North to the Vineyards

For the first time since I went to Chile, I decided to do something for myself. I made myself take a wine tour on Turistik...the Santiago based tourist line that is convenient from Parque Arauco mall. The buses show up at 7 am and you get on and go!

So...North to Vineyards I went....to the Casa Blanca Valley 15 clicks from the Pacific...
I signed up for a wine tasting at El Cuadra...a boutique winery in Casa Blanca specializing in white wines. Enjoy the scenery... I did!
I kept telling myself..."Looks like Napa...looks like Napa"
Once there, the smell of roses permeated the air...
Roses were along the grapes rows, down the fences, around the homes, wild in the ditches...all colors, all types.

Turning off the Pan Am Highway...down into grape country.

I was riding in the last row in the bus. Notice that the bus driver was driving on the WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD! He was anxious to drop us off...and then go get the next load of touristas...

Big winery seen from the highway... 

After over an hour...we were there. Estancia...El Cuadro.

Looks like Napa....

The entrance to the winery...

I say son, That's no Chicken!

 Lots of stuff in the tourista gift shop....lots of wine...lots of fiber, chocolate, grape facial cleanser, etc....

This is the hat and spur of the Huaca...the Chilean Cowboy. They wanted $400 for the set of spurs...

The tasting room.... This is Christine making the photo of the sampling table. She was on our bus...and works at the Canadian Embassy in the same building I do....  She is from Toronto and refers to herself as a Frankophone.

Scenes of the valley as we were leaving that day...

You can see I had two too many glasses of wine or I would not have stuck my camera out the window for this photo!

It was a good day...I should do this more often.