Visit San Antonio For Wine Tasting And A Horse Show In Casablanca
When we docked in San Antonio in Chile on our cruise around South America with Oceania Cruises, we headed out for wine tasting and a horse show in Casablanca. After our amazing views of nature on our cruise through the Chilean Fjords, we looked forward to a different kind of experience.
There were many different day trips available for our stop in San Antonio. But we were glad we headed inland to Casablanca.
The first stop was at the Casa Del Bosque Winery. We enjoyed a tour of the vineyard and the processing operation. And then we tasted our way through the red and white wine line up.
We continued on to the Puro Caballo Equestrian Centre. The horse show was fascinating. Lunch and a Pisco Sour treat added to the treats on this day trip. So many great ways to enjoy our days in Chile.
Heading To Casablanca, Chile
We boarded our bus and headed out for our drive to Casablanca. We only got small glimpses of San Antonio as we passed.
As we drove through the countryside, we soon saw large farms on all sides. It was surprising how green the fields were with dry hills in the distance.
When we vineyards started to appear, we knew we were close to our first stop on our day trip for wine tasting and a horse show in Casablanca. Chile was a cold weather wine region. Similar to what we learned wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara, the cold Pacific brought in cold fog.
Casablanca was still a young wine region, having only started in the mid 1980s. When we visited there were over 20 wineries.
Walking Through The Casa Del Bosque Winery
We parked at the Casa Del Bosque Winery and our tour for the day started outside. It was a beautiful property with lots of outdoor areas to enjoy.
We moved to the vineyards and learned more about growing grapes in this climate in Chile. The vineyards went up into the surrounding hills. We were excited when we found full grapes on the vines that had just started to ripen. Visiting a winery at harvest time was always a treat.
From the vineyard we headed into the production facility. We saw rows of stainless steel tanks. Aisles of French oak barrels greeted us as we moved into the temperature controlled areas.
In the last room we found a large collection of barrels, a closed tasting room and a tasting session set up for another group. There were no samples for us here!
It was interesting to walk through the wine making process from the fields to barrel aging.
Wine Tasting At Casa Del Bosque Winery
We moved back into the lounge for 3 wine tastings. This region was known for white wine valley and late harvest vintages. In some places they planted Pinot Noir. We were told this was a red that wanted to be white! Syrah was also planted on the hills for the best weather.
We started with a fresh, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc. From there we moved to the Carmanere Reserve 2018. This was a new grape discovery for us on this trip. We found it balanced and smooth, with no bite up front and a lingering taste. The Syrah we tried was much more fruity although this settled down quickly.
We headed outside with our wine glasses. There were many great spots for perfect wine pictures.
Before we left we headed into the shop. There was a wide selection of wines available by the bottle or in packages. As usual, David was drawn to the sweet late harvest wines. As Canadians we had easy access to the very sweet ice wines and our wine cabinet was stocked. Since we did not try the late harvest wines, David did not buy any.
People wandered back to the bus with their bags of wine purchases. And we headed off for the next stop on our day trip for wine tasting and a horse show in Casablanca.
Entertained At The Puro Caballo Equestrian Centre
When we arrived at the Puro Caballo Equestrian Centre we were greeted by the host and several of the riders with their horses in the courtyard.
There was some free time so we wandered around the property. We were interested in the llamas with the dangerous looking teeth. But the horses and baby colts made us smile.
We moved into the courtyard for a small snack while serenaded by the guitar player. With our empanadas there was a choice of a fruit juice or a Pisco Sour. The Pisco Sour was made with clear Pisco liquor and citrus juice. Who could pass on a Pisco Sour in Chile?
When we attended an Andalusian Horse Show in Cordoba, we were fully entertained. So we had high expectations.
A Great Day For Wine Tasting And A Horse Show In Casablanca
Refreshed we moved to the ring for a great horse show. The group of riders moved into the ring and delighted us as they moved around in formation.
Riders demonstrated riding tricks. One trainer slowly moved his horse to a prone position and laid down with the horse. Another performed acrobatic tricks around the ring.
A young dancer entered the ring and performed a flirtatious dance with the horse and rider. She was presented with flowers that she then threw to the crowd.
Once the show was over, the riders formed up in the courtyard for a closer look a the horse and riders.
Fully entertained we moved into the large dining room for a local lunch. The wine was plentiful. And the guitar player returned to entertain us. It was the perfect way to finish our day trip for wine tasting and a horse show in Casablanca.
A Great Day Trip From San Antonio With Wine Tasting And A Horse Show In Casablanca Chile
We headed back to the port in San Antonio smiling and sated. We enjoyed our day trip for wine tasting and a horse show in Casablanca.
But this was not our last taste of Chilean wine. On our next day in Chile, we again headed out for wine tasting in Coquimbo. Wine tasting was definitely one of the great things to enjoy in Chile.
Have you done wine tasting and a horse show in Casablanca Chile? Or did you do something else from San Antonio?
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This is my kind of day out! Wine tasting in Chile and a horse show. I’d love to try a glass or two of the wine and visit Casablanca. The show looks fascinating and I like the traditional dress too.
It was a real treat to have both wine tasting and a horse show on our stop. A perfect mix!
Wooow, Linda! Another amazing experience. I am such a wine lover and this combined with the horse show was definitely a fantastic way to experience Casablanca. I cannot believe all the amazing experiences you keep having! Also love reading about them!
I am happy to be sharing our great adventures in South America. This was a real treat for our day trip.
I’ve never been to Chile but always wanted to go. With the pandemic, your description and pictures here may be the closest I will ever get, I could almost taste that wine. And the air looked so fresh. Thank you so much!
We were so glad we got to visit Chile just as the pandemic was closing down the world. A return visit may be many years away.
Your article reminded me of my trip to Chile and the many wine tastings I’ve done around Santiago and Valparaiso. I love that you got to see such a fascinating horse performance as well. The acrobatics those people do on the horses are spectacular.
We enjoyed a similar horse show in Spain so it was fun to see a local rendition. And we sure grew to love the Chilean wines!
We’ve only been in Chile to visit Torres del Paine National Park, in Patagonia, but would love to return and visit some other parts of the country. We love Chilean wines and seeing you guys having such fun at this winery and horse show in Casablanca, I told my husband we should go back.
There is so much outdoor beauty in Chile to enjoy. So we were glad on our last few stops we saw a different side of Chile. The wine tasting and horse show was the perfect day trip.
What an unusual but fun combo: horse show and wine tasting. I had no idea that Pisco Sour is common in Chile too, not just in Peru.
The horseback acrobatics are quite impressive and that baby lama with the crooked teeth looks very cute.
It was indeed a fun mix of activities for our day in Casablanca. A nice mix from the great outdoors we saw in other parts of Chile.
I love visiting wineries. Those grapes looked almost fake with all the different colors. The llamas remind me of the time my husband and I went glamping in an alpaca paddock.
The grapes were indeed an amazing variety in colours. Had to catch that! So many fun sights that day.
This sounds like a fabulous day…sunshine, wine, entertainment – Perfecto! Your photos at the Casa Del Bosque vineyard had me craving a cold Sauvignon Blanc on a hot day. Also, I can’t believe how cooperative the horses are for the performance. Wow!
It was indeed a fabulous day with so many fun – and tasty – stops!
Although I like good wine a lot, my eyes began to water when I read the word Pisco. Not only is it one of my favorite liquers, it also brings back wonderful memories of Latin America.
This wine and horse event is such a cool witness of the Spanish heritage in South America. It’s funny how traditions keep on travelling between the two continents. When I was in Spain recently, everyone was totally into Latino music and Reaggaton and all that good stuff 😉
We too found it fun to see so many Spanish traditions as we moved around South America. This was my first Pisco sour. But not the last!
You had a great trip to Casablanca with the horse show and the wine tasting. We also went on a few wine tasting tours in Chile and liked the Chilean wines very much. Camenere and Malbec are two grape varieties that are used a lot in Chile in Argentine, but not elsewhere.
We sure loved the Malbec we found in Chile! Became one of David’s favourite wines. It was great to try some other new wine varieties. And on the other trip (blog post coming up soon).
Such stunning photos…I would love to visit Chile someday.
We would strongly recommend putting Chile on your travel wish list. We had so many amazing experiences.
A wine tasting and horse show. I think that would be awesome. I would be all for that.
It was great to have such a variety in our day trip around Casablanca in Chile.
What a great trip! I spent 3 weeks in Chile, but never made it to San Antonio. How far is it from Santiago? The pisco in Chile is phenomenal. When I was there in 2018, the pisco sours were a staple, and were always the perfect combination of tasty and strong!
Sadly we missed Santiago on our visit. This was a day trip we did from San Antonio – less than 2 hour drive. But so fun to see so much on this tour.
The horse show looks cool! And I will choose Pisco Sour over a fruit juice, too. Your wine tour reminded me of a wine connoisseur in my hiking group. She went to Chile for a wine tour with a winery owner near where I live and at that time I was shocked to hear that they made wine in Chile, too.
We were delighted to discover such good wine in Chile. And some of our new favourites too. Would be great to travel with a wine expert.
How nice to be able to tour the property and learn about the wine making process in addition to sampling some wines. Hopefully you were also allowed to pluck a few grapes to eat since it was harvest season.
We did love the chance to do both a tour and a wine tasting. Sadly we did not get fresh grapes. But they were sure colourful to see!
This sounds fun! It’s been a while since I have been to a horse show. It’s so cool to see all those riding tricks. Thank you for sharing your fun experience.
We enjoyed a similar show in Cordoba in Spain. Fun to see the horse and riders perform.
A wine tasting and a horse show sounds like an absolutely fabulous day to me! I enjoy drinking Chilean Merlot and would appreciate the opportunity to sample other varietals as well. It certainly seems like you had a wonderful cruise.
We had some great stops on our cruise in South America. It was wonderful to do the wine tasting and try some new wines varietals.
This looks like an awesome experience. I love wine tasting experiences and always try to go on them if I’m in a region that is known for it. The horse show looks really cool. It’s such a different thing we don’t experience here in the UK. We don’t have any working horses outside of the police force.
The horses were such a great Spanish tradition we have enjoyed here and in Cordoba. But I am with you on wine tasting. Always take an option to try a new wine region.
This makes me want to take a sip of wine right now! I’m sure you guys loved the horse show as well as being serenaded by a guitar while having empanadas and enjoying a good drink. This is a new and unique experience to actually try!
We loved the fun mix of activities for this day trip to Casablanca. Fun and tasty too!
What a fabulous cruise excursion! And it looks like perfect weather. As usual, great photos!
We like to mix up our day trip excursions. This was a fun and tasty option.
I would really enjoy the horse show. I’ve seen similar shows at Renaissance fairs but this seems more classical. And yes, those llama teeth are definitely crazy!
It was fun to see the horse show and enjoy wandering around the property. A fun day!
I love wine and Syrah is one of my favorites! But this looks like such a cool experience… especially with an additional horse show. Saving it for my future travels!
It was a great mix of wine tasting and a horse show. A perfect way to enjoy a day in Chile.
What a great experience! I’ve been to wine tastings but never a horse show. It looks like a lot of fun. I’ll have to check it out when I’m in Chile later this year.
I am glad to provide some new ideas for your visit to Chile later this year. So many great ways to enjoy Chile.
What a fantastic day trip! Coming from a wine-growing region, I chuckled at Pinot Noir grapes being red grapes that wanted to be white. I’ve never heard that before.
The horse show sounds impressive, although I did wonder if the llama didn’t steal the show – he’s so cute with his funny teeth.
The llama was a great start to our visit for a horse show. So many great experiences for he day.
What a fun day getting to try wines and see a horse show! If I hear there is a wine region, I can’t wait to go. I prefer reds so I’d love the Pinot Noir and Syrah. And I’d love to try a Pisco Sour as it sounds tasty!
We sure found some red wines we loved in Chile. David is pretty picky so it was great he found some good ones!
This looks like a fantastic experience. I’ve done wine tasting in Spain and really enjoyed it. That horse show looks so interesting to watch too.
We too have done horse shows in Spain so this was an easy choice to try it in a different spot. Lots of fun for our day trip.
Looks like so much fun! Are the horses Paso Fino or another breed?
I am not sure what breed of horses they were. But the show was lovely to see.
Hah! That llama! I am not a wine drinker but I bet it would still be an interesting tour to take of their facilities.
We love to tour the wineries and learn about the processes when we go wine tasting. A great stop on our day trip.
What an amazing experience! Chilean wine is something, and those horses look wonderful. Oh and yes the pisco sour is so wonderful! But it did me in when I was in high altitude, just one sip!
I can imagine that high altitude with a Pisco Sour would be a dangerous combination!
Oceania is one of my favorite cruise lines – haven’t done a South American cruise yet (but it is on the list!). I love the art on the stairs of San Antonio– gorgeous!
I hope you do get to do the South America cruise. I will tell you that the segment from Buenos Aires to Lima was our favourite of the 3 segments.
Wow this looks like so much fun! I didn’t know Chile had wineries. Awesome post 🙂
We loved the chance to learn about Chilean wines and found a new favourite!
Love Chilean wine so would love this trip on my next SA adventure. Not a fan of those Pisco sours though! But I adore the llamas- so cute!
We were happy we got to try a couple of different Chilean wine tastings. Great to find some new favourites.
This looks like such a fun tour! I went for wine tasting in Georgia and it was one of my best experiences in the country
We often try to do wine tasting in a new country. Always a tasty experience.
I love to go wine tasting! I have never tried a wine from Chile, but I would be really curious! I love also when the wines are paired with tasty cheeses or other food. It definitely looks like something I would enjoy. Thanks for sharing!
We too like when we get wine tasting with pairings. Always interesting to see how that changes our view of wines. A great day trip.
This looks like a fabulous day out for some wine tasting and a horse show in San Antonio, Chile. So beautiful!
We had a lot of choices for day trips and were sure glad we did wine tasting and the horse show. A great mix of activities.
I have heard a lot about Chilean wines over the last few years. They are one of the popular ones among the new world wines. Horse show? Well, I always though Argentina had stronger association but then you post corrected me. Since there are not many travelers to Chile from this part of the world, I have not met anyone personally who has been to Chile. Enjoyed reading this post.
We were so excited to do so many different things on our visit to Chile. We will definitely go back to experience more!
Great
What a great experience to taste crisp Chilean wine at a vineyard. I didn’t know you could bring alcohol onto cruise ships. Good thing you can!
We have done a lot of wine tasting trips on cruises. Always glad we can bring back some great ones when we return.
What a fun article to read! Wine tasting and a horse show sound like a great time. Thanks for sharing all the pictures and more about your experience. I enjoyed reading. The region is gorgeous!
We had so many great days in Chile. The trip for wine tasting and a horse show was so much fun. Glad you enjoyed reading all about it.
The whole area you visited is so beautiful, but there’s something about a winery that’s just magical! I love how the vineyards are so lush and green, and I love learning about each wineries grapes and wine making process. The horse show looks like a fun afternoon as well. Overall an excellent excursion day in my opinion!
Our visit for wine tasting and a horse show in Casablanca was definitely an excellent excursion. It gave us a very different view of Chile. And one we were delighted to get.
Wow, it is fascinating, specially as i am yet to experience wine tasting. Casa Del Bosque Winery looks a good place to spend whole day rejuvenating while learning something new. It seems Chilean wine going places these days.
We were so glad we learned more about Chilean wines on this visit to South America.
I love wine tasting and it would be great to to taste some wines in Chile. Thanks for sharing!
We were sure glad we learned about some new wines in Chile!
What a lovely set of activities to do on such a beautiful day! I’ve been wine tasting in California and Greece but never in South America. It’s interesting how wine regions all around the world have a sort of similar look to them. The horse show sounds like a lot of fun too, and your pictures of the performers doing tricks are pretty impressive! Chile looks like such a unique country, I might have to check it out for my next South American trip!
We were so glad we got to Chile on our visit to South America. So much more to see on a return visit.
Visiting San Antonio for wine tasting and a horse show in Casablanca seems like a perfect idea for a trip. I’m a wine and nature lover, so it’s an ideal combination. I was in Chile, but only for a week, and had no time for visiting wineries. So I plan to back there. I would like to visit Casa Del Bosque Winery. I haven’t heard about Casablanca in Chile before. I love horses, so this show must be very photogenic. I add it to my list.
We were so glad we got to do a few winery tours in Chile and find some new wines that we are now loving at home. Wine and horses were indeed a perfect mix for a day trip.