Exclusive wineries in Casablanca Valley & Tanino Restaurant

This is an easy win if you want a Santiago wine day that moves at a good pace and gives you real variety, from organic wines to blends and an aroma-focused tasting session. I like the hotel pickup and drop-off plus the small-group setup, so you are not stuck wrestling a crowded bus before you even taste.

I also like that you can choose a lighter or fuller tasting day, and then build the rest of your time around the wineries. One thing to consider: lunch at Tanino is not included, so your final total depends on what you order.

Key highlights before you go

• Alpacas at Emiliana Organic Vineyards, paired with tastings of three wines
• Bodegas RE cellar time, including underground cellars with oak barrels and clay jars
• Casas del Bosque guided aroma session with four named wines
• Tanino lunch on the winery property with modern Chilean plates and wine pairings
• Max 15 travelers so the guide can keep things personal and organized

The early start: getting from Santiago to Casablanca Valley

Plan for a full day. Pickup starts early in the morning with a listed start time of 8:00 am, and you should expect the drive to begin right away. After that, you are looking at about 1.5 hours to reach the wine region in an air-conditioned minivan.

Why this matters: Casablanca Valley is best experienced without rushing. The ride gives you time to settle in, and you get scenic views of gentle, vine-covered hills and river valleys along the way. It is also one of those routes where the comfort helps, especially if you are traveling in summer and want to arrive already chilled.

This is also a good setup if you hate logistics. Your guide and driver handle the route, and you get a simple start and finish back at your hotel in Santiago. In past groups, guides like Víctor and Samantha have been praised for keeping the day moving and explaining what you are seeing, while drivers such as Juan, Angelo, and Alejandro have been noted for getting everyone to each stop smoothly.

Tip: bring sunglasses and a light layer. The coast-to-valley weather can shift, and wineries are cooler in the shade.

Emiliana Organic Vineyards: alpacas, organic pride, and a three-wine tasting

Stop one is Emiliana Organic Vineyards, a popular name in Chilean wine because it focuses on organic practices. You get a full visit experience, plus the chance to interact with alpacas. Yes, it sounds like a marketing line, but it actually makes the first winery feel fun and human before the serious tasting begins.

Then comes the tasting of three wines with pairings. The lineup you can expect includes:

• Chardonnay with a pairing
• Carmenere with a pairing
• Premium Blend with a pairing

A nice detail here is that the tasting is not just sip and move on. Food pairing bites are part of the program. In the day-by-day memory of many guests, you will often see pairing elements like cheese and chocolate mentioned alongside the pour, which is a simple way to notice the difference between the wine flavors and the way they respond to food.

Timing is also friendly. This stop runs about 1 hour 15 minutes, which is long enough to walk, look around, and actually enjoy the wine rather than sprinting through it.

Possible drawback: if you are not an animal person, the alpacas may take a little time. Still, the pacing keeps it from feeling forced, and it helps break up the day before you head into deeper cellar talk later.

Bodegas RE: underground cellars, clay jars, and two blend tastings

Next up is Bodegas RE, where the tasting experience leans more technical and hands-on. You get a visit and a tasting of two blend wines:

• Chardonnoir
• Cabergnan

What you get alongside the wines is also a key part of the experience. There is a table with bread, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and olives, which gives your palate a reset between pours. It is a practical move, because between wineries, your mouth can get tired.

The highlight for many people is the cellar tour. You will see oak barrels and clay jars of wine in the underground cellars. That is the sort of detail that helps you understand why the winery tastes the way it does, without turning the day into a classroom lecture.

This stop lasts about 1 hour 15 minutes, matching the rhythm of the day. It is enough time to ask questions without feeling like you are holding up the schedule.

If you tend to get more excited about how wine is made than where it is made, Bodegas RE is likely your favorite stop. The clay jar element is memorable because it is a visual, tactile contrast to the oak barrel story.

One more practical note: since you are drinking at three places, keep a steady pace. The tastings are structured, but you still want to pace water and food.

Casas del Bosque: a guided aroma-and-attributes tasting session

Your third stop is Viña Casas del Bosque. This is the moment where the tour shifts into guided sensory work. Instead of just learning facts, you get an entertaining session focused on the attributes and aromas of a selection of wines.

The four wines in the program are:

• Collection Sauvignon Blanc
• Gran Reserva Chardonnay
• Gran Reserva Carmenere
• Pequeñas Syrah

This style of tasting tends to work well if you want to go beyond the usual red-versus-white routine. You start noticing aroma categories and how different grapes express themselves in the glass. It is also a good way to make sense of what you liked earlier at Emiliana and what you noticed at Bodegas RE.

Timing here is shorter, about 45 minutes. That can feel like a quick hit, but it is also a smart design because you still have time for lunch and a slower finish at Tanino later.

Possible drawback: if you chose the lighter tasting option for your day, you might not taste every planned pour at the intensity level you expected. Still, the session format is designed to guide you through what to look for, so you should come away with a clearer sense of why these wines differ.

Tanino Restaurant at Casas del Bosque: lunch with wine pairings and the Atrévete concept

Lunch is at Tanino Restaurant, located in the Casas del Bosque winery. The setting is part of the appeal: cozy atmosphere, gardens, and vineyard views. This is also a recognized dining spot, listed as one of the 20 best vineyard restaurants in the world.

What makes Tanino worth your attention is the way the kitchen connects to the winemaking team. Your meal is designed to balance with the wines, with the gastronomic team working alongside chief winemaker Alberto Guolo. Expect modern cuisine using fresh ingredients and local products, with options that include fish and seafood, meats, and pasta.

Then there is the “Atrévete” concept, which basically pushes you to try non-traditional pairings. If you like food experiments, this is a fun way to taste wine with a little risk, guided by the menu structure.

Lunch is about 2 hours. That length helps. After the wine tastings earlier, you get enough time to eat without rushing and to recover your focus for the ride back.

Worth knowing: lunch is not included in the tour price. The tour includes the lunch stop, but you pay for your meal. So if you are trying to keep costs predictable, check the menu style ahead of time and decide what you want rather than waiting to be surprised.

One small caution based on real-life timing: service can run a little slow for some parties. The food quality usually carries the day, but if you have tight plans after your Santiago return, keep them flexible.

Tasting choices, timing, and what a small group changes

This tour is built around four stops, but the wine experience comes with a choice. You can include one or three tastings for your day. In plain terms, one option keeps the day more relaxed, while the three-tasting choice leans into sampling more deeply across the wineries.

How to decide:

• If you are the type who prefers to sip casually and focus on the scenery and lunch, pick the lighter tasting day.
• If you want to compare styles across the region and you enjoy learning while tasting, pick the fuller option.

Group size is capped at 15 travelers, and that makes a difference. You get quicker movement between wineries, fewer crowd vibes, and a higher chance your guide can slow down for a question. On days when the group includes different language needs, guides such as Benjamin and Alvaro have been praised for handling English and Spanish explanations well, and even guiding mixed-language groups without turning it awkward.

The itinerary can also adjust based on winery availability. That is normal in wine country, where events and schedules shift. The key point for you is that the tour keeps the overall structure: scenic drive, multiple winery visits with tastings, then lunch at Tanino, and back to Santiago.

Also consider the logistics of alcohol. The minimum drinking age is 18, so if anyone in your group is under that, they will be limited. You can still enjoy the visits, but your tastings will depend on age rules.

Price and value: is $79 a good deal?

At $79 per person for about 10 hours, this tour is priced like a classic “wine day with transport” package. The real question is what you are getting for that money.

You are paying for:

• Air-conditioned transportation in a minivan
• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Santiago
• Admission for tasting stops at Emiliana Organic Vineyards, Bodegas RE, and Casas del Bosque
• Professional local guides
• A lunch stop at Tanino (but lunch itself costs extra)

So the value comes from bundling the pricey parts you would likely pay separately if you tried to DIY. You avoid driving yourself, you avoid finding tickets and timing across multiple wineries, and you get guided tastings and a cellar walk.

The one cost that will raise your total is lunch. Since Tanino is a proper restaurant with wine-friendly pacing, most people end up spending more than they planned. If you are cost sensitive, you can keep it tighter by ordering a lighter lunch, skipping extras, and using the tastings earlier in the day as the main wine payoff.

In short: if you want multiple Casablanca Valley experiences in one day, $79 is fair. If you already planned to visit one winery only, the value drops.

Who should book this Casablanca Valley wine day

This tour fits best if you want structure with minimal hassle. It is ideal for:

• Couples who want a memorable day without planning each stop
• First-time wine visitors to Casablanca Valley who want help comparing styles
• People who like guided tastings, not just a quick pour

It also makes sense if you want a blend of experiences, not just wine. The alpacas at Emiliana, the underground cellar tour at Bodegas RE, and the aroma-and-attributes session at Casas del Bosque create variety so the day stays interesting even when your palate gets tired.

If you are a hardcore wine nerd with a specific winery obsession, you might prefer a custom plan. And if you really dislike long days, this is still about 10 hours, so it may feel like a lot.

Weather matters too. The tour requires good weather, and if it gets canceled for poor weather, you should expect a different date or a full refund.

Should you book this tour?

If you are going to spend time around Santiago anyway, I think this is a smart way to experience Casablanca Valley without the stress of driving or building your own route. The biggest wins for most people are the mix of wineries and the quality of the guided tastings, with guides like Víctor, Samantha, Alvaro, and Benjamin repeatedly associated with an organized, engaging day.

Book it if you want a small group, guided tastings at multiple wineries, and a lunch stop at a vineyard restaurant like Tanino. Skip it only if you want a short outing, you refuse any extra lunch spending, or you prefer to concentrate on one single winery.

If you do book, pick your tasting option thoughtfully. Then plan to eat lunch. It is the part of the day that helps everything click, and it makes the long drive feel worth it.

FAQ

What time does the tour start?

The listed start time is 8:00 am, and pickup in Santiago happens in the morning so you should be ready at your hotel early.

How long is the tour?

The tour runs for about 10 hours.

How many wineries are included?

You visit four stops in total. Three are winery tasting stops, and the final stop is lunch at Tanino Restaurant in the Casas del Bosque winery.

Can I choose how many tastings I do?

Yes. You can choose to include either one or three tastings for your day.

Is lunch included?

Lunch at Tanino Restaurant is not included. The tour includes the lunch stop, but you pay for your meal.

What do I taste at the wineries?

At Emiliana Organic Vineyards, you taste three wines. At Bodegas RE, you taste two blend wines. At Viña Casas del Bosque, you enjoy a guided selection of four wines.

How big is the group?

The group is capped at a maximum of 15 travelers.

Do guides speak English and Spanish?

Yes. The tour can be operated with a multilingual guide in English and Spanish.

Is there a minimum drinking age?

Yes. The minimum drinking age is 18.

What happens if the tour is canceled due to weather?

The tour requires good weather. If it is canceled due to poor weather, you will be offered a different date or a full refund.