One of the modern pioneers of Casablanca valley, the Cúneo family founded Casas del Bosque winery in 1993. This cool maritime climate is ideal for fresh coastal wines, and the focus of Casas del Bosque is on Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Syrah, although winemaker Alberto Guolo is also experimenting with Malbec on the estate.

Casas del Bosque is not only a leader in Casablanca wines but has one of the most popular winery restaurants in Chile, the award-winning Tanino, and boasts a great variety of activities for visitors from bike rides through the vineyards to picnics at the beautiful look out spot, at Casa Mirador. Another of the key pillars of Casas del Bosque is a focus on sustainablity, through their viticulture and winemaking as well as their social and community impact.

 

About Viña Casas del Bosque

The Cuneo family, third-generation Italian immigrants, planted their first vineyard in 1993 here in Casablanca just as the boom in the region was taking off. Casas del Bosque winery now has 235 hectares of vineyards on the estate, some of which are managed organically.

The winery is located in the Casablanca Valley, 70 km away from Santiago and 30 km from the port of Valparaíso (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and got its name from the large, old pines and olive trees and the small white houses of adobe.

Close to Casablanca town, this is a popular winery to visit and has an excellent restaurant on-site to enjoy a leisurely afternoon.

 

About Viña Casas del Bosque vineyards

Their 235 hectare vineyard in Casablanca is planted on deep red granite soils of volcanic origin which sit on top of decomposed granite layers formed 110 million years ago beneath the Pacific Ocean. The estate is in the sub-region of Las Dichas, which is one of the coolest areas of Casablanca. Each morning fog bathes the valley and vines, keeping temperatures low and in combination with the granitic soil, the wines have a unique maritime freshness.

The Casablanca vineyard has Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and some Malbec planted. Casas del Bosque also makes wines with Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère grapes from the Maipo, Cachapoal, and Colchagua valleys to complete their portfolio.

All of Casas del Bosque’s processes, from wine-growing to winemaking and bottling, are certified as sustainable according to the Sustainability Code from Wines of Chile.

 

 

Viña Casas del Bosque wines

RESERVA

The Reserva line includes young, fresh, easy-to-drink wines from Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carmenère.

BOTANIC SERIES

Within the Botanic Series there is a Sauvignon Blanc, a Riesling, and a rosé from Pinot Noir. These are fresh wines made to reflect the different plots within the vineyard from which they came.

GRAN RESERVA

Elegant, complex wines, and age-worthy wines. Within the Gran Reserva line, there is a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon.

PEQUEÑAS

These are small production wines made from grapes from the best plots within their vineyard in Casablanca. Made with emblematic varieties for Casas del Bosque, Pequeñas includes a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay. This collection is one of the highlights of the winery and well worth seeking out.

PRIVATE RESERVE

These are Casas del Bosque’s most iconic wines and include Gran Bosque, an intense, age-worth wine made from old vines of Cabernet Sauvignon and with 22 months aging in French oak barrels, and La Trampa, a cold climate complex blend made from Syrah, Malbec and Pinot Noir.

LATE HARVEST AND SPARKLING

Casas del Bosque also has a Late Harvest, made from Riesling grapes from a single vineyard, picked late in autumn when the berries are affected by noble botrytis — one of the few botrytized sweet wines in South America. Another favourite is Bo Sparkling, a traditional method sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes and aged for 19 months on its lees.

 

About the winemaker, Alberto Guolo

Alberto was born in Monselice, Italy. He graduated as a winemaker and enologist from the University of Padua and has done harvests in Italy, New Zealand and California. He moved to Chile in 2016 and joined Casas del Bosque in 2017 as their winemaker.

Alberto is also owner of the Vini Monticello – Azienda Guolo in Veneto, in Italy. This vineyard was founded by his grandfather and produces Prosecco and wines from Merlot, Raboso Piave, Carmenère, Friulano and Pinot Bianco.

Alberto works closely with Sam Harrop MW, a New Zealand consultant, and together they’ve developed a winegrowing and winemaking concept to reflect the “Casablanca style” — with the goal of making wines to reflect the place of origin.

Alberto Guolo on Sauvignon Blanc

 

Visiting Viña Casas del Bosque

The handsome estate offers a panoramic view over Casablanca valley and has some of the most interactive wine tourism experiences in the region. There are several different types of tour on offer which include options to tour the vineyards by bicycle, take a picnic in the gardens and learn a cookery course. If you visit during the harvest period you can also be part of their harvest experience in which you can also pick grapes, learn about winemaking and finish with a wine tasting with fresh produce from the garden.

Casas del Bosque offers guided visits, tours, and tastings in Spanish, English, and Portuguese every day from 10 am to 5 pm.

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To book your visit you can email the winery at [email protected] or call +56 2 2480 6941

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The winery has two restaurants, Tanino and Casa Mirador; a wine bar Bo; and a wine shop, Pequeñas.

TANINO RESTAURANT

At Tanino restaurant, the chef Paloma Fuenzalida works together with the winemaker Alberto Guolo to design a menu that perfectly pairs Casas del Bosque’s wines with the food. The menu changes twice a year and you can enjoy lunch within the living room or al fresco outside on the patio overlooking the vineyards and organic vegetable garden.

Tanino is open for lunch every day from 12pm to 4:30 pm.

CASA MIRADOR RESTAURANT

 

Casa Mirador has a spectacular view of the valley and offers a four-course menu, each paired with a specific wine, for private events and functions.

Within Casa Mirador you can also do a special cooking and wine experience, learning some typical Chilean dishes while pairing the meal with wines from Casas del Bosque.

The Casa Mirador restaurant opens only on weekends. We recommend booking in advance.

BO WINE BAR

Bo wine bar is named after their sparkling wine and is the ideal place to enjoy a glass of sparkling wine in the afternoon. Offering a casual setting which is child friendly, the wine bar has lots of thier wines on offer by the glass as well as charcuterie and tapas.

Bo wine bar is open every day from 12pm to 4:30 pm.

PEQUEÑAS SHOP

Pequeñas sells Casas del Bosque’s full range of labels along with wine accessories, such as corkscrews, aerators, decanters and coolers, and local and gourmet products, such as honey from its estate, olive oil, and salts.

 

Video for Casas del Bosque winery

 

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