If you’ve read my full guide to visiting Curicó, you’ll know Miguel Torres was the easiest winery in Curicó to book online, and by far the most visitor-ready of the bunch. This post is the full breakdown of that visit: the vineyard tour, the tasting, and the restaurant. Because honestly it deserves more than a few paragraphs in the main guide.
Also worth reading: How To Visit Curicó for the full rundown of getting there, where to stay, and the other wineries in the valley.
The history of Miguel Torres
Torres arrived in the Curicó Valley in 1979, the first foreign winery to invest in Chile, bringing stainless steel fermentation tanks and French oak barrels that genuinely changed the standard for Chilean winemaking almost overnight.
The family itself goes back much further than that. Familia Torres traces its winemaking roots to 1870 in Vilafranca del Penedès, Catalonia. Since arriving in Chile though, the business has carved out its own Chilean identity here rather than just being an outpost of the Spanish original. They’ve become known for helping lead the revival of País, one of Chile’s oldest grape varieties, and the winery now holds organic and Fair Trade certifications alongside a genuine sustainability focus. The Curicó operation is now run by the fifth generation of the family, so this isn’t a one-off investment that got left to run itself. It’s still very much a family project.
Miguel Torres now farms across several Chilean valleys, from Curicó to Limarí, Maipo, and Itata, and exports to well over 100 countries, so this is a serious operation rather than a boutique one.
Arranging in advance
You need to arrange your tour in advance, and make reservations at the restaurant. Don’t just show up – there is a good chance they might not be able to accommodate you, especially in the busier summer period.
They have plenty of information on the Miguel Torres website. Being super honest though, when you try to book a tour through this site, it isn’t really clear which option is which, how you add both the tour and tasting, and not all of the timings are available.
It is easier to email them at visitas@migueltorres.cl and set out what you’re looking for. They can reserve it and also set you up with a restaurant reservation too.
Getting to Miguel Torres
We took the train three hours south from Santiago and got in around 10am. From Curicó station it was a straightforward Uber, only about a ten minute drive, straight to Miguel Torres. Again – check out my full guide to visiting Curicó for all of the transport options and logistics.
The vineyard tour
We were greeted on arrival at the visitor centre, which doubles as a shop, a tasting room, and a small library area. We paid there (around $36 per person for the tour and tasting) and then headed straight out for the vineyard tour.
Keep in mind – it was 10:30am, and they absolutely did not mind and were happy to accommodate. We were the only two people there, so we ended up with a private tour. The guide spoke perfect English and was super well-informed and accommodating, even with broader questions about other vineyards, other regions of Chile, all sorts.
The vines
They first took us out to rows of vines, each labelled with the different grape varieties growing there. Our guide walked us through them one by one: which grapes came from Europe, how they ended up in Chile, and the story behind a root-eating pest (phylloxera) that devastated European vineyards in the 1800s but never made it to South America.
That’s actually why Chile still grows Carménère, a grape that all but disappeared in Europe after phylloxera wiped it out. I honestly learned so much in this short wander around the vines. Who’d have thought it.
There’s a small pit dug next to one of the vines so you can see the exposed roots up close. This was actually really cool, to see how they expand and intertwine. They also showed us how they bury existing vines to grow new ones, and talked us through the age of some of the plants. Some of the vines out there are around 80 years old (!) and still producing.
It was winter, so there weren’t any grapes on the vines when we visited. It was still genuinely interesting though to hear the history and about how they grow and how much each vine produces.
The processing facilities
From the vines we walked over to where the grapes actually get processed: destemmed, sorted, cleaned, and pressed. There were posters everywhere explaining the different processes for red versus white wine, which helped make sense of it all.
The sustainability side stood out substantially for me. I did not know before visiting that sustainability was a core focus for them, so it was nice to see it in action without being expressly told. They showed us what they do with their wastewater and how they reuse it, and they’ve got solar panels out there powering parts of the site. Small details, but they add up.
Obviously being outside of harvest season, there was no processing going on, but seeing the size and scale of it up close was great.
The cellar
Inside the cellar next. They showed us the big steel vats where the wine first goes, then the different oak barrels where it’s aged. Our guide explained how long each wine sits in the barrels and how the ageing process works.
One barrel held an experimental port-style wine. They can’t legally call it port since it’s not made in Portugal, but that’s essentially what it was. Let’s call it a fortified red wine. They let us decant it ourselves, straight from the barrel with a giant straw, and taste it there and then. I’m a fan of port in moderation, and this one was ideal. Not too sweet, still plenty of strength behind it. Genuinely one of my favourite moments of the whole day.
Bonus note – the light fixtures inside the cellar are all made of wine bottles. I found that really cool.
The full tour took around an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes from arrival to finishing up in the cellar.
The tasting
The part we had been waiting for, albeit the info and behind-the-scenes tour had been excellent.
Back inside, they sat us in a bright, greenhouse-style room for the tasting. We tried three wines, each explained in detail: the grapes behind it, the tasting notes, all of it. We were adamant that we only wanted red wine (I just can’t vibe with white) and they were happy to oblige.
With only three wines, we got through them relatively quickly, but we didn’t feel at all rushed.
Alongside it we also had a simple snack plate of crackers and nuts. Nothing elaborate, though I’d imagine you could ask to upgrade it.
At the end, our host offered us an extra glass of the wine we’d liked most, which was a lovely touch. We then had the option to browse the shop and buy bottles of anything we’d enjoyed. There was zero pressure about it. The staff were happy to walk us through wines we hadn’t tasted too, if we wanted to buy something different.
They also stock El Gobernador pisco there, which Miguel Torres makes at a separate site in the north of Chile rather than at the Curicó vineyard. There wasn’t a tasting for it (boo), but you can buy a bottle.
The restaurant – La Bodeguita
The perfect follow-on from the tour and tasting. You’re just a little bit tipsy after three (or four…) sizeable tasting glasses, and ready for some food.
We had a 12:30 reservation at the restaurant. We’d finished the tasting by around 12, so the staff gave us the choice: hang around and taste a bit more wine, or head over early and wait for service to start. We chose to stay and have a little extra wine, then made the three minute walk over.
By this point the winter clouds had cleared and it was properly sunny. We were the first ones there, and the space itself is lovely. Floor to ceiling windows, plenty of room, with outside seating too if the weather allows it (it was a touch too cold for us that day).
The food and drink options
They started us off with bread, then brought out a fairly extensive menu – you can check it out here. Honestly I was impressed, from a wide range of starters including a ‘build your own charcuterie’ to exotic salads and a hearty list of risottos, steaks, paellas and fish – everything looked amazing. A long list of rich deserts too, from fruity merengue to heavy chocolate cakes, and of course churros.
The wine list, as you’d expect, was massive. They offered by glass or by bottle. They even had a three flight wine tasting option where you could pick from a set three glass menu. Basically another tasting, but you get to call the shots! There was also a decent cocktail menu, and not too pisco heavy either.
I went for a frozen pisco sour to start, since I wanted to try their own pisco. It did not disappoint. Frozen pisco sours seem to be a thing specifically at restaurants in or near vineyards in Chile. I am so fully on board with that.
We got a complimentary starter, a small baked cheesy fish pie, that was excellent. For the meal itself we shared jamon croquettes and a mushroom risotto, alongside a couple more glasses of wine we hadn’t tried during the tasting. All were superb.
Nobody rushed us. The restaurant filled up as we ate, but we could take our time, step outside between courses for some air and the views, then come back to the table. We finished up around 2pm.
Getting back
We’d pre-booked an Uber for pickup and told the staff in advance so they could let the gate guards know. It was waiting for us right as we left the restaurant. From there it was around ten minutes back to Curicó station, with about fifteen minutes to spare before our train.
The verdict on Miguel Torres
We spent about three and a half hours at the vineyard in total, including lunch, and it was exactly the right amount of time. We could easily have stayed longer for a few more slow glasses outside, but we’d have ended up far too drunk for the train home.
I also just really loved the Miguel Torres wine. I hadn’t really noticed it before – I like wine, but my knowledge of Chilean wines before this trip was limited. Now, I actively seek it out. Which is probably the whole point of them being so open to visitors. Go figure.
If you want a proper introduction to the Curicó wine valley – the vines, the process, the wine itself, and a genuinely excellent meal to finish – this is the one to book.
FAQ on Miguel Torres Curicó
How long should you budget for a visit to Miguel Torres?
Around three to four hours if you’re doing the tour, tasting, and lunch. Our own visit ran to about three and a half hours in total, including the meal, and it felt like exactly the right amount of time.
Do you need to book the tour, tasting, and restaurant separately?
Their online booking form doesn’t make it clear which of their offerings you’re actually booking, so it’s best to email them directly and explain what you want: the vineyard tour, the tasting, and a lunch reservation.
How do you get to Miguel Torres from Curicó?
It’s a short Uber ride, only about ten minutes from Curicó station.
Can you buy the wine you taste?
Yes. After the tasting you can browse and buy any of the wines you liked, with zero pressure to do so. Staff are also happy to walk you through other wines on offer if you’d like to try something you haven’t tasted.
Also worth reading
- How To Visit Curicó – the full guide to getting there, where to stay, and the other wineries in the valley
- Bodegas RE, Casablanca Valley – if you’re building out a wider Chile wine trip
- Valparaíso & Viña del Mar – for pairing this with a coastal day trip from Santiago
This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only ever recommend things I’ve actually done or would genuinely use.
