Posted on November 22, 2019
By Niek Sellink, Intern Pure! Chile
During the national holidays in September, Pure! Chile gave me the opportunity to explore Santiago and it surroundings. As an intern, this was a great experience and I want to thank the team for organizing these excursions!
At two and a half hours driving south from Santiago, near the historical village of Santa Cruz, I visited the vineyards of Viña Maquis together with a group of travelers. Its location between two rivers is perfect for producing wine, as our guide would tell us later. Upon arrival, he gave us a warm welcome and took us to the vineyards that were bought by the Hurtado family in 1916 with the objective to produce high quality wine. They succeeded, because Viña Maquis is being perceived as a producer of noble wine grapes since the eighteenth century.
Not only the vineyards look amazing, also the main building and its surrounding are very well kept – it soon became clear to me that each detail of the wine production process was well taken care of. While walking through the vineyards, the sun shining on the morning dew and grape fields combined with the sounds of flowing streams and whistling birds, made me feel like being in a romantic movie. During the walk the guide told us about the company’s different wines that are all produced in a unique and traditional way.
Although the tour was interesting and enjoyable, I was excited when the time to taste wine arrived. A beautiful laid table with several bottles of wine was awaiting us at the main building and after an explanation of the guide, the wine tasting began. Even though I’m not a wine expert, I enjoyed the different wines and the reactions of the group confirmed me that they were of high quality. I also noticed that the group was enjoying themselves more and more as the wine tasting continued: time for lunch!
Another nicely laid table, overshadowed by dozens of avocado trees, was waiting for us in the outdoor lunch area. I felt like being part of a rural painting when starting the three-course menu, existing out of a fresh salad as a starter followed by chicken and fish with vegetables and a desert with coffee. All of this was accompanied by lots of laughter of the group of tourists, who were clearly enjoying themselves.
The entire experience was very interesting and fun, the wine and lunch were delicious and everything was well organized. To be honest, this tour to Viña Maquis was one of the best excursions that I have experienced so far!
If you want to receive more information about wine tasting experiences in Chile, please do not hesitate to contact us.
