New Wine Routes – Into the Maule Valley
Duration: 5-7 days
Best for: wine tours
Route: Isla Negra – San Fernando – Maule
When to Go? November to May; the vendimia (wine harvest) is held between February and May
Take the Casablanca Valley route to the coast, stopping at Isla Negra to visit poet-diplomat Pablo Neruda’s favourite house and to take in views of the wind-lashed coast. Follow Route 66 to San Fernando in the Colchagua Valley, then hop on the ‘Wine Train’ for a meandering ride (with tastings) around the area; or better still, stay the night at a winery.
Finish south in Maule, a region that has been producing wine for a long time but is only now emerging as a competitor to the vineyards near Santiago. Stay at the Casa Bouchon amid the sweeping vineyards of the Mingre Estate.
