Celebrating wine harvests is a highly popular event, where preparations begin with the coming of the summer and conclude by the end of April, time in which the main wine valleys of Chile bring together all the activities involving wine, attracting local and foreign tourists.
Throughout the past few years it has become a huge reference to the traditional Chilean farm-life, mixing crowd-pleasing activities, gastronomical demonstrations and of course, wine tasting, an opportunity to obtain a true perspective of what our national wine is really about.
This is a summary of the most outstanding events to take place during the Chilean wine harvest, a calendar of all the main wine festivities and the most traditional products of the region, a definite must.
The Colchagua Valley Wine Harvest Festival (March 6th, 7th and 8th)
With the participation of the 13 wineries that conform the Wineries of Colchagua, the city of Santa Cruz will celebrate the 16th version of its wine harvest festival, a chance to try out the best Carménères of Chile and other non-traditional wines, such as Mourdvèdre, Carignan, Garnacha or Petit Verdot.
Altogether, it is an opportunity to enjoy the local cuisine and artisan work, traditional games and special tours around the wineries, aside from the customary Queen of the Wine Harvest pageant.
The Curicó Valley Wine Harvest Festival (March 19th-22nd)
It is the oldest of the popular events involving wine to take place in Chile. They will be celebrating their festival number 29 in the city of Curicó this 2015, with wine tasting of the best musts, and handicraft, gastronomy, culture and entertainment displays for the whole family. Activities will be organized by the Wine Harvest Commission of the city, who are expecting to receive over 100 thousand visitors this year, to witness the election of the Wine Harvest Queen. Jordan will be the country guest of honor, showing us the legacy of their Arab culture.
The Casablanca Valley Wine Harvest Festival (April 11th and 12th)
This third version will be celebrated in the main plaza of the Casablanca city, place of origin of some of the best Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs of Chile. The Casablanca Valley, together with Valparaiso, are one of the Great Wine Capitals of the world network and is found 50 kilometers west of Santiago.
Among the main innovations to stand out in the valley, are a sparkling wine bar and a boutique shop offering traditional wine products, in addition to the local handicraft and cuisine.
Organizers are also contemplating a new version of the creole games, folkloric musical groups, grape-stomping and the traditional queen election of the 2015 Casablanca Wine Harvest.
Link : http://chile.travel/en/blog/wine-harvest-tradition-filled-festivities-chilean-wine/