Millahue Valley, or named Lugar de Oro by the native Mapuche people, is my first stop after a 10.5 hour flight to Santiago de Chile. Two hours by car (or 160 kms) south of Santiago, the valley is located in the Colchagua wine region in Central Chile, which is sandwiched between the Andes Mountains and the Coastal Mountain Range. The valley’s granitic and volcanic soils merge with an arid Mediterranean climate, causing grapes to ripen slower, often with little intervention.

I stayed at Vik Hotel, which is located in the grounds of its namesake vineyard. Vina Vik is situated on 4,300 hectares of wilderness, where over 327 hectares of vines were planted. With mountains providing a grand backdrop to the orchards and vineyards, the bucolic setting provides for sweeping views.