The Colchagua Valley is subdivided into 10 municipalities including Santa Cruz, Palmilla, Lolol and San Fernando, the provincial capital among others. Mountain chains define Colchagua’s borders with the provinces of Cachapoal to the north, Curicó to the south and Argentina to the east. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west. Colchagua is Chile’s second largest appellation in terms of surface area planted and is primarily known for high quality red wines, including Chile’s trademark grape Carmenère. Long thought to be Merlot, through recent DNA testing, Carmenère was found to be a distinct varietal.

Due to the strength of the entire agricultural sector in this region, visitors to the local restaurants can enjoy a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as locally raised lamb and unique South American animals, such as the Alpaca. Recent years have seen the development of wine tourism, which has stimulated substantial investment in infrastructure such as Hotels, Restaurants, a Wine Train, and guest reception centers in the wineries.