Los Vinedos/ Wine country in Colombia

[Heat]

If you are looking to spend a relaxing time in a wonderful resort then I would suggest you visit Los Vinedos located in La Union.  It’s about two hours from Cali and located on top of a hill right in the heart of the grape and wine region of the valley.  The view is fantastic and the rooms are clean and all have a wonderful view of the vineyards.  Very romantic and very classy.  You will swear you are in the Napa region of California.

They have a web page  www.losvinedos.com    Which will give you all the information that you need.

I had a great time with my girl and I hope to return soon.

View my new pics at

http://www.picturetrail.com/pachangero

Enjoy

[Pete E]

... in response to Los Vinedos/ Wine country in Colombia, posted by Heat on Mar 7, 2005

I Don't know about the wine at that winery,but the Colombian wine I have tasted goes best with a little 7 up.
I have never,ever had a decent bottle of Colombian wine.It might exist,but I am not going to buy any more on the faint hope of finding it.
Chilean wine to me is on a par with cheaper California
wine.Anything good seems to start at about 15,000-20,000 pesos,about $6.50 to $9.I can get comparable stuff for $4-$7 in California.Its usually 35,000-50,000  ,$15 - 20 in arestaurant. Some Argintine wine seems similar,but I have had some bad ones.Chilean a better bet.
We can buy French and spanish wine here,particularly at Carefore.The spanish seems about as bad as Colombian.The French good if you pay 15,000 pesos up.
But when the wine is bad,as in Colombian,it is AWFULL.$7 for 4 liter Carlo Rossi 10 times better.I wish we had that here.I did see a 1.5 liter bottle for 38,000 pesos.Actually old Carlo Rossi,made by Gallo,is very drinkable,unlike any Colombian wine I ever had.
Seems my girl friends like wine.I usually take a bottle to dinner.I like Rose,I saw it in only 2 restaurants here.So I buy that or white.I will buy tinto if I am at a restaurant eating carne and didn't bring my wine.My girls like it to drink before and after dinner also.Its expensive here so kind of a treat.I probably buy 7-10 bottles a week,average maybe 17,000 pesos,so 120,000 - 170,000 a week just for wine.Plus most restaurants  charge to open it.Usually 15,000 pesos up.2  places I went,35,000 pesos.I don't go there any more.Antorcha,2 blocks down the hill didn't charge to open wine the first 8 months I went there,then started charging 15,000 pesos.I had to laugh.I think I caused that single handedly.Vinum,one of my favorites does not charge to open it.I go there twice a week.Viggios has a 2 for one dinner Tuesday and Thursday.I try to hit that once a week.I like getting out for under 50,000 pesos,particularly if I brought the wine.These 150,000 peso bills,like Restaurant Passion when I have the Camarones and buy wine or take mine and pay 35,000 to open it are too much for normal use.Maybe sometimes.I am trying to get my restaurant bill down to 200,000 a week.Which is plenty on top of my wine bill of 120,000 -170,000.
Yes you can live cheap in Colombia.You can also live very well for less than the US but still drop too much money.
I'm not much in to dancing or intertainment.A good dinner,then time with a good woman my idea of a good evening.
God it would be cheaper to get married and eat at home even if a couple of kids came with it.In the US we did lots of good take out,like some great chineese nearby.Maybe dinner at some midrange places.One great southwestern place,take the kid too,dinner $30.Just remebered the name,Aquis,Willow Glen,San Jose.Or Willow Glen Wood fired Pizza,not just pizza but alot more,$40 maybe,kid included.But its cold there now,plus the bed was  pretty  cold,so quit reminising Pete.I do miss my house sometimes.But I like my apartment.And I do miss my dog.

Pete

[thundernco]

... in response to Wines in Colombia,  choices, costs, posted by Pete E on Mar 7, 2005

Funny you should mention San Jose; I was at Rinconcito Colombiano having dinner with friends Saturday night and could have sworn I saw you or your twin.  At least it look like you from your pics.  Anyway, I almost approached the guy but he left before I could make my way over. -TNC

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: Wines in Colombia,  choices, costs, posted by thundernco on Mar 7, 2005

It wasn't me,I'm in Cali,but I have been there many times.My ex told me the people who used to own it,not the present owners I don't think go to her church,which is clear up in Pittsburg,she drives like 85 miles one way to it.The church started out of Bogota about 25 years ago,is in the US and even in Europe now.
The new people added some mexican food I heard.
I was never very big on Colombian food,but I have found lots of great food here this time,mostly just steak and chicken dishes,not typical Colombian food really.My favorite,Chautobriand,over a pound for about $10.I allways bring some home to have for breakfast.2 short but steep  blocks from my apartment
I used to live about a mile from that Rinconcito Colombiano,my ex was happy to find something like that nearby.I always liked Havana Cuba Better,on Race Street.The Cubans know how to cook meat untill its very tender,which the Colombians seem to not do alot.

Pete

[Dolfi]

... in response to Los Vinedos/ Wine country in Colombia, posted by Heat on Mar 7, 2005

Did you taste that wine? Is it good?

Wine is so expensive in Colombia, even an average chilean wine costs about double of what ist costs in Europe. Allegendly because of the high import tax.

I imagine it might be a good deal to sell some french or spanish wine in Colombia for about half the price..

[pablo]

... in response to Re: Los Vinedos/ Wine country in Colombi..., posted by Dolfi on Mar 7, 2005


I was going to ask Heat a similar question.  

I haven't tasted any notable Colombian wine but while in Colombia tasted a lot of good Argentine and Chilean wine that was reasonably priced in the 15-25k peso range.  That is a bargain from the nice wine producing area I live in the States- the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  Good wine here is much more expensive, usually in the $US30+ range.  

It's my understanding that the good Argentine wine usually does not get exported to the US but rather Europe and other Latin American countries. How much does a good imported malbec or cabernet cost in Germany?

[Dolfi]

... in response to Re: Re: Los Vinedos/ Wine country in Col..., posted by pablo on Mar 7, 2005

Hi,

well I normally don´t drink the very expensive stuff here either. But I can tell that wine generally is much cheaper in Germany, you get an average table wine from France or Italy /or Germany, if you like whitw wine) for about 3 Euros, which is about 4 US$. Chilean wine isn´t more expensive here (sometimes even in plastic boxes), I wonder how thy manage to offer it for that price? Still no limit as to the top prices. Argentinian wines are also available, but you don´t find them very often.

I remember buying a small bottle of chilean red wine with my girlfriend in Medellín for 8800 Pesos. This is quite a high price. Does anybody know wanything about the import tx in Colombia? I think one coulöd really make a deal selling wine there if it wasn´t for that tax.

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Los Vinedos/ Wine country in..., posted by Dolfi on Mar 8, 2005

Except for dutyb I could import Carlo Rossi in 4 liter bottels,rebottle it in to 750 ml bottles and sell it for 10,000 pesos,4 times its US retail cost,probably 7 times wholesale.
Its better than anything for 10,000 pesos here.

Pete

[Heat]

... in response to Re: Re: Los Vinedos/ Wine country in Col..., posted by pablo on Mar 7, 2005

Not so great.  At least the low priced stuff.  I'm into the Chilean stuff so I don't really know that much about Colombia.

However the cheap stuff is about like ripple.  Sucks big time.  But the place is fantastic for a quick get-a-way.

Hey pablo, my brest friend Brent is your buddy.  Right?

Reguards

[pablo]

... in response to The wine is......., posted by Heat on Mar 7, 2005


Heat,

my "brest" friend...  I know that was a typo but I think you have Latina on the mind. Lol  

Yes, I know Brent.  He is a nuevo amigo.  It's a small world.  I guess the expat gringos living in Colombia eventually get to know each other.

Too bad about the wine.  Unlike the beautiful women, I wish there was some good tasting vino grown in Colombia.

Pablo

[Heat]

... in response to Re: The wine is......., posted by pablo on Mar 7, 2005

Brent is aces!  He a great man to know.  He really know Colombia.

Yea the wine might be good at the high end.  I don't know.
But the women are the real frut here.