Below the rolling Andes Mountains is the beautiful city of Santiago, the capital of Chile. This unique and mesmerizing city has some of the best vineyards in the world, making Santiago a must-visit for all wine lovers.
Chile isn’t just a long stretch of mountains and ocean, the country also provides some of the best wines on earth. With the wide variety of grapes grown in this breathtaking region, mouth-watering cabernet sauvignon and delicious sauvignon blanc come from Santiago, Chile.
Whether you’re traveling across South America for its diverse landscapes or wine tasting in Mendoza, a short trip to Santiago should be a part of your itinerary. With the Andean Mountains as your backdrop and the expansive fields of grape vines, you will be in paradise with a tasty glass of sauvignon blanc.
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Highlights:
- All tours include details on how to taste, smell and see the wine
- There are plenty of options with several vineyards dotted across the area
- Learn all about the skillful and special wine-making process of Chilean vineyards
Know before you book:
- The minimum drinking age is 18 years
- Comfortable shoes and windbreakers are essential for the vineyard walkabouts
- Most wine tasting tours occur on the outskirts of Santiago
Vineyards have been making wine in the Santiago region for centuries but only started gaining international recognition after the 1990s. The international recognition came soon after French and United States wineries began investing in Chilean vineyards.
There is a wide variety of grapes grown across Chile, the most commonly grown grape is the cabernet sauvignon. But there is a particular variety, the Carménère, which only grows in Chile. Carménère has a similar taste profile to a Merlot — plum, black cherry, and mild tannin, but it also has earthy undertones of black pepper, bell pepper, and cocoa powder.
The Chilean Carménère is known to grow best in the heart of the country around Santiago. So if you want a truly distinctive experience, filled with good wine and friendly faces, a Santiago wine tasting tour is just the thing for you.
Santiago Wine Tastings Tour Prices
Tour costs range from ₱16,822 ($18) to ₱106,673 ($115), depending on what the package includes. The tour duration ranges from one and a half hours to full-day trips, all including wine tasting at the respective vineyards.
Compare Santiago wine tasting tour prices across the ticket providers below:
Santiago Winery Tour Times
Wine tasting tours generally start from 9 am during the week and 10 am on weekends, and extend until 5 pm. Vineyards within the Santiago region are closed during the 17 public holidays the country celebrates. Public holidays during the peak visit season are All Saint’s Day on 01 November, Feat of the Immaculate Conception on 08 December, and Christmas on 25 December.
Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm
Saturday – Sunday: 10am – 5pm
Best Time To Go on Santiago Wine Tours
The best time to go on a Chile winery tour is between October and February. The vines are lush and green during this period, with the grapes ripening before your eyes. It is also the summer months, so the weather is fantastic. Another great time to visit is during the harvest season, from March to May.
From Santiago: Maipo Valley Wine Tours
The Maipo Valley wine region is located just south of Santiago and is one of the most frequently visited regions for wine tasting tours. The area receives low levels of rainfall but has a warm, dry climate with ocean breezes that are necessary for growing top-quality grapes.
When visiting this region, keep an eye out for vineyards such as the Concha y Toro, Santa Rita, and Undurraga. These wineries are among the region’s most famous and produce some of the best wines Chile has to offer.
Top Santiago Wine Tasting Tours
With a wealth of options and unparalleled guides through the wine regions of Santiago, you will leave with unforgettable memories. Most wine tasting tours include complete descriptions of each wine and a personalized guide through the tasting process.
With the gorgeous fields of grape vines and the Andes Mountains views filling the sky, it’s no wonder why Chile is one of the best places to visit when touring South America. Here are some of the best half and full-day wine tours from Santiago, Chile.
Cousiño Macul Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour From Santiago
This two-hour wine tasting tour takes you across the renowned Cousiño Macul vineyard. Your tour begins in the gardens of the vineyard, as you traverse the area your guide points out the grapes that produce the best wines.
From the great outdoors, you enter the winery with the largest wine barrels in the world. These barrels are produced from Chilean oak, with the capacity to hold 8,000 gallons. These oak barrels are no longer in use but are still a considerable part of the vineyard’s history.
Then walk among the massive stainless steel barrels that ferment the wine today, as you head towards the cellar where the bottles are stored. Before the end of the tour, enjoy tasting some of the best wines Cousiño Macul has to offer, with critical tips on what you should taste, see, and smell. Your tour guide explains the key wine pairings, such as scallops go beautifully with a sauvignon blanc and a juicy medium rare steak pairs best with a cabernet sauvignon.
- Cousiño Macul vineyard entry ticket
- Cousiño Macul Museum entry
- Free Wi-Fi
- Transportation to and from the vineyard
- Lunch
The tour includes entry into the vineyards museum, where you can learn more about this iconic winery. Engraved wine glasses make the experience just that much more special. Unfortunately, the tour does not include hotel pick-ups, but a detailed overview of how to get to the venue is provided.
Check Price & BookFull Day Santiago, Chile Wine Tasting Tour
This full-day wine tasting tour of the Casablanca Valley is a fantastic way to get a taste of Chile. You will be taken to Viñedos Veramonte, Vina Casas del Bosque, and Bodegas RE. The small group tour is perfect for family and friends, with hotel pick-up and drop-off services.
This is a personalized experience, with your tour guide giving you all the relevant information about the wines as you taste them. You’ll end your luxurious journey at the Tanino restaurant in Vina Casas del Bosque, where you can indulge in excellent food and wine pairings.
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Wine tasting at three vineyards
- Transportation in an air-conditioned minibus that accommodates wheelchair users
- Lunch costs
- Gratuities
This is a customizable tour, where you can choose which of the three vineyards you would like to go for a tasting. The tour also caters non-alcoholic beverages for families with children under the age of 18 years, allowing them to be part of the festivities. The luncheon at Tanino restaurant is not included in the tour, as food and wine costs can only be calculated after the meal.
Check Price & BookSpecification: Santiago Wine Tasting Tour Prices | Best Chile Wineries
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Sharareh_A –
Excellent all day biking and wine tasting tour with our guide Christian. We were fed breakfast and lunch, and multiple bottles of wine at different wineries.
Richard –
Picked up by the guide (a little late but traffic was awful) or transpired that we were the only 2 for the trip – arrived within an hour. The tour of the winery was well done with 3 tastings whilst you were being shown round the vineyard and having their process explained, we were given a keepsake glass that we used for the tasting. As part of our trip we then had a sommelier tasting of 4 further wines (all from their Marquise label about £35 a bottle) with some cheese and biscuits. The sommelier was very knowledgable and explained what to look out for. All in all a great trip out
Susan_G –
If you want to have a bit of exercise, enjoy the countryside and local life, this is the trip for you. We were picked up in town by Cristian and our lady driver, whose name unfortunately I don’t remember. She was an excellent driver and Cristian has the best command of English we have had of any guide ever, anywhere. We picked up our bikes from Felipe the operator’s home then cycled to a local home for breakfast (which had not been advertised in the deal, although “snacks” were which we didn’t get). We sat outside in a delightful fruit tree-filled garden, complete with wandering poultry and a couple of pet dogs, and had an excellent home made and delicious breakfast. We then cycled through to a vineyard, but instead of going into the winery for a formal tasting as we had expected we instead sat in the vineyard itself with a bottle of the vineyard’s wine. As we’d stopped at a local fruit stall enroute we had fruit to eat as well. It was great, just chatting and relaxing. Cristian is also a wine expert so can tell you all you want to know about wine and grapes, but we were happy learning more about Chilean life from Cristian. Afterwards we cycled and then walked through a beautiful old heritage listed town, enjoying seeing locals go about their day. Not a tacky tourist shop in sight! We followed up with a most delicious 3 course lunch at the same home we’d had breakfast at, starting with Pisco Sours and enjoying homemade peach juice as well as wine with our meal. The slow cooked meat was AMAZING. We really enjoyed the relaxed pace and learning of how everyday Chileans feel about things. We then were driven (Cristian deciding it was too hot) to a small winery run by a young man whose parents and grandparents had occupied the same land. We were exceptionally lucky because he had some winemaker friends there too, and we were treated to each of them telling us about the wines they were developing. After tastings, we were then invited to sit with them under a shady tree and enjoy some more wine. This was a fabulous day where we felt like we were simply enjoying a day out with friends, it has been a highlight of our travels. I might just add, as a possible negative, it’s not a cheap trip, but we have found all our tours in Santiago to be expensive, especially when you compare to what you can buy locally in shops and restaurants. BUT – at least in this case Felipe has set up his trips so that the money is spread to small local enterprises, which is good.
Linda_S –
One of the most educated winery tours we have been on. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. This tour is small and quaint. Upgrade to the premium package.