The Origins of Chilean Wines & Piscos

You will travel through the places where it was founded the oldest city in the coast of Chile, La Serena, a Latin American capital for Architecture and Urbanism, and birthplace of chilean wineculture. Created to save Santiago de Chile from Mapuches uprising, received by land and sea several european resources from Lima, Peru that would give life to Chilean and Argentinean viticulture. Its foundator Francisco de Aguirre, starts from La Serena the expeditions that would create the first cities and wines of Argentina. You will discover the ancient landscapes of our coast and mountains that witnesses the arrival of avant-garde spanish conquerors, clerics, entrepreneurs and grapes that will start the chilean wine. Several european travellers attracted by our rivers and mountains of gold of Andacollo, would begin the first vine plantations and trading routes, sendings caravans that will supply with wine and piscos the largest city in the world, Potosí. We will travel from La Serena and Coquimbo towards the Great Elqui Valley, where born the oldest appellation of America, the Chilean pisco and pajarete, to see its beautiful landscapes, vineyards, monuments, wineries, hacienda houses and picturesque indigenous villages that will celebrate the first cults, harvests, and bacchanals in the new world.

Itinerary

• Departure from your accommodation to see La Serena´s historical foundational terraces, stone churches, and historical monuments where the first vineyards of our history were planted.
• Tour through Aguirre´s avenue, the Lighthouse and Avenida del Mar. Views of Coquimbo monuments.
• Drive through the ancient royal road to see the Incas Huacas pyramids and colonial customs.
• Arrival to Coquimbito coastal Valley to see it first spanish settlements, hacienda houses, pre columbian villages, spanish conquistadores campsites and the oldest visible winery of Chile and Southamerica.
• Arrival to the Elqui Valley and wine and pisco tasting in Falernia winery wine shop.
• Free time in Vicuña city to visit its main square and sculptures inspired in Gabriela Mistral poetry.
• Typical chilean food menu lunch with local wines at Villaseca Solar Restaurant.
• Photo stops in the historical vineyards and wineries of Aguirre´s family, Paihuano and Pisco Elqui villages.
• Visit to Los Nichos pisco destillery and  Viñedos de Alcohuaz winery, piscos and wine tasting.
• Wine tasting of ancestral grape varieties in Piuquenes del Elqui winery. Return to La Serena.

Route include: 

AC Transport, bilingual guide, wine & pisco tastings, tickets, lunch menu with drinks.

Booking and Information

contacto@tembeta.cl

+56 9 90128608 (Whatsapp)

@tembetatravelculture (Instagram)