Casablanca Valley
Chile's coolest wine country, minutes from the coast
The Casablanca Valley is one of Chile's youngest wine regions — its first vines were planted in the 1980s — but it's the country's oldest cool-climate valley, with around 4,000 hectares planted today. Running roughly east–west between the Coastal Mountain Range and the Pacific, it opens directly onto the ocean, so cool sea breezes and morning fog settle deep into the valley and create the cool microclimate that made its reputation.
That climate made Casablanca Chile's home for world-class Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir — grape varieties that struggle in Chile's warmer valleys. Roughly a dozen wineries welcome visitors for tastings, tours, and meals, and larger producers like Santa Rita and Concha y Toro also source fruit from the valley.
Things to do
- ✓Wine tastings and cellar tours at Casablanca's open wineries
- ✓Vineyard walks, horseback riding, and bike tours through the vines at some estates
- ✓Long lunches at winery restaurants overlooking the vines
- ✓A day trip combining Casablanca with the coast — Algarrobo or San Alfonso del Mar in the morning, wine country in the afternoon, or the reverse
Gastronomy
Several wineries run their own restaurants, pairing Chilean cuisine with estate wines.
How to get there
About 80 km from Santiago, reachable via Ruta 68 (the Santiago–Valparaíso highway); from Algarrobo or San Alfonso del Mar, the valley is under an hour by car heading north-east.
Practical info
- From Santiago
- ~80 km (about 1 hour via Ruta 68)
- From Algarrobo
- under an hour by car
- Best time to visit
- Harvest season (March–April) is liveliest, but tastings run year-round; spring (September–November) brings mild weather and blooming vineyards.
Photo: Winniepix (Sue Winston) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)