On an early November day and all five of us - Tanja, Siegi, Niklaus, Lukas and I - filled with excitement, we headed to the south from Santiago. Great wine and beautiful landscape was waiting for us - we couldn't have gotten there faster!
As we arrived to Santa Cruz, a wonderfully rustic hotel called Casa de Campo a bit outside of the town center appealed to us so much that we decided to enjoy the rest of the afternoon by the pool.
We only made a quick sprint to town to get some lunch and to have a looksee to know where we have arrived. Day 2
The second day started with a delicious breakfast after which we were tanked up to go do some wine tasting!
First stop: Viña Montes
The winemaker and co-owner of Montes wines, Douglas Murray, believes that angels give their products wings in order to sell better as well as protect the plants at nights. 
Between March and May every year about 150 people are needed to harvest the grapes which are used for the premium and ultra premium wines. All of them are harvested by hand. 
The trip wasn't purely pleasure - I take my work seriously. 
Montes vineyard uses interesting methods for their ultra premium wines - the French oak barrels in the cellar are listening to calming Gregorian music. Only 20.000 bottles of ultra premium wines are made in a year, which why they are difficult to find for example in Finland. 
94% of Montes wines are exported. We got to try four sorts: Syrah, Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
Trying all that wine got us cheerful! 
After the first wine tour we were starting to get hungry. So we kindly asked our lady taxi driver to take us to a Peruvian restaurant called La Casita de Barreales.
Since none of us had tried Peruvian food before, we decided it's best to follow the waiter's recommendations. We ordered five main courses and five desserts and shared them so that everyone got to taste everything!
Classic Fish Ceviche is chopped fish marinated in lemon juice, chili and onions garnished with sweet potatoes and corn.
Causa Neptuno is a traditionally prepared filling of shrimps in a golf sauce. 
Aji de Gallina is made from delicious pieces of chicken covered in pepper cream, milk, Piso bread and topped with Parmesan cheese.
Mixed Chicharron is a mixture of marinated shellfish and fish, breaded and fried with creole and tartar sauces. 
Sauteed steak is made from steak slices flamed with pisco, onions, tomatoes and peas. Ahhh... And the desserts...
Crema volteada - a traditional Peruvian creme caramel recipe with a touch of vanilla.
Maracuya Cheesecake and Rosita Rios Temptation, which is made from black corn, was a delicate purple corn mousse. Both mouth watering delicacies!After satisfied stomaches we continued on to the next tour.
Stop 2: Viña Lapostolle - Clos Apalta
From the recently built Lapostolle / Clos Apalta vineyard we had a beautiful view over the Apalta valley. 
French oak barrels bring different tastes to wine - tobacco, leather, vanilla... 
According to the Wine Spectator magazine in 2008, Clos Apalta from Lapostolle vineyard was chosen as the best wine of the world.
And we got to try it! One bottle costs approximately 100 Euros. The already harvested grapes of the premium wines of both of the vineyards are hand selected by 60-80 women, who slit open each individual grape so that when falling down to the fermentation tank the grapes are squashed by gravity and not by any machines. Now you ask why women? Because women are more delicate, more careful in separating the grapes. 
Casa Apostolle building cost about USD 20 Million. 
Lapostolle workers going home. 
Also it was our time to go home. And that evening in programme was barbecuing! Day 3
Stop 1: Viña MontGras
MontGras vineyard. 
On the MontGras tour we learned, for example, that the only constant thing in Chile is the sun. Because the weather here is so reliable is also why there are only good vintages - unlike in many places in Europe. 
Each of us got to talk to the echo. 
How do you recognise a cabernet sauvignon grape from a merlot? 
The answer is in the leaves. 
The winemaker himself comes personally to try out the quality of the wines on a regular basis.
Yet again, our driver took us to the city for lunch. This time we sat outdoors in a lovely Italian restaurant.
Stop 4: Viña Santa Cruz
Unlike all the other wineries we visited, viña Santa Cruz beholds most of the wine on domestic grounds, and only about 5% is exported. And despite our clown like guide the sceneries were beautiful and the place worth visit.
After some wine tasting, the cable car took us up on the hill where the Mapuche and Rapa Nui cultures were represented, among others.
It was love at first sight. 
Lukas climbing on the monument representing the Rapa Nui culture from the Easter Islands. 
And Niklaus...
After yet another eventful day, it was time to go back to the hotel again.
We made friends at the hotel. Because we didn't know their names, we called him the Stinker.
... and the poodle was named as Pepino (cucumber in Spanish).
The beautiful setting tempted me for creating some artistic images.
The wine trip to Santa Cruz was one of the best holidays ever. It didn't tickle just our taste buds but also was a joy for the eye.
We returned to Santiago relaxed and happy making a detour via Pichilemu, well known in the surfer circles for its black sand and great waves.
