Events, Festivals and Exhibitions

Grape Harvest Festival Chile (Fiesta de la Vendimia)

1 April - 30 April

The Grape Harvest Festival Chile or vendimia takes place in April.

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The vendimia is a generic word for harvests, though it usually refers to the grape harvest festival in Chile and Argentina. The festival is called la fiesta de la vendimia in both countries and generally takes place in April each year.

Arguably, the centre of the Chile grape harvest festival is the Maipo Valley, which is conveniently close to the communication hub of the capital, Santiago, although there are several other wine valleys that celebrate the festival including Colchagua Valley. Of the 7,000 acres of vineyard in the Maipo Valley most is used to make Cabernet Sauvignon.

When Is the Grape Harvest Festival in Chile?

The Chile grape harvest festival is in April. Across the country, the wineries celebrate their harvest. Grapes are trodden, bands play, wine queens are crowned and other local specialities like liquors, chocolate and honey are for the sampling. Different towns will have celebrations at different times and these are advertised locally. Some harvesting takes place in late February through to early May.

chile wine tasting

Due to this, visits to the festival are often best organised at short notice.

A wine tasting event in a town will typically be one where you buy a glass and tickets then you choose which wines you wish to sample. At a winery, it may involve buying a ticket in advance, spending a day there and/or helping in the harvest.

Finding the Grape Harvest Festival Chile

There are tours that organise the whole holiday for you; however, if you want to do this yourself, for a winery, try De Martino. For towns, do key-word searches for the following and be ready with a translation programme.

Another popular area to try the wine is the Colchagua Valley which has several vineyards offering tours.

fiesta de la vendimia chile

Things To Do in Chile

Santiago is nearby with its Plaza de Armas in the centre; La Chascona, home to the poet Pablo Neruda; the Pre-Colombian art museum, the view from San Cristobal or Santa Lucia Hills and city tours. To arrange tours of the region or elsewhere in Chile we suggest you contact Eco Chile Travel.

Alternatively, you can experience the Vendimia Argentina (fiesta de la vendimia), which is celebrated in Mendoza – so expect a lot of quality Malbec – in February and March.


Discover Chile off-the-beaten track in 10 adventures.


Flights to Santiago

Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport is in the north-western outskirts of Santiago. From here there are direct international flights to Sao Paulo, Panama, Madrid, Auckland, Sydney, Montevideo, Caracas, Lima and Buenos Aires. Maipo province is to the immediate south of Santiago, so you might be able to negotiate a fare from the airport to the wine harvest.


More information on travel in Chile

If you need more information about Chile, click here. Photos courtesy of the Colchagua wine valley association.


Details

Start:
1 April
End:
30 April

Venue

Various

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Mike East

Mike East

Mike began his career in travel writing by writing his own guide on his holidays. He sent this manuscript off to a range of travel guide companies and got a range of rejection letters — all except one. Getting a contract to write for Roger Lascelles Publications on Trinidad and Tobago, and The Bahamas was how his career began. With this opportunity came other pieces for British magazines, The Sunday Telegraph and now Travel Begins at 40.

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