Wine Tours Valparaíso Returns in 2026 with Private Casablanca Valley Vineyard Excursions

Founded by Michael Ayandokun in 2007, the Chilean operator is rebuilding its presence with winery visits and cultural itineraries around Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Wine Tours Valparaíso is returning to the Chilean tour market in 2026 following a period of setbacks and reduced activity.
• Founder Michael Ayandokun established the business in 2007 to take visitors to wineries in the Casablanca Valley.
• The relaunched offering combines vineyard excursions with cultural itineraries in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.
• The new website details trips from Santiago and the coast, with pricing and availability to be confirmed directly.

Private excursions through Chile’s Casablanca Valley and cultural tours around the Pacific port of Valparaíso are returning to the itinerary at Wine Tours Valparaíso, which is relaunching its operations in 2026 after several difficult years for the business.

Founded in 2007 by South London-born Michael Ayandokun, the operator initially took visitors by car and van to wineries in the valley between Santiago and Valparaíso. Ayandokun says the business encountered setbacks following Chile’s 2010 earthquake and subsequently struggled through the COVID-19 pandemic, when visitor activity and some winery operations were disrupted. The company’s return follows a prolonged period in which its original tourism business was no longer operating at its previous level.

The 2026 relaunch includes a new online presence at Wine Tours Valparaíso and renewed activity on social media. Ayandokun says the business lost access to its previous website address and has since rebuilt its digital presence around the new domain. Its current focus is on pairing visits to Casablanca Valley vineyards with opportunities to discover Valparaíso and other destinations along Chile’s central coast.

Vineyard excursions and coastal city experiences

The operator’s published itineraries describe several ways to explore the region. A half-day vineyard excursion lists visits and tastings at Bodegas RE and Casas del Bosque, while a longer option adds time for a restaurant stop. A separate full-day departure from Santiago combines the Casablanca Valley with a visit to Valparaíso, including a walking route through the Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción neighbourhoods.

Wine Tours Valparaíso also advertises a sightseeing itinerary covering Valparaíso and neighbouring Viña del Mar, alongside private or shared arrangements and transport for groups of different sizes. The company’s website requests direct enquiries for tour prices; its published food-focused itineraries specify that lunch is not included in the quoted tour price. Travellers should confirm the precise itinerary, availability and inclusions when arranging a visit.

The valley’s location makes such combinations practical. Chile’s official tourism website places Casablanca approximately 40 kilometres from Valparaíso and 80 kilometres from Santiago, with wineries particularly associated with cool-climate varieties including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It also recommends advance reservations for vineyard visits, especially during busy travel periods.

Ayandokun says he wants the revived business to do more than arrange tastings, positioning it as a source of information about Chilean winemaking and as a way to introduce visitors to the port city and the country’s wider tourism offering. The renewed operation thus centres on an established regional travel proposition: linking vineyard experiences inland with the cultural attractions of the coast.