Viña Las Almendras

The winery

Las Almendras is a family farm in the Quillayal district of the municipality of Laja, about seven kilometers east of the town on route Q-250. The family presents it as a heritage dating back to the 1810s and stresses that its vines are ancestral; today it is run by Sandra Belmar Osses, manager and legal representative. The property lies in the Laja River valley, a part of Biobío with more than a century and a half of winegrowing tradition, where century-old País vines still survive and whose rustic, small-scale wines are sold mostly within the region. A couple of kilometers away is the Pilló lagoon wetland, the destination of the hikes that set out from the vineyard.

The winery does not publish its vineyard area or technical sheets. The bottles in its photos carry the Valle del Bío Bío designation and revolve around the País grape: Origen, a limited-edition red of País and Malbec; El Chupayta, a sweet País red; and El Tata, a sangria made with País. The winery itself describes its wines as having fruity aromas. They are sold at the farm's shop; there is no online store or published price list.

More than a winery for guided tours, Las Almendras works as a rural tourism complex. It has wooden cabins with equipped kitchens, a swimming pool with a smaller one beside it, hot tubs, a sauna, camping and picnic areas, a covered quincho (barbecue pavilion) and a playground. The educational farm gathers sheep, goats, calves, horses, an alpaca and a peacock, alongside a demonstration vegetable garden and nursery. Activities include tastings with a heritage tour, horseback rides among the vines, trekking to the wetland and the "make your own wine" experience, as well as lunches for groups and events; in harvest season the winery also mentions a harvest tour. Pets are welcome. Everything is booked by WhatsApp, it is open Monday through Sunday from 9:30 to 21:00, and rates are not published, so ask before you go.