santa Cruz
09:30AM arrive Vina Neyen (tour, tasting)
12:30PM depart Vina Neyen
01:00PM arrive Vina Maquis (tour, tasting, lunch)
03:45PM depart Vina Maquis
04:15PM arrive Encierra (tour, tasting, asado dinner)
07:30PM depart Encierra
08:00PM arrive Hotel Santa Cruz for the night
TUESDAY
09:00AM depart Hotel Santa Cruz
11:30AM arrive Tarapaca (tour, tasting, lunch)
02:30PM depart Tarapaca
03:30PM arrive Santiago airport
06:25PM Latam flight from Santiago to Mendoza
07:30PM arrive Mendoza
08:00PM taxi on your own to Sheraton Hotel
08:30PM arrive hotel for the night (welcome reception at hotel with sparkling wine + appetizers)
WEDNESDAY
09:00AM depart Sheraton Hotel
10:00AM arrive Owen Vineyard (trek, tasting)
10:45AM depart Owen Vineyard
11:15AM arrive Casarena (tour, tasting, cooking class, lunch)
01:30PM depart Casarena
01:45PM arrive Catena Zapata (tour, tasting, distillery tour)
05:00PM depart Catena Zapata
05:45PM arrive Santa Julia (olive oil + winery tour, tasting, asado dinner)
09:00PM depart Santa Julia
09:30PM arrive Sheraton Hotel for the night
THURSDAY
08:45AM depart Sheraton Hotel
10:30AM arrive arrive Mirador at Adrianna Vineyard (tasting, photo op)
11:00AM depart Mirador
11:30AM arrive Salentein (tour, tasting + lunch)
01:30PM depart Salentein
02:00PM arrive Corazon del Sol (tour, tasting, light snacks)
03:45PM depart Corazon del Sol
04:30PM arrive Zuccardi (tour, tasting, dinner)
07:45PM depart Zuccardi
09:45PM arrive Sheraton Hotel for the night
FRIDAY
09:00AM depart Sheraton Hotel
09:30AM arrive Mendel Winery (tasting, light snacks)
11:00AM depart Mendel
11:15AM arrive Antigal (vertical tasting, light pasta lunch)
02:00PM depart Antigal
02:30PM arrive Sheraton Hotel
03:00PM Graffito vertical tasting in the basement Cava in the hotel
04:00PM free time until dinner
07:00PM finale asado dinner at La Cabrera (everyone brings a bottle to share)
10:00PM dinner over; Sheraton Hotel for the night
SATURDAY
08:00AM tour over after breakfast