The Home Glass

My friend Diana is my vacation hero—she’s always hatching a plan to go someplace fabulous and/or exotic. Diana’s next big adventure brings her to the Hotel Portillo in Portillo, Chile, where she’ll spend a week this summer skiing and sipping local wines.

Located in the Chilean Andes about three hours from Santiago, Portillo is adjacent to the vineyard-filled Aconcagua and Maipo valleys. The latter is a wine region that’s found particular success with Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Carmenére (which grows so abundantly here that it’s often misidentified as a grape native to Chile). Maipo is also home to the esteemed Santa Rita label.

Hotel Portillo is hosting two wine weeks this summer; the first, its ninth annual Top Wines of Chile week, takes place July 31 through August 8 and features both tastings and information sessions with local winemakers. The second week, Wine Fest, takes place August 28 through September 4 and offers more of the same—plus daily opportunities to win a free bottle based on how well you’ve learned that afternoon’s wine-themed lessons.

For more information, visit www.skiportillo.com.

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