Austral Chile
The lakes and river regions of Austral Chile are the new frontier of commercial wine production. The cool temperatures and volcanic soils have made this region renowned for mouthwatering Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as promising bubbly. Head south from Pucón, past the incredible snow-capped volcanoes of Villarrica and Choshuenco, and take a detour to Lago Ranco, the fourth-largest lake in Chile, which is overlooked by Casa Silva’s impressive vineyard estate (www.casasilva.cl).
Then head onwards west, towards La Unión to visit the boutique winery and hillside vineyard of Trapi del Bueno (rodrigo@trapi.cl), where co-owner Luis Moller will welcome you in for a tasting of his wines paired with local delicacies. If you have time to spare that afternoon, head along the T80 towards the coast, to the Alerce Costero National Park, home to 2,000-year-old alerce trees.
Where to eat Feast on a traditional parrilla (grilled meats) in Osorno’s Ruta del Asador (www.rutadelasador.cl)
Where to stay The Porte brothers are pioneers
of this wine region. Stay among the vines at their Coteaux de Trumao estate’s lodging, Casa Campanario (www.coteauxdetrumao.cl), a domeshaped cabin on the banks of the river Bueno
Local wines to try Casa Silva, Coteaux de Trumao, Miguel Torres, Ribera Pellín, Trapi del Bueno
Touring tip Have a few more days to spare? Head down the Ruta 5 from Osorno to the archipelago of Chiloé: islands shrouded in mystery with a rich folklore of witches and wizards, hundreds of wooden houses on stilts and churches designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Here, too, lies Montes’ island vineyard, set to produce its first vintage this year.