Lunch at Casas Del Bosque / Tanino Restaurant
Viña Casas Del Bosque
After a good night’s rest – I definitely slept like a log given all the food and wine we had the night before – Andreas and I were off to the Casas Del Bosque vineyard in the Casablanca Valley, a little over an hour away. The thought crossed our mind to do a wine tour, but we were definitely more interested in eating lunch at the restaurant Tanino at the vineyard, which came highly recommended to Andreas by a friend. Casas Del Bosque wasn’t too difficult to find, especially since we had taken the same highway the day before to get to Valparaiso. Getting off the highway the drive to the vineyard takes you into a residential area. There are signs, however, directing you to the vineyard. After signing in at the gate of the vineyard, we were let in.
Main Building of Casas Del Bosque
There is ample parking near the beautiful main building of Casas Del Bosque if you decide to drive there. We decided to forgo the wine tour and just eat, so we went directly to the restaurant. The interior dining space is quite chic, with clean lines all around. Next to the dining room space is a living room area that exudes stylishness. The focal point of the space was a beautiful fireplace with framed grape vines hanging above it. I loved the decor and the feel of the room.
Chic Interior Space at Casas Del Bosque
The food was delicious. For our appetizer, we ordered beef filled empanadas that were quite large – they could have been meals on their own. But of course we wanted more. I ordered the “tenderloin steak marinated in seasonal green herbs (parsely, thyme and oregano) and served with a gratin of native potatoes (from the island of Chiloé) and caramelized onions.” The steak was delightfully tender and juicy, and I enjoyed the potatoes tremendously. I paired my main course meal with a Syrah Gran Reserva from the vineyard, which was excellent.
Tenderloin Steak with Native Potatoes
Andreas and I quite enjoyed our meals. The service was excellent. And the restaurant manager was quite attentive to us, making sure periodically to ask us if everything was fine. In all honesty, we wanted to try everything on the menu. More reason to pay Tanino a visit the next time we’re in the country. We’ll also be sure to do the wine tasting tour.
After our lunch we decided to take our gloriously full stomachs to Isla Negra to pay Pablo Neruda a visit and to watch the sun set behind the Pacific Ocean.
