Next Dates:  January 14 - 17 & 18 -21, 2012

Duration:  4 Days, 3 Nights

Minimum # of Clients: 5

Price per Person: $795.00 USD

Price Includes: All

Overview

The Colchagua Valley is the premier wine country destination in the wine producing region of central Chile.  The basic trip is a 3 day 2 night itinerary, however 2 and 4 day options are often available. 

Your bicycle tour will take in a fun-filled thread of paved and hardpack backroads through the Colchagua Valley and some of the loveliest central valley landscapes. The route we have planned will take us through several fine vineyards and visit interesting cultural sites in the Colchagua region.  Come and join us to explore some of the hidden treasures of this region: great roads, excellent weather, lush vistas, terrific food, and fine wines at the end of each day's riding.

Our cycling trip will provide you with a fully-supported educational adventure.  Your bi-lingual hosts will guide you through the history of wine production in the country and the region while you tour between and through some of the cool little boutique vintners of this area.  The route we have prepared for you will allow you to explore the interesting landscapes of the Central Valley and the Coastal Range.  Each day we will visit two or three different vineyards and tour at least one of them.  We will gather a selection of local wines for opening with our evening meal.

Adventure Itinerary

Day 1  OVERVIEW:  Bike Fitting. Transfer to San Fernando.  Riding through Tinguiririca River valley of the Colchagua wine country. Placilla, Nancagua, and Santa Cruz Sub Regions.

Day 2  OVERVIEW: Santa Cruz, Palmilla and Peralillo Sub-Regions.  Backroads riding to Vinyards and Museums.

Day 3  OVERVIEW: Santa Cruz toward the Coast today. Hill Country, Ganaderia, Grains, Orchards and Woodlands. Valle de Los Artistas.

Day 4  OVERVIEW:  Morning ride in Las Niñas vinyard with picnic lunch. Tasting at Las Niñas Vinyard.  Return to Santiago.
 

PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A MORE DETAILED ITINERARY.

Combine this tour with our Kunstmann Bierfest bike tour that follows the next week!

More Information on the Colchagua Valley

Colchagua Valley has an extent of approximately 500,000 hectares (1,235,000 acres) and is subdivided into 10 municipalities: Chimbarongo, Placilla, Chepica, Nancagua, Santa Cruz, Palmilla, Peralillo, Lolol, Pumanque, Marchigue, and San Fernando, the provincial capital. Wines produced from grapes grown in thes municipalities can be claimed as having Colchagua Valley appellation of origin. Mountain chains clearly define Colchagua’s borders with the provinces of Cachapoal to the north, Curicó to the south, Argentina to the east. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west. Colchagua is one of the three provinces that comprise Chile’s VI Region, "The Region of O'Higgins" named for the famed Chilean liberator Bernardo O’Higgins.

The primary economic activity in this area is agriculture, and viticulture plays a very important role in the region, with 23.000 hectares (56,800 acres) planted to wine grapes, making it Chile’s second largest appellation in terms of surface area planted, and the first in terms of fine French varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec, and Syrah.

Other major agricultural activities include the production of fresh fruit, such as table grapes and plums. The primary annual crops are corn and wheat, and livestock, principally lamb and alpaca. Due to the steady increase in the popularity of Chilean wines this region enjoys a very low unemployment rate, at 3%, well below the national average.

Copyright© Stewart W. Lasseter, 2010, 2011