While Colchagua is one of Chile’s most prominent wine valleys, Alto Colchagua is still somewhat off the radar. The highest altitude vineyards in Colchagua start from the higher estates of Los Lingues at altitudes of over 300 metres and run up to over 1000 metres above sea level in the mountain vineyards. The combination of altitude and mountains makes for great wines and also makes this a great wine region to visit.

Vineyards to visit in Alto Colchagua and Colchagua Andes

The ultimate mountain vineyard in Colchagua, in my opinion, is Sierras de Bellavista, which sits proudly on the mountainsides at up to 1200 metres above sea level. It is the highest altitude vineyard in Colchagua and one of the highest in Chile and snowfall is common throughout winter into early spring.

However, you’ll have to just imagine the vineyard from this photo while drinking the wine at home, because it isn’t open to visitors, unfortunately.

A mountain vineyard you can visit, however, is the boutique production of Tumuñan Lodge where some 9,000 Cabernet Sauvignon vines are planted among native forests at 720 metres above sea level. Just beyond Tumuñan vineyard lies another boutique vineyard where Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc are also under vine.

This small enclave of mountain producers and vines is also where you’ll find Colchagua’s first gin distillery (and one of the first producers of gin in Chile). A tasting room for All Blues gin is also set to open there early in 2019.

Head down into the valley, towards the Ruta 5, and you’ll find Los Lingues. One of Chile’s newest DOs, Los Lingues DO is actually reasonably small by the standards of the other denominations of origin in Chile. Nonetheless, it still covers almost 500 hectares of vines and the difference between the valley floor and the foothills is significant in terms of climate and soils.

One of the highest plantations in Los Lingues is Cerro Basalto of Koyle. You can visit this vineyard, which climbs to 600 metres above sea level, and enjoy an incredible view down over the rest of Los Lingues and the Colchagua valley. Even better is the chance to taste the wines from this special vineyard of Koyle, which produces the grapes for their exciting Cerro Basalto range with Mediterranean varieties and a Carmenère-Cabernet Franc blend.

Where to stay in Alto Colchagua

For a real Colchagua Andes experience, Tumuñan Lodge is the place to rest your head. Just 30 minutes from the Ruta 5, it has easy access to most of Colcahgua’s wineries but you’ll feel a world away from it all. Surrounded by tall native forests, the mountain lodge is a peaceful escape into the hillsides, where the only noise you’ll hear is the resident birds and the babbling brook through the gardens.

A hot tub and swimming pool entice you to laze about the lodge gardens. However, it’s worth allowing some time for venturing further into the foothills. A visit to their own vineyard, a five minute walk through the forests, is a highlight but so are the horseriding, hiking and fly-fishing excursions, where you’ll appreciate how unspoilt and wild the mountains are.

From the lodge, you can also easily head to other vineyards in Colchagua Andes, either as solo adventurers or on a private tour. There’s a great range of winery restaurants to explore in Colchagua, and the Lodge’s own country kitchen is a cosy place for an intimate dinner with local ingredients and wines.

What to eat in Alto Colchagua

The Andean foothills aren’t only ideal for vine-growing but also for a buffet of other delicious ingredients. There’s local olive oil and wild forest honey, which are the golden nectar of the valley, and the jewel in the crown of Alto Colchagua is the cherry orchards – which are best enjoyed in the early summer. On walks in the hills, you can forage for wild parsley, chamomile, boldo, wild changli mushrooms and maquis berries (a super fruit, don’t you know). For meat-lovers, the mountains of Colchagua are known for their lamb.

What to drink in Alto Colchagua: Colchagua Andes wines to try

• Koyle Cerro Basalto: A Mediterranean blend from the basalt hills of Koyle overlooking the Colchagua valley from up high
• Sierras de Bellavista Riesling: Thrilling Riesling from the highest altitude vineyard in Colchagua, some 1100 metres above sea level, with volcanic soils
• Tumuñan: Lively mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from a boutique producer in the mountains of Colchagua

Discovering the vineyards of Alto Colchagua: Live videos

In this live video, we tour through the vineyard of Tumuñan Lodge with owner Will Evelyn and talk about some of the challenges and some of the benefits of making wine at high altitude in Alto Colchagua.

In this video, you can visit the highest vineyard in Colchagua Andes with us – Sierras de Bellavista. Viticulturist Gianfranco Gamelli discusses the terroir of Sierras de Bellavista and explains why planting vines here, at an altitude of over 1100m, produces unique wines.