Monday, February 16--Thursday, February 19

We departed the W Hotel bound for the Chilean wine country, south of Santiago.  We stopped for a morning tour and tasting at Viu Manent which began with a buggy ride through the vineyards, took a turn through the wine making process and ended with a tasting of five wines:  one white and four reds.  Our favorite was a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvigon from La Capilla 2012.  We observed that the Chileans drank their reds much sooner than we would drink Napa red wines.

Following our tasting at Viu Manent, we had lunch in their lovely outdoor dining area.  John had the excellent beef, recommended by Edmundo, and I had the tuna salad.

Following lunch, Juanito drove us to the Lapostolle Residence where we were shown to our casita, the one used by the owner, Alexandra, when she comes from France for the harvest.  Alexandra is a member of the Marnier family of Grand Marnier orange liquor.  The four casitas boast a master bedroom, a sitting area with fireplace, a large deck, a dressing room with extensive closets and a lavish bath, where the windows could be opened to the out of doors.  Our hostess, Yolanda, provided the ultimate in customer service.  She was excellent.

We were the only guests on the day we arrived and were treated to a four course dinner served poolside.  Each course was accompanied by a cocktail, wine or Grand Marnier.

On Tuesday, given my knee, we did not avail ourselves of the hiking or biking options but chose instead a private tour of Lapostolle winery, complete with tour of Alexandra's private cellar of 6000 bottles of Chilean wine.  The winery we toured was where they make their signature wine, Clos Apalta, followed by a tour of the Santa Cruz historical museum, the Museo Colchagua.  It had an exceptional collection of specimens from the Paleozoic era.  We learned a lot about Chilean history and the archeology of the area.

Following our tour, we enjoyed a four course lunch at Lapostolle.  During the afternoon, I enjoyed an in-room massage while John read by the pool.  One additional couple had arrived, coming from New York and Chicago.  They were in attendance for the four course dinner.  A second couple, from Atlanta, arrived after we had gone to bed.  

Following breakfast on Wednesday morning, Edmundo and Juanito arrived for our last day in Chile.  They drove us to the Montes Vineyard where we completed our wine tour with another buggy ride through the vineyards, a visit to the production facility and a tasting in the cellar.  The man who started the winery had a particular interest in angels, which were everywhere, including on their label.  At the tasting, John preferred their Pinot Noir, called Outer Limits; I liked their Chardonnay best.

We got to the Santa Rita winery in time for lunch in a lovely, historical dining room and a private tasting but no tour.  Given my knee, this really worked best.  Following the tasting, we toured the vineyard owner's private collection museum, the Museo Andino which was beautifully curated.  My favorite display was of small rafts hung against a photo of the ocean.  The rafts were part of an ancient funeral ritual but were also a symbol of the global migration that established the indigenous population.

Juanito dropped us at the Santiago airport; Edmundo took us in for check-in.  Given our extensive luggage, we found an elevator, which was stuck between floors for about 15 tense minutes.  Thank goodness we had Edmundo, with his fluent Spanish, so we could get rescued.  He bid us farewell and we boarded our LAN Chile flight returning to the States after a ground stop in Lima, Peru