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| DAILY ITINERARY: |
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| Day 1: |
Arrive in Santiago |
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| Upon arrival at the Santiago airport, we are met by our representative and transferred to our city centre hotel to freshen up. We'll spend the afternoon getting to know Santiago, a city of contrasts with traditional and modern districts set against the scenic backdrop of the Andes. We'll visit the historical centre of Santiago, including Plaza de Armas with the Cathedral, the Central post office and the National History Museum and visit the Central Market. We begin our culinary experience with dinner in our favourite restaurant in the Providencia neighbourhood. |
| Overnight: Santiago Park Plaza, Santiago |
| Meals: Dinner |
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| Day 2: |
Maipo Valley |
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| This morning we leave the bustle of the city, driving south to the historic heartland of Chilean grape growing, the Maipo Valley. Chile's wine industry was founded in the 1850s by wealthy aristocrats who modeled their estates after Bordeaux chateaux. The wines of this area are still made from Bordeaux's traditional grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. We'll begin our wine tasting at the Perez Cruz boutique winery. The estate sits at the foot of the Andes Mountains and enjoys a temperate, Mediterranean climate. The new building was designed by a leading architect and seems to grow out of the local soil in a sinuous design, an organic expression of the inside activities. We'll continue on to the Antiyal organic winery for a tour of the estate and tasting of Antiyal and Kuyen. We stop for lunch to enjoy the local asado (barbeque) and in the afternoon we'll visit a nearby goat cheese producer. The end of the day brings us to the lovely little town of Santa Cruz and our hotel on the central plaza of the town. |
| Overnight: Hotel Santa Cruz Plaza, Santa Cruz |
| Meals: Breakfast, Lunch |
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| Day 3: |
Colchagua Valley |
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| The vineyards of Chile are awakening from the slumber of the southern winter. Located in fertile valleys and watered by rivers that flow from snowfields in the Andes, the grapevines of Chile take root amid almost perfect growing conditions. Today we visit three of the area's best producers. We start in the Apalta Valley, visiting the Montes premium winery, and then continue to Casa Lapostolle to visit the vineyards' new lodge and enjoy both the innovative architecture and their highly rated wines. James Molesworth rated the Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2005 as a 96, commenting that "Gorgeous aromas of warm ganache and mocha lead to a rich, velvety palate loaded with currant, fig paste, black licorice, cassis bush and bramble notes." We'll take advantage of the gorgeous scenery with a picnic lunch in the fields of the family Las Vinas winery. Our final wine tasting is at the elegant Montgras winery, well known for their treatment of the indigenous Carmenere, the iconic grape of Chile. A special dinner is planned this evening at a nearby historic residence. Our chef will guide you through the process of preparing a traditional meal, paired with Colchagua Valley wines. |
| Overnight: Hotel Santa Cruz Plaza, Santa Cruz |
| Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
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| Day 4: |
Drive to Valparaiso |
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| Today's drive takes us northwest out to the coast. We'll stop to visit Isla Negra, the home of the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Although neither an island, nor black, the home is in a fabulous location on a rocky shore pounded by dramatic waves against sun-drenched Mediterranean scenery. The home is now a museum displaying the treasures Neruda acquired with some of his Nobel Prize money, won in 1971, and many gifts that he received throughout his life. We'll enjoy lunch at a traditional seafood restaurant overlooking the coastline and looking out to the sea. Then it's back to wine tasting! Chile's wine regions, like the country itself, are arranged by latitude, with the warmer growing regions in the north, though proximity to the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean also plays a role. The Casablanca and San Antonio wine valleys near the Pacific Ocean are home to cooler-climate varieties such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. We'll visit the Casa Marin winery, located four kilometres from the Pacific Ocean, for a tour of the facilities and a tasting of their superior white wines. We continue on to the port of Valparaiso, one of South America's largest commercial ports and our exquisite hotel in the upper hills of the city. |
| Overnight: Hotel Somerscales, Valparaiso |
| Meals: Breakfast, Lunch |
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| Day 5: |
Valparaiso |
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| Valparaiso is built on 42 hills with old-fashioned funiculars used to access the highest points. We'll use these cog rails to travel up and down to take in all the old markets and colourful winding streets. There are spectacular views of the bay and the adjoining hills at every hidden turn. With our chef, we'll take a culinary tour of the city, meeting producers in the markets and at the fruit and vegetable stands and purchasing ingredients for lunch. Then we adjourn to the kitchens and prepare our meal that we enjoy paired with local wines. The afternoon is yours to enjoy the boutiques and art galleries of this bohemian city. |
| Overnight: Hotel Somerscales, Valparaiso |
| Meals: Breakfast, Lunch |
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| Day 6: |
Aconcagua Valley; drive to Mendoza, Argentina |
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| Today's route takes us through the Aconcagua wine valley. Spread across the feet of the Andes, this is a very narrow wine-growing valley with steep slopes and enjoys winter rains and cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean. Here we'll stop at the Von Siebenthal boutique winery, producers of the award winning Carabantes, a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Lunch is served at the Errazuriz Winery. Don Maximiano Errazuriz founded the winery in 1870 and it remains in family hands, now run by the sixth generation. Eduardo Chadwick has overseen the modernization of the winemaking technology at the historic estate while maintaining a distinct identity for his wines. This afternoon we enjoy one of the most scenic drives in the world, travelling through the Andes Mountains into Argentina with views of the highest peak in the Americas. It's a drive like no other and sure to compete with the wines as a real highlight of our trip. |
| Overnight: Hotel Huentala, Mendoza |
| Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
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| Day 7: |
Mendoza |
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| Our exploration of Argentina's famed Mendoza wine district begins. We have three tastings planned today and we begin with barrel samples at the Achaval Ferrer winery. This small winery is joyfully committed to the production of limited quantities of complex, deep and structured wines. Interestingly, the Italian partners in this winery have a property in Montalcino. Our next visit is at the 106 year old Lagarde Wine Cellar in the picturesque Lujan de Cuyo Valley. Here we'll enjoy an informal cooking class with a traditional barbecue. In the afternoon we'll visit the boutique Carmelo Patti Winery, where possibly the best oenologist in the country produces incredible Cabernet Sauvignons. Carmelo insists on cellaring his wines for at least three years before releasing them. His passion for wine making introduces a very personal note to our tasting here. |
| Overnight: Hotel Huentala, Mendoza |
| Meals: Breakfast, Lunch |
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| Day 8: |
Mendoza, Uco Valley |
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| Approximately 60 minutes south of the city of Mendoza, the Uco Valley encompasses the highest altitude Argentine vineyards (averaging between 900 and 1200 meters above sea level). Known especially for Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Semillon, and Torrontes production, the Valle de Uco draws winemakers from all over the world. The valley enjoys a striking natural setting below a stretch of the Andes that includes the 6800-metre Mount Tupungato. The valley's dry weather and the wide thermal amplitude between day and night have created its distinctive microclimates that result in wines that are rich in color and ideal for aging. We'll visit the modern Salentein winery known for classical varietals, old vine preservation and European production methods, including a traditional gravity transfer system. Our next stop is the Andeluna winery, where the traditional grape varieties of the Old World - Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay - are grown in a stunning series of vineyards that climb up the foothills of the Andes. This state of the art winery combines French grape varieties, Argentine soils, Italian ancestry (from the original pioneering family who set up the estate) and American drive (it's now owned by a former Chairman of the Board of PepsiCo.) Our third stop, where we'll enjoy a wonderful wine tasting luncheon, is at the Altus boutique vineyard. Here we'll savor the classic Argentine tapas personally offered by the chef in the Sala de Fuegos, all masterfully created from fresh herbs and vegetables grown on the property. On the menu today is perhaps a classically prepared chivito (young goat) and all paired perfectly with the entire line of Altus wines. |
| Overnight: Hotel Huentala, Mendoza |
| Meals: Breakfast, Lunch |
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| Day 9: |
Fly to Buenos Aires |
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| In the late 1950s the LVMH subsidiary Moet & Chandon sent its chief winemaker to Latin America to investigate the potential of the region for producing world-class wines. Impressed with the local conditions and the unique high elevation vineyards, the company launched its first vineyards outside of France. In 1999, the company inaugurated the Terrazas de los Andes winery, a still wines initiative based on the pairing of fine wine varietals to unique altitudes within Mendoza's snow-fed, high elevation vineyards. We'll visit here and taste the excellent Malbec. The Ruca Malen winery is also the fruit of French investment, headed by the ex Bodegas Chandon chairman in collaboration with a Burgundian winemaker. A Mapuche legend tells of the young woman who fell in love with a God who took her to a beautiful valley beneath Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Andes, and left her with a house and a nectar which, when sipped, enabled her to experience again the thrill of falling in love. We'll feel the same way as we bid our Argentine winemakers goodbye over lunch at the famed Cavas Wine Lodge. In the afternoon we drive back to Mendoza and board the flight to Buenos Aires, arriving in the early evening. |
| Overnight: Five Cool Rooms, Buenos Aires |
| Meals: Breakfast, Lunch |
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| Day 10: |
Buenos Aires |
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The city abounds in beautiful architecture, much of it dating from an ambitious rebuilding project before the country's 1910 centennial celebration of its independence from Spain. Today we visit many of the city's splendid buildings along the Avenida de Mayo, designed to rival Paris' Champs Elysees and the Diagonal Norte. We'll see the Presidential Palace, from where Evita addressed her adoring fans and the Cathedral. We'll also visit the airy and luminescent Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA), housing the private art collection of art collector Eduardo Costantini. One of the most impressive collections of Latin American art anywhere, temporary and permanent exhibitions showcase such names as Antonio Berni, Pedro Figari, Frida Kahlo, Cândido Portinari, Diego Rivera, and Antonio Siguí. Many of the works confront social issues and explore questions of national identity.
Tango is alive and well in Argentina and a thriving Buenos Aires nightlife means you can now see a different form of tango every night in shows and in as the traditional 1930s-style tango salons. We'll enjoy all the passion, fire and elegance of the Tango this evening. |
| Overnight: Five Cool Rooms, Buenos Aires |
| Meals: Breakfast, Dinner |
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| Day 11: |
Depart Buenos Aires |
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| Today we'll see the streets of Tango in the traditional quarter of San Telmo, home of this typical dance. The area is famous also for its antique shops. In La Boca we make a stop to see this colourful part of town, which is also the home of renowned artists. Then, we visit Palermo, a residential quarter with parks and elegant buildings. Finally, we get to sophisticated Recoleta, one of the most exclusive quarters, with its famous Cemetery right next to elegant cafes and restaurants. The afternoon is yours to finish up your exploration of the city before transferring to the airport for evening flights. |
| Meals: Breakfast, Lunch |
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416-633-5666 / 1-800-387-1483
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