Tumuñan Lodge

The winery

Tumuñan Lodge occupies a corner of the Andean foothills east of San Fernando, in the upper Colchagua Valley, beside the Tumuñan stream and surrounded by native forest. It has operated since 2006 as the family retreat of its owner, Briton William Evelyn, who has lived in Chile for more than twenty-five years, spent time in Patagonia and started here with a lodge for fly fishers; over time wine gained ground, and next to the cabins he planted a small vineyard. According to Evelyn, the name comes from a Mapuche word that translates as a place to meet oneself.

The vineyard sits at about 700 meters above sea level, an unusual altitude for Colchagua, and is irrigated with water flowing down from the Andes. It is a small planting, a little over a hectare according to South America Wine Guide, which attributes the winemaking to neighboring Viña Koyle. Under the Tumuñan label there have been reds of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, on their own or blended and aged in French oak barrels, as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon rosé. The lodge describes them as artisanal wines: they are sold in its shop and exported in small quantities to England, Sweden and Brazil.

The visit combines wine and nature. A trail of about twenty minutes runs through the vineyard and can be walked on your own; a private tour with tasting can also be arranged, which in its most recent version included an introduction at the lodge, an hour among the vines and a tasting of three house wines with cheeses. The restaurant prepares breakfast, lunch and dinner on request, with meals designed to go with the wines. To stay there are three self-catering houses (a cabin for couples, a family chalet and a large house for groups), with a pool and a hot tub, and from the lodge trails lead to the river, a lookout and a waterfall; guided fly-fishing outings and horseback rides are also organized with a local operator. The lodge is 35 to 45 minutes from San Fernando and about two and a half hours from Santiago.