Private Wine Tour Casa Marin and Villard Wines

Small wineries, big flavors. This private tour from Santiago combines boutique wine, family stories, scenic vineyard settings, and tastings at three respected Casablanca Valley producers. I especially like the personal scale of Villard Fine Wines and the women-led story behind Casa Marin. I also like that the day includes food context at Bianco Restaurant, even though lunch is not included in the price.

The main caution is the long schedule. The tour lasts about 11 hours, and the listed timing gives Villard five hours and Casa Marin four hours, with an additional tasting at Casas del Bosque. Ask for the exact order and meal plan before booking, since the written schedule is not perfectly clear about the final stop.

Key points to know before booking

• Villard is the intimate stop: This family-owned boutique winery was founded in 1989 by Thierry Villard and is known for its small, friendly setting and premium Casablanca wines.
• Casa Marin brings a strong personal story: It was founded by Chile’s first woman winemaker, owner, and vineyard founder.
• You taste premium and icon wines: Casa Marin includes three premium wines and one icon wine, served with breads and nuts.
• Bianco adds a food-and-wine angle: This restaurant was created by Pamela and her daughters, Lina and Giovanna, with dishes designed around Casa Marin wines.
• Casas del Bosque adds another respected producer: The Aromas tasting introduces one of Casablanca Valley’s best-known wineries.
• The private format matters: Only your group participates, and a guide, bottled water, winery visits, and tastings are included.

Why this Casablanca Valley day works well

Casablanca Valley is one of Chile’s major wine areas, and this tour gives you several different ways to understand it. You are not simply driven to one tasting room, handed a glass, and sent on your way. The day links a small family producer, a historic and highly personal vineyard, a food project, and a larger prestige winery.

I like this mix because the wineries do not all serve the same purpose. Villard offers an intimate introduction. Casa Marin provides the strongest story and the most detailed tasting program. Casas del Bosque rounds out the day with another established name.

The tour begins at 9:00 a.m. and lasts roughly 11 hours and 1 minute. That makes it a full-day commitment, not a quick afternoon outing. You should leave room in your Santiago plans for the entire day, especially because the wineries are outside the city and the schedule includes several stops.

The private setup is one of the biggest advantages. Your group is not combined with strangers, so the guide can keep the pace suited to your interests. If your group wants more time discussing grape varieties, production, or the differences between wineries, a private tour gives you a better chance to ask. It also makes the day easier for couples, families, or small groups with mixed levels of wine interest.

Pickup is offered, but confirm the exact pickup arrangement when you reserve. The published starting time is 9:00 a.m., while the meeting point details do not provide a specific address.

Villard Fine Wines: a small winery with a personal feel

Villard Fine Wines is the first listed stop, with five hours assigned to the visit. That is a generous block of time, although the actual schedule may include driving and other portions of the day. I would confirm how much of those five hours is spent at the winery itself.

Thierry Villard established the company in 1989 as Chile’s first family premium boutique wine company. Three decades later, the winery continues to be associated with Casablanca Valley and small-scale production. That family focus is important. You get a sense of wine as a hands-on family business rather than a large commercial attraction.

The visit is designed to cover the valley, the winery’s different vineyards, and the work behind the wines. You can expect a tour and a tasting of three premium wines, plus Tanagra Syrah. That gives you four pours with a clear emphasis on quality rather than a long list of inexpensive samples.

The published description presents Villard as a small and pleasant place with welcoming service and attractive surroundings. That is useful information if you prefer quiet, personal wineries to grand estates with a more formal visitor center. The setting appears to be part of the appeal, so allow yourself time to look around rather than treating this as a quick stop.

The possible downside is that the word boutique can mean a smaller operation with fewer public facilities. If you want a large cellar, extensive exhibits, or a busy social atmosphere, Villard may feel restrained. I see that as a strength for most wine-focused visitors, but it is still worth matching the stop to your expectations.

Casa Marin: the tour’s strongest story and tasting

Casa Marin receives four hours in the schedule, making it the central stop. The winery was founded by Chile’s first woman winemaker, owner, and vineyard founder. That gives the visit a clear human story, especially for anyone interested in the role of women in Chilean wine production.

The tour focuses on where and how the wines are made. You will learn about the vineyard and the winery’s development, then taste three premium wines and one icon wine. The tasting is accompanied by a table of breads and nuts, which is a practical touch. It gives you something to eat while tasting and helps keep the visit from becoming a series of empty-stomach pours.

I like the inclusion of an icon wine. Premium tastings can be useful for comparing styles, but an icon wine lets you see the top end of a producer’s range. It also helps you judge the winery on more than its entry-level bottles.

Casa Marin is likely to appeal most to you if the story behind a winery matters as much as the wine itself. The founding background adds meaning to the tour, and the longer visit allows more room for the production side of the business.

Still, four hours is a substantial amount of time at one winery. If you are new to wine, that may feel detailed. If you already know Chilean wine and want a quick tasting, the pace could seem slow. The private format helps here, since you can ask your guide whether the timing can be adjusted.

Bianco Restaurant: useful context, but lunch costs extra

Bianco Restaurant is listed as a one-hour stop connected with Casa Marin. It opened in December 2023 and was created by Pamela and her daughters, Lina and Giovanna. The restaurant’s purpose is to build dishes around the qualities of Casa Marin wines.

That makes Bianco more than a generic restaurant stop. It gives you a chance to see how the winery’s wines are used at the table. For many people, this is where the day becomes easier to understand. Wine can taste very different with food, and a dish designed for a particular bottle offers a clearer sense of how the producer wants its wines enjoyed.

Lunch is not included. Dinner is also not included, although dinner would be unusual on a tour beginning at 9:00 a.m. You should budget separately for the meal and ask what seating or menu arrangement is available. The supplied information does not state the lunch price, menu, or whether a meal is required during the one-hour stop.

This is one area where the $320 price needs careful consideration. The tour includes the tastings, winery visits, guide, and bottled water, but not lunch. If you want to eat at Bianco, your final cost will be higher than the advertised tour price.

Casas del Bosque and the Aromas tasting

The final listed stop is an Aromas wine tasting at Casas del Bosque. The winery is described as one of the most prestigious producers in Casablanca Valley and is located in the Las Dichas sector, in the part of the valley closest to the coast.

That location matters because Casablanca Valley is known for a cooler coastal influence than many inland wine areas. The tour information does not specify which wines you will taste at Casas del Bosque, but the Aromas tasting gives you another way to compare the area’s producers after visiting Villard and Casa Marin.

Casas del Bosque provides useful contrast. Villard is a family boutique company. Casa Marin has a strong founder story and a focused premium tasting. Casas del Bosque is a more widely recognized name in the valley. Seeing all three lets you compare different approaches to wine production and hospitality.

The timing here needs clarification. The itinerary lists the stop, but it does not give a clear duration, and the total time assigned to the earlier stops already adds up to ten hours. Since the complete tour is about 11 hours, the schedule may include driving within those blocks, or the published times may be approximate. Contact the provider before booking if you want to know exactly how long you will spend at each winery.

What the $320 price includes

At $320 per person, this is a premium private outing. The value depends heavily on the size of your group and how much you care about convenience and winery access.

Included are the wine tastings and tours, alcoholic beverages, bottled water, and a guide. Pickup is offered, and group discounts may be available. Since the tour is private, the price also pays for a dedicated vehicle and guide rather than a seat on a large shared bus.

For a small group, the cost may feel high compared with a basic group wine excursion. But a standard group tour may offer fewer wineries, less control over timing, and a more crowded tasting-room experience. If you are splitting the cost among several people, the private format becomes easier to justify.

You should also add the cost of lunch at Bianco and any tips for the guide and driver. Tips are not included. Dinner is not included either, though you may not need dinner during the tour itself.

The tour is booked an average of 22 days ahead. That suggests you should not wait until the last minute, particularly if you have fixed dates in Santiago. Confirmation is provided at booking, and free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled start.

How to prepare for a long tasting day

I would begin with a solid breakfast. The day includes several tastings, but the only food specifically included is the breads and nuts at Casa Marin. Lunch at Bianco costs extra, so plan for that expense rather than assuming the tour price covers it.

Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. You will be moving between wineries and spending many hours away from Santiago. The tour includes bottled water, which is helpful, but you should still drink water throughout the day.

Because the tour is private, tell the provider about your priorities before departure. You may care most about boutique producers, food pairings, the founding story of Casa Marin, or the wines themselves. A private guide can usually make the day more useful when your interests are clear, though the supplied details do not promise a custom itinerary.

I would also ask three practical questions before paying:

• Is pickup from your Santiago accommodation included, and at what time?
• How long is the Casas del Bosque visit?
• Is the Bianco meal a set menu, an optional stop, or simply time reserved for lunch?

Those answers will help you judge whether the long day suits you.

Who will enjoy this private wine tour

I recommend this tour most strongly to wine drinkers who want depth rather than a quick tasting. The three wineries give you different styles of hospitality, and the private format makes it easier to spend time on questions that matter to your group.

It also suits anyone who enjoys the people behind a product. Thierry Villard’s family company and the women-led Casa Marin story give the day more personality than a simple list of vineyard names.

Couples and small groups may find the private structure especially useful. You will not need to match the pace of a large group, and the day can feel more relaxed even though it covers a lot of ground.

I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone seeking a short, low-cost outing from Santiago. The tour is long, the price is high, and lunch costs extra. It is also not the best choice if you want a precise, tightly published timetable, since the Casas del Bosque timing is not clearly stated.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want a full day of premium wine, private transportation, and varied winery visits in Casablanca Valley. Villard’s small scale, Casa Marin’s founder story and icon tasting, Bianco’s food focus, and Casas del Bosque’s prestige make a well-rounded combination.

Before booking, confirm the pickup details, the exact order of stops, the time at Casas del Bosque, and the expected lunch arrangement. If those details work for you, the $320 cost can be fair for a private group outing with several tastings and a dedicated guide. If you mainly want one or two glasses of wine and a few scenic hours, choose a shorter and less expensive tour instead.

FAQ

Where does the wine tour begin?

The tour begins at 9:00 a.m. in Santiago. Pickup is offered, but the supplied details do not specify the exact pickup address or arrangement.

How long does the tour last?

The total duration is approximately 11 hours and 1 minute.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

Which wineries are included?

The tour includes Villard Fine Wines, Casa Marin Winery, and Casas del Bosque.

What happens at Villard Fine Wines?

You receive a tour covering the Casablanca Valley, Villard’s vineyards, and its wine activity. The tasting includes three premium wines and Tanagra Syrah.

What happens at Casa Marin?

You learn how the wines are made and hear about the winery’s founding history. The tasting includes three premium wines and one icon wine, with breads and nuts.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch is not included in the tour price. Bianco Restaurant is included as a stop, but the meal costs extra.

Is dinner included?

No. Dinner is not included.

Are drinks and water included?

Yes. Wine tastings, alcoholic beverages, and bottled water are included.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start are not refunded, and changes within that period are not accepted.