Discover how to go wine tasting in Chile’s Maipo Valley with this handy guide, from the Little Wine Bus to the best wineries to visit and how to get there from Santiago.
While you can typically find me hiking, walking, or on the water in most places, there’s nothing I love more than a delicious glass of wine.
And in Chile, there are few occasions that don’t involve wine.
To celebrate finishing my trek in Torres del Paine, I decided I wanted to treat myself to a day of relaxing and wine tasting. It seemed like a fun “outdoor” activity where you can enjoy the nature of the Andes Mountains surrounding Santiago.
Aaaand of course, drink some of the best wine in the world!
I settled on Maipo Valley because a) I’d already been to Casablanca Valley and b) I heard fantastic things about the wines available in the region.
To be honest, I’m more of a red wine lover myself, so I decided I wanted to see what the Maipo hype-o was all about.
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How to go wine tasting in Maipo Valley
But actually, I’m no stranger to Chilean wine – in fact, I’ve now been wine tasting in Maipo Valley twice.
The first time I visited Maipo Valley was actually years earlier, on a tour to Concha y Toro vineyards, and it was the verrrryyyy first wine tasting that I’d ever tried.
At that time, I thought all wine tasted the same and I was just there to do the “Chilean thing” of drinking wine in a beautiful place. The tour consisted of a big bus full of (mostly) older tourists and I ended up leaving with 4 bottles of wine (more than I could fit in my suitcase…score!).
So, needless to say, when I returned to Chile and wanted to try to see even more of Maipo Valley, I looked for an option that would bring me to a wide variety of wineries in the region.
While there were several 1- or 2-winery group tours to Maipo Valley, they seemed really expensive for what they offered.
When I stumbled upon Maipo Valley Wine Tours, which offered a “Little Wine Bus” that promises to “visit wineries with a beautiful story to tell, taste excellent wines, enjoy good food and have lots of fun in a breathtaking landscape of vineyards at the foot of the Andes,” I was sold.
Food, wine, and fun? Sounds like my kind of day tour!
The Maipo Valley is Chile’s most famous red wine region, and it’s right on Santiago’s doorstep. The vineyards spread south of the city, from Pirque and Puente Alto in the Andes foothills (the area known as Alto Maipo) to Buin and Alto Jahuel, and west to Isla de Maipo and Talagante, which sit about an hour’s drive from downtown. Cabernet Sauvignon is the star of the show here, with plenty of Carmenère, Merlot, and Syrah alongside it.
Wine tasting on Maipo Valley Wine Tours’ “Little Wine Bus”
The Little Wine Bus is basically a small group tour of several of Maipo Valley’s wineries and wine areas, and includes both breakfast and lunch. What drew me to this specific tour was how the entire day revolved around wine – from the time you board the bus until the time you get dropped off.
And that’s exactly what I was looking for.
But let me start by setting some expectations: the Little Wine Bus is NOT a traditional winery/wine tasting tour. You’re not going to sit down, eat oyster crackers, and sample 3-5 wines per vineyard.
If you are looking for this more traditional wine tasting experience, check out some of Maipo Valley Wine Tours’ other offerings or scroll down to read about some other options.
However, if you’re looking for a tour around Maipo Valley where you’ll literally never have an empty glass, this is a fantastic and cost-effective option for getting around (and make some new friends along the way!).
After being picked up at my hotel, the day started in a beautiful little garden next to an art gallery and workshop, where we were treated to coffee, scrambled eggs, toast, jam, and fresh fruits and tomatoes.
There were strangely more Americans on this tour than I’d seen in my entire time in Chile (over 6 weeks).
Then, around 10 or 10:30 AM…our cheerful guide, Felipe, opened the first bottle of wine, marking the start of our wine infused day of goodness.
For the rest of the day, our bus took us around to 5 different stops: 3 wineries, a scenic lunch spot, and a warehouse behind our guide’s house where he served us different kinds of local liquors and drinks.
It was totally not what I was expecting to be doing on my tour, but it was also really, really fun.
If it weren’t for some straight-up racist people on my tour (in which I was the only non-white target – but we’ll get into this on another, much more heated post), it would have been a really amazingly awesome day.
All in all, I’d recommend the Little Wine Bus to anyone looking for a fun experience outside of the traditional wine tastings and vineyard tours that are offered around Maipo Valley. For the price (it was $97 USD per person when I went, but prices have gone up a lot since and now vary with group size, so check the current rate when you book), it includes a LOT of wine, visits to 6 different stops, plus breakfast and lunch.
The itinerary changes from time to time, but the current version starts with brunch at an artist’s home and gardens in Isla de Maipo, then takes in the Los Mesa family cellar, lunch by the Maipo River, and tastings at De Martino, Santa Ema, and TerraMater. It runs for about nine hours, with pickup from hotels in Santiago from 9am.
Other ways to go wine tasting in Maipo Valley
Traditional vineyard tours
If you’re looking for a more traditional wine-tasting experience, you can try one of Maipo Valley Wine Tours’ other tours, including the Isla de Maipo Premium Wine Tour or the Top 3 Tour.
Alternatively, there are several tours available to individual wineries from other tour operators; you can find several awesome and affordable Maipo Valley tour options here.
One of the best-reviewed full-day options is this small-group Maipo Valley wine tour with four wineries, which visits La Quirinca, Santa Ema, TerraMater, and Ballek around Isla de Maipo, with hotel pickup in Santiago (Undurraga can be added for an extra fee). If you’d rather keep it short, there are half-day tours to single wineries too, like this Undurraga visit with hotel transfers, or you can book directly with the wineries below.
DIY Maipo Valley wine tour with rental car
If you’d rather have the full flexibility of choosing when and which vineyards you’d like to stop at, the best way to do this is with your own rental car.
Now, before I begin to explain this, I want to throw out there that drinking and driving is horrible and you should ABSOLUTELY have a designated driver if you want to go DIY wine tasting in Maipo Valley.
Chile takes this seriously, too: under its “zero tolerance” law, anything over 0.3 grams of alcohol per litre of blood counts as driving under the influence, and even a first offence means a fine and a suspended licence. Most wineries will happily pour a designated driver a soft drink instead.
Okay, now that that’s out of the way…
There are several car rental agencies in Santiago that you can choose from. I’ve never rented a car in Santiago, but I usually use Avis for my car rental needs around the world.
I’d recommend making a map of all of the wineries you’d like to visit so that you can plan a time and gas-efficient route. If you’re looking for a complete list of wineries in Maipo Valley, you can start here.
The wineries fall into two rough clusters: Pirque, Puente Alto, and Peñalolén on the Andes side of the city, and Isla de Maipo and Talagante to the southwest. Trying to do both in one day means a lot of time in the car, so pick one area and book your tours in advance, as almost every winery runs visits by reservation only.
Maipo Valley wineries worth visiting
There are dozens of wineries in the valley, but these are the best known for visits, from big historic estates to small family producers. Prices are per person in Chilean pesos (CLP) and change often, so check each winery’s website before you go. Harvest time (March and April) is the busiest and most beautiful season, and Isla de Maipo throws a harvest festival in its main square, usually in late March.
Concha y Toro, Pirque
This is Chile’s biggest wine producer and the home of Casillero del Diablo, named for the legend that the founder, Don Melchor, kept thieves out of his cellar by spreading the rumour that the devil lived there. It’s where I had my very first wine tasting, and it now has a big visitor complex, the Centro del Vino, at its estate in Pirque.
The two-hour Premium Guided Tour (CLP 50,000) takes in the wine museum, the gardens, the Casillero del Diablo cellar, and a tasting of four wines, and you can add a Marqués de Casa Concha tasting (CLP 80,000 in total) or lunch at the Bodega 1883 restaurant. There’s also a Casillero del Diablo night experience with dinner, Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm. The Centro del Vino opens at 8:30am, and you book online at enoturismo.conchaytoro.com. Kids can join the tour, but under-18s can’t go into the tasting room.
Address: Avenida Virginia Subercaseaux 210, Pirque
Getting there: Take Metro Line 4 to Las Mercedes, then a short taxi or Uber ride. The winery also sells an Uber round trip from your hotel with the ticket, and the Turistik shuttle runs from Plaza de Armas and Mall Parque Arauco.
Cousiño Macul, Peñalolén
Cousiño Macul is one of the oldest wineries in Chile and still in the same family: Matías Cousiño bought the Macul estate in 1856, and the winery opened in 1878. Today the city has grown up around it, which makes it the easiest Maipo winery to reach from downtown Santiago.
The Traditional Tour (CLP 25,000, about an hour) visits the old underground cellars and finishes with three wines and a glass to take home. The Premium Tour (CLP 40,000) adds three premium wines with food pairings, and there’s a bike tour through the vineyard (CLP 37,500, over-18s only) and sunset tours in spring and summer. Book by email at [email protected] or through GetYourGuide.
Address: Avenida Quilín 7100, Peñalolén, Santiago
Getting there: Take Metro Line 4 to Quilín, then walk for 20 to 25 minutes or grab a short taxi.
Viña Aquitania, Peñalolén
Just up the road from Cousiño Macul, at the foot of the Andes, Aquitania is a small boutique winery founded by two Bordeaux winemakers and a Chilean partner. It’s a good choice if you prefer small batches and a quieter visit to the big estates. The Premium tour costs CLP 40,000 and the Icono tour, with cheese and nuts, CLP 60,000. Book online through the winery’s website or by WhatsApp.
Getting there: It’s a short taxi or Uber ride from Metro Quilín, so you can easily pair it with Cousiño Macul.
Santa Rita, Alto Jahuel (Buin)
Founded in 1880, Santa Rita is as much a historic estate as a winery, and parts of it are a national monument. Its underground cellars are said to have sheltered 120 of Bernardo O’Higgins’ soldiers after the 1814 Battle of Rancagua, which is where its Santa Rita 120 wines get their name. The estate also has the Museo Andino, with more than 3,000 pre-Columbian pieces, and the Doña Paula restaurant, which serves traditional Chilean food (reservations required).
It’s about 45 minutes from Santiago, and public transport there is a long-winded mix of metro and bus, so a tour or a car is the way to go. Check the Santa Rita website for current tours and prices.
Address: Camino Padre Hurtado 695, Alto Jahuel, Buin
Santa Ema, Isla de Maipo
Santa Ema is a mid-sized family winery with Italian roots: Pedro Pavone Voglino came to Chile from Piedmont in 1917, and his son Félix founded the company in 1956. Its striking modern winery and tasting room are a stop on both the Little Wine Bus and the four-winery tour above. Tours include the Premium Amplus and Rivalta tours and a food experience, and there’s a restaurant, Casa Ema, on site. Book online through the Santa Ema website or by WhatsApp.
Address (visits): Balmaceda 1950, Isla de Maipo
De Martino, Isla de Maipo
De Martino was founded by an Italian immigrant family in 1934 and is known for its old-vine wines, including some made in traditional clay tinajas. Tours run Monday to Friday at 10:30am, starting at CLP 50,000 for the Single Vineyard tasting and going up to vertical tastings of its top wines. Every tour visits the family cellar and the foudre, barrel, and tinaja rooms and comes with a snack board. Book by email at [email protected].
Address: Manuel Rodríguez 229, Isla de Maipo
TerraMater, Isla de Maipo
Founded by the three Canepa sisters in 1996 (their family had been making wine since the 1930s), TerraMater is one of very few Chilean wineries making Zinfandel. Its restaurant is named Zinfandel too, and it’s a popular lunch stop on Maipo tours, with grilled meats to go with the reds. Book tours in advance, as visits are by reservation.
Address: Balmaceda 4900, Isla de Maipo
Undurraga, Talagante
Francisco Undurraga Vicuña founded this winery in 1885, and its grounds still have the park laid out by a French landscape designer around 1890, with cedars, redwoods, and palms. The winery says it was the first in Chile to export to the US, in 1903. The one-hour Sibaris tour and tasting costs CLP 29,500 (reservations required), and it’s easy to visit on a half-day tour with transport from Santiago.
Address: Camino a Melipilla km 34, Talagante
Getting to the Maipo Valley from Santiago
The easiest way to go wine tasting in the Maipo Valley is on a tour with hotel pickup, as nobody has to stay sober and you don’t have to figure out the transport. If you want to go it alone, here’s how to reach the wineries:
- By metro: Concha y Toro (Metro Las Mercedes) and Cousiño Macul (Metro Quilín) are both on Line 4, followed by a short taxi ride or walk. This is the cheapest way to go wine tasting from Santiago.
- By Uber: Uber, Cabify, and DiDi all work in Santiago, and a ride to Pirque or Peñalolén is quick and inexpensive. For Isla de Maipo, Talagante, or Buin, about an hour away, arrange your ride back before you start tasting.
- By car: Pirque is about 45 minutes’ drive from downtown, and Isla de Maipo and Talagante about an hour, mostly on toll highways (rental cars usually come with a toll tag). See the DIY section above, and remember that designated driver.
- By shuttle: Turistik runs a shuttle to Concha y Toro from Plaza de Armas and Mall Parque Arauco.
If you’ve got more time, the Maipo is one of many easy day trips from Santiago, along with the Casablanca Valley and the coast.
Maipo Valley Wine Tours graciously hosted my Little Wine Bus tour to Maipo Valley. As always, all opinions, snarky comments, and wine-infused giggles are 100%, proudly, my own.
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