Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
South America
354
Viña Montes
The Full Monte
Colchagua Valley, Chile
When Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes
first scouted a rocky, forested hillside in
Chile's Colchagua Valley in the 1980s and
suggested planting it with Syrah vines, he
was told he was crazy. Chile had a well-
established wine industry, but it was mostly
centered closer to the capital, Santiago,
and focused on mass-market table wines.
Colchagua, however, is a dry valley 160km
south (100 miles), tucked between the
Pacific and the towering Andes. On these
narrow plains, a few winemakers grew
Cabernet Sauvignon vines, irrigating them
with open water channels. To plant Syrah
on a steep incline and water it with expen-
sive piped irrigation seemed pure folly.
Montes went ahead anyway. In recogni-
tion of his critics, he even called his new
wine Montes Folly. Of course, it astounded
the naysaying critics, earning an unprece-
dented 92 points from Robert Parker, Jr.,
for its second vintage. Montes had not
only put Colchagua on the map, he had
also launched Chile and South America
into the ranks of the world's elite wine-
making regions.
Montes had a point to prove and he
proved it beautifully. Chile was capable of
producing more than mediocre supermar-
ket wines. The winery started out as a
four-man partnership and $65,000 invest-
ment back in 1988; it now produces more
than three million bottles a year and
exports to 76 countries around the world.
It is regarded as Chile's flagship fine-wine
operation.
The winery itself is a modern glass struc-
ture tucked away in the dusty folds of this
dry valley. At the forefront of developing
wine tourism in Chile, Viña Montes delivers
an excellent winery experience. Guides are
knowledgeable, and tours are exhilarating,
rumbling guests along hard yellow dust
paths in the back of white pickup trucks,
crisscrossing the spread-out estate. Tours
include an excursion up a steep mountain
path, where a sunny lookout platform
affords commanding views of the surround-
ing area. Here you can sample some of
Chile's famous seafood, paired with wines
such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and
the local favorite Carménère. Back at the
winery, the dramatic circular barrel room
reminds you of a Shakespearean theater—
except that here you'll find no folly, farce,
or tragedy. Just pure joy.
Viña Montes, Parcela 15, Millahue de
Apalta, Santa Cruz ( & 56/72/825417;
www.monteswines.com).
( Santiago de Chile (164km/102 miles).
L $$$ Casa Lapostolle Winery
Lodge, Clos Apalta Winery, Santa Cruz
( & 56/72/321-803; www.casalapostolle.
com). $$$ Hotel Santa Cruz Plaza, Plaza
de Armas 286, Santa Cruz ( & 56/72/209-
600; www.hotelsantacruzplaza.cl).
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