The beauty of Chile’s wine route is that you don’t need to travel very far to find yourself surrounded by vineyards. This is especially true if you’re in Santiago. You only need to travel to the outer suburbs of the city to enjoy a wine tasting at a top winery.

Chile’s most famous winery is undoubtedly Concha y Toro. It is not only the largest wine producer in Chile, producing around 25% of the country’s wines, but also in the whole of Latin America. Therefore, if you’re looking for an overview of the wine industry in Chile, and looking for a label you might be able to find back home, then this Concha y Toro Winery Tour is the perfect option for you.

concha y toro winery tourBeautiful vineyards lie just a stone’s throw from Santiago / Image Source

CONCHA Y TORO TOUR

We were picked up for our morning half-day tour bright and early at our hotel in Santiago. The transfer dropped us off at a central meeting point, where we joined a small group of passengers and our tour guide and hopped on our mini-bus. This system of transfers was much quicker and easier than many other tour pick-ups I’ve encountered - a relief, given the size of Santiago.

We set off in the minibus to Santiago’s suburbs. The journey took roughly an hour. Along the way our guide told us about the Chilean wine industry, explaining the typical varietals, the various wine routes and the history of wine-making in the country.

Then we arrived at the grand estate located in Pirque, south of Santiago. The estate is the old summer residence of the Concha y Toro family. The winery was established in 1883 by Melchor de Concha y Toro and his wife Emiliana Subercaseaux, and they built the estate where the winery offers tours.

concha y toro winery tourCome and discover Chile’s most famous wines on a Concha y Toro Winery Tour / Photo by Daytours4u

Once at the winery, the tour is run by winery staff, with different language tours running at separate times, allowing everyone to follow along in either English, Spanish or Portuguese. The tour started with a walk in the gorgeous gardens, visiting the grand summer residence. The guide shed some light on the estate’s history. It is now owned the Concha y Toro Group, with vineyards all over Chile, in Argentina and in the USA.

The next stop was the Old Pirque vineyard, where there are 26 varieties of grapes grown. We had a chance to wander around and compare the vines and learn more about such varietals as Carménère, which is grown almost exclusively in Chile.

concha y toro winery tourCarménère is to Chile what Malbec is to Argentina / Photo by Daytours4u

After seeing the vineyards we had our first taste of the Concha y Toro’s wines, with an outdoor tasting of a crisp white wine. We were then guided inside the cellars, where we were treated to the legend of Casillero del Diablo (the legendary Devil’s Cellar). This was followed by a tasting of two more delectable red wines.

The tour wrapped up with a gift of a branded wine glass. We then had a chance to wander through the estate’s extensive wine shop. The facilities here also include a lovely restaurant, although we didn’t have enough time to eat anything. We were then transported back to the city just in time for lunch, with the option to either be dropped off back at our hotel or any other place we wished to visit in the city.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience and a great introduction to Chile’s wines and its most famous winery. To book this Concha y Toro Winery Tour, contact us today.

By: Nicole Eberhard, travel writer and avid explorer, with a Masters in English Literature.