winery review #2: Concha y Toro

Concha y Toro is one of the most famous wineries in Chile. It even has its own legend that put Chilean wine on the map. I even went down into the “Casillero del Diablo” (Devil’s Cellar).  The tour was great. It was kind of touristy, but lets be honest thats what I am so I enjoyed it. It is a huge winery. While Casa del Bosque was small and quaint this one is BIG. The entry gates are grand and beautiful. There are multiple cellars and vast vineyards. At this one you can even eat grapes off the vine and they have the vines labeled with what grapes they are. I was so surprised that all of the grapes do taste differently. Curly girl had so much fun running around the vines and picking and eating grapes. It was magical. I learned that you can make white and red wine from red grapes. Hey, learn something new every day right? 

I love that view of the mountains from the valley. It is so beautiful. This winery is located in the Maipo Valley. This tour was great because it has multiple cellars. It just makes it more interesting. They have one cellar where they store their absolutely best wine and it is only for the owners and share holders. I would love to get my hands on that!
The breakdown:
Scenery: Beautiful. Grand. I loved seeing the old owners plantation and the view of the mountains is lovely. Overall very grand.
The food: AMAZING. We ate at their restuarant after the tour. We sat outside in the courtyard and they had a band and traditional Chilean dances. The dancers did the Cueca and it was wonderful to watch. Curly girl even got up and did some dancing.
The Wine:
Sauvignon Blanc: Its not great. I mean its good and I would not turn down a glass, but it is too tart. Its not bright and refreshing like I prefer my SB.
Carmenere: In the words of my Chilean friends, esta muy rico. Oh my goodness. It is velvet and smooth and wonderful on the tongue. It is simply devine, in my opinion. I hope I can find it back in the States. I have seen their Cab in the States so I am hopeful. If you can find it where you live go buy a bottle.
Cabernet: It is very good! It is what they are famous for. Its heavier than their Carmenere but not in a bad way. It is rich and full. Overall a very good Cab. I have had this one before I came to Chile, but it tastes better here.
All in all this winery is fantastic. They really do a good job explaining the wine (English tours!) and really do justice to the Chilean wine industry. It was really fun.

These are the stairs down into the Casillero del Diablo. This cellar is really cool. The bricks and mortar and made from a special mixture of egg white, sand and grass and it keeps the cellar the perfect temperate. This is also where the special cellar is that houses the owners/share holders only wine. Yum!
Side note: husband is amazing and wrangles Curly girl when she starts to lose focus so that I can enjoy the tastings. Hes so good!