Chile has some world class wineries not only to collect and taste their wines but also visit. One that’s been on my list for a while is Viña Santa Rita.
Viña Santa Rita in the Maipo Valley is about 30-45 minutes from Santiago depending on traffic and where you’re staying. Given how close it is, why I still hadn’t gone after 8 years here is just a case of one taking for granted what’s close to home even though I’ve been all over the whole rest of the country for tourism and wine. I finally went just after Christmas since we had a visitor to entertain. 
What to know about Viña Santa Rita
Santa Rita is one of the oldest wineries in Chile. It was founded in 1880. Although many consider the oldest currently and continuously running winery to be the lesser known Viña del Pedregal in Maule since 1825, most of the others are large wineries based in Maipo. Some of the other oldest in Maipo are Cousiño Macul (1856), Tarapaca (1874 – Now owned by Viña San Pedro (1865)), Undurraga (1885), Concha y Toro (1883) and Carmen (1850). I had only been to Undurraga and Cousiño Macul. 
Santa Rita now owns Viña Carmen (I just wrote about their new star winemaker), so this is the place to visit and taste Viña Carmen if you were looking for their winery. Santa Rita also has Argentinian labels: Doña Paula and Altaluvia. It also helped to found Los Vascos with Lafite Rothschild. Although Santa Rita is based in Maipo, they source from several places in Chile.
You can find Santa Rita and Carmen at the entry to mid-level in supermarkets and restaurants, such as their Medalla Real, Casa Real Escudo Familia, and Floresta line along with their Triple C. Found usually outside supermarkets in wine shops, Casa Real is their top Cabernet Sauvignon and Pewën is their top Carmenere. Also, they’re one of the few to make a top end Petite Sirah called Bougainville.
Under their Carmen line, there’s their top Carmen Gold. More focused on terroir is the Delanz line and their old vine patrimonial vines in Maule, Apalta and Itata, which are represented by their DO line.
What to do at Santa Rita
Museo Andino artifact
At the foothills of the Andes, the Santa Rita grounds are huge and full of natural beauty. There are vines and gardens all around along with traditional architecture, showing off its 19th century origins such as its chapel. There’s a hotel, cafe, and restaurant or you can picnic too. For wine tasting, you can buy a bottle with charcuterie or taste wines by the glass in their store to drink on the terrace or there are various guided tastings and tours. Besides walking tours, you can take a tour by horse and carriage or by a mobile pedal bar. Lastly, there’s a free museum (the Museo Andino) full of Chilean artifacts dating back to Pre-Colombian times. It’s a complete experience for the whole family, which you could easily pair with a visit to the nearby Buin Zoo.
My visit corresponded with Santa Rita recently being named by Forbes as the Best Winery in the World 2025 based on its wines, history and tourism experiences. The more modern, expensive and isolated Vik had received more accolades before, but the experience at Santa Rita is closer, more affordable and more traditionally Chilean. I would say their wine style matches that too. It’s good that it’s also getting some recognition. It still wasn’t crowded, so visit before everyone reads the Forbes article.
For my visit, I kept it simple. I checked out the grounds and museum on my own and then had lunch at their restaurant Doña Paula. The wine prices at the restaurant are just 10% more than what they sell them for at their store. FYI, their online store is still cheaper than their winery store though if you live in Chile. The tasting notes below show one of the wines I drank at lunch and one that I had opened for Christmas.
Tasting Notes
2022 Santa Rita Pewën De Apalta
100% Carmenere from 90+ year old vines in Apalta, prime real estate for Carmenere where other famous Carmenere dominated wines like Clos Apalta and Purple Angel are sourced. ~18 months in new and 2nd use oak barrels. PnP from the cellar. It takes 30-45 minutes to open up, but you get a well balanced and integrated mix of spice, tomato leaf, green peppers, dark chocolate and floral notes on the nose, but it’s still only medium intensity. The palate is super elegant and smooth with dark red fruits, medium-acid, soft tannins and a long, salinic, herbal and spicy back-end. It’s not an in your face, ripe Carmenere. It reveals its complexities slowly bit by bit with nothing dominating. I suspect more will reveal itself with more air. 93
2022 Carmen DO Matorral Chileno Mezcla Tinta Maule
13,118 bottles made. Blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Carignan and 10% Pais. 60% of the Grenache was whole cluster. Past versions of this label have featured Syrah and Viognier, so I’m not sure if they have a set blend. The nose is quite herbal and floral. Bright and dark red fruit. Medium acid. Medium-bodied with soft but present tannins. Savory finish. Good length. Balanced and elegant despite the 14% alcohol. 92