TerraVina
Santa Cruz, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Sparkling clean colonial-style hotel with pool, set in its own vineyard and surrounded by green Andes foothills
Imagine a room with a view over acres of emerald-green vineyards;
then riding through those vineyards in a horse-driven cart to a
pretty bodega for a winery tour and tasting. And in the evening,
walking through the same vineyards for a tasty meal at a family
ristorante, before strolling back under the stars. This
triumvirate of hotel, winery and restaurant is what makes TerraVina
so special. Built and owned by a Danish-Chilean couple, it is just
outside the town of Santa Cruz, the centre of the Colchagua Valley,
Chile’s answer to Napa Valley. Colchagua is already
internationally recognised as producing the country’s best
wine, from the Carmenère grape, and with its beautiful
backdrop of the Andes foothills, TerraVina has a prime location in
the valley.
Not long opened (January 2010), the hotel has a scrubbed
Scandinavian freshness with white walls, rauli wood beams, wicker
furniture and terracotta roof tiling. All 19 rooms have a
patio overlooking the vineyard and share a long shaded veranda
facing the pool and mountains. The hotel vineyard grows Merlot
grapes for the nearby Laura Hartwig winery and there is a private
pathway through them to the aforementioned excellent Italian
restaurant, Vino Bello. Fine wine, great food and clean,
comfortable rooms - it’s a perfect 3-point holiday plan for
relaxation.
Highs
- A lovely base for touring local wineries and hiking, biking and horse riding in the picturesque Colchagua Valley
- Friendly English-speaking owners Anne and Eduardo who know Colchagua well and are happy to recommend and book local activities
- Spectacular Andes and vineyard views from your room
- Tasty buffet breakfasts and great cheese platters with wine on request
- Lazing by the pool, which gets the sun all day, then moving to the patio for sundowner drinks
Lows
- It’s a 10-minute walk into Santa Cruz, along a fairly busy road, although taxis are very cheap
- Santa Cruz itself doesn’t have a lot of attractions, although its museum houses the biggest private collection in Chile
- No lunch or dinner available at the hotel itself
