kingston family vineyards

We stopped at Kingston Family Vineyards on our way to Vina del Mar. We were in a large group that had a scheduled visit for a tour, tasting and lunch. We began outside on a veranda overlooking the hilly vineyard tasting their sauvignon blanc paired with various hors d'ourves brought around as we listened to the family's story. After taking a walk to the vines we went inside to see the production facility. It is a small place that is extremely selective in their process. After this we went into the dining/event area of the building where tables were set for a four-course lunch. Of course, wine was paired with each course and served accordingly. Bread and pebre, salad, salmon, and dessert made up our lunch -- all were excellent, as were the wines.

We visited Kingston Family Vineyards in late December 2014 with a friend (a food writer from the USA), and our two children (aged 8 and 5). We asked for a vineyard tour and lunch without wine tasting because we had rented our own car and were driving back to Santiago that day. The drive from Santiago was easy. Staff greeted us at the vineyard in a beautiful covered deck overlooking the Casablanca valley and the vineyard with a nicely chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc and water for the kids. Neither our visitor nor I drink much white wine, but we were very impressed with this one and, based on this experience, have resolved to explore Sauvignon Blanc wines. The tour guide, Eduardo, had great English and a great attitude. The adults in our group were very interested in agricultural side of wine production and the kids wanted to discuss bees and flies and to taste the immature grapes (very sour). Eduardo managed the two sets of, possibly competing, interests very well. After the tour (which took the right amount of time for us and our kids), we had a very nice lunch in the tasting room overlooking the wine production facilities. Each item on the menu was executed perfectly and the staff delivered it at the right moments --- the fish in particular was the right combination of soft and chewy and savory. Do they have a chef who comes up to the vineyard to make these lunches? Or is a vineyard staffer just a super cook? We bought a few bottles of wine and very much enjoyed them when we returned to Santiago. Since returning I've continued to be interested in buying wines from small independent producers like Kingston Family Vineyards. It was a nice, calm, easy day trip for us. And it was very cool to be able to see the inner-workings of a small vineyard in Chile. In the future, I suspect that folks without young kids and with a designated driver would have an even nicer conversation/tour and lunch.

we were recommended the wine yard by a couple of friends who had made some of their own wine using the facilities. Our driver got lost but we eventually found it. Make sure you get clear directions as there are few signs to the Kingston Vineyard. We arrived one hour late and expected that we had missed our chance of a personal tasting. We located Judith and of course she said there were no issues and after helping ourselves to the Sauv Blanc her assistant provided, we waited whilst she caught up with us. The outdoor ambience is wonderful with views across the vineyards and valley. The very boutique nature of the production methods will allow you to assess the difference between large scale production And the artisan skills of the winemakers at Kingston. The SYRAH, Pinot Nior and Sauv Blanc (shame we did not get to sip the Chardonnay) do not conform to the norm and for that reason challenged the taste buds in a very positive way. 'Muy differente' and worth taking the trip. It was a hot day and the only downside was the speed at which the wines warmed under the lattice pergola. A little continued chilling would have helped.

We had a wonderful tour with a very informative guide but of course the star of the show was the wines. We had three wines altogether. We started with a Sauvignon Blanc for our "tour walking" wine. It was light and refreshing. The tour guide was very informative and professional, yet still personal enough to make you feel special. The tour itself was a bit long for my taste, but maybe that was because the sun was very hot and I ended up with a sunburn. Under the serene beauty of the outdoor garden pagoda we tasted two more wines. A Pinot Noir and a Syrah. The Pinot was my favorite, with a rich velvety favor unusual for this wine. Of course we bought some and look forward to the wine when we get back home.

We have visited several vineyards and this was, to say the least, a most perfect visit. The views, reception, and privateness of the experience were stand-outs. We tasted a variety of very nice wines, learned a lot about the vines, and had one of the best lunches on our whole vacation!

We visited this winery as a part of a commercial wine tour and were blown away by the values and objectives of the family owners. We paid a fee to the tour operator but are unaware as to whether a part of that fee was paid to the winery. The tasting group was six people and we tasted a small selection of both white and red wines typifying the winery's bottled output in its name. The presenter was exceptionally experienced and answered both extremely astute and significantly less astute questions with both knowledge and tact. The tasting was memorable and were we to return to Chile then we would endeavor to revisit the winery to see the progress they had undoubtedly made.

tdibiase, it was great having you and your group visit us yesterday here at Kingston Family Vineyards. We appreciate your comments, including about our host Eddy, and I personally enjoyed meeting all of you. Thank you again for coming, we're very glad you enjoyed your visit, and for your kind words. Andy

Kingston family vineyards proved to be very hard to find. An administrative mistake forced us to wait for an hour before the tour, but Eddy was very kind to offer us some wine during the wait. The tour was very insightful - Eddy is very knowledgeable and the small group allowed us to ask a lot of questions. Also, we had a glass of wine during the tour, which made it more enjoyable. The tasting was only OK - we only had 2 more wines, which were good, but a little overpriced for what they had to offer.

We went for a morning tasting , and it was the most beautiful of the vineyards we saw all day. Eddie who hosted us was very knowledgeable & friendly, (side note he was also very good looking :)). Loved the wines & the scenery ! Would definitely recommend stopping here.

NoraD1297, thank you for your kind comments about your visit to Kingston Family Vineyards, and your experience with Judith. It was great to hear that your visit was a great start to your time in the Casablanca Valley. We really appreciated your visit, your feedback, and your support for our wines back home in the U.S. - Andy

When travelling between Valparaíso and Santiago we were scheduled to stop at the Kingston Family Vineyards on the way, set back in the beautiful region of Casablanca Valley... this is a completely sublime location to come, learn about the business and process of wine-making, learn some history of Chile and the family, and finally eat a delicious lunch in the most idyllic setting you can imagine! The hosts were extremely friendly and welcoming, the wine was fantastic, the food on another level and the views and fresh air were breath-taking... For the price we paid, we all felt very satisfied with our visit to this small family vineyard... Educational and inspirational... and delicious! A great activity that I highly recommend to anyone who's in this area of Chile!

On our last day in Chile and on our next to the last stop on our travels as part of University of Florida's MBA program was this family-owned vineyard. What a visit!! We were hosted by the family members and given tours of the winery and vineyards. The wines tasted super and the lunch even better. Highly recommended.

I was a part of the University of Florida’s MBA program that visited Kingston last week. I just wanted to send Andy, Tim, and the entire staff a huge THANK YOU for such a wonderful experience. I have had the good fortune of visiting wineries in South Africa, France, and Ohio, however, I must say I was truly impressed and appreciative of the personal service you gave us. I have never had such a personal introduction to a winery; I can’t stop talking about it to my family, friends, and co-workers! The lunch with wine pairings was fabulous, and of course the natural landscape was amazing. Again, thank you very much, I hope you all have a wonderful day, and a joyful upcoming holiday season.

Visited Kingston Family Vineyard in August with 5 other visitors in our group while on a work trip in Valpariso. Management was very accommodating with our party and fluid schedule. Management greeted us promptly as we arrived and demonstrated the best, most attentive customer service I have ever experienced at any winery or service based establishment. Food and wine were top notch, cooked to perfection, and paired will together. We purchased a case of wine for delivery in the United States and look forward to ordering more. From the USS America group that visited the last week of August, we truly appreciate your hospitality, service, and generosity. If we are ever in town again, you can be sure we will be coming back.

We just returned from Chile on a wine tour (we do it every year).This time we tried to visit some smaller vineyards like Kingston. The gorgeous entrance with trees planted along two kilometres its a great start. With our guide Judith we went along the vineyards and finalized with a marvellous lunch.For me more important than the scenario (beautiful) is the philosophy of the vineyard! They produce Top wines with a very small quantity of their large grape production (this is the difference for me) and also incentivate other micro winemakers to produce their wine giving them the chance to launch good and different wines.No doubt that both, Kingston and the small winemakers will share the benefit of having so many experiences in the same production site.You can bet for even better wines in the future.Christan