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Help on our organic vineyard and farm in the best wine region in Colchagua Valley, Chile

  • Last activity : 12 Jan 2025

Availability

  2025 

 Min stay requested: at least 3 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Preferably a couple and definitely with a driving licence in case of emergencies! We have 5 dogs that need love, attention and constant checking for the number 1 enemy: grass seeds! They are amazing dogs who love people and just want to hang out and protect you, but they need a firm hand- this means no treats and no spoiling them! We have a German Shepherd, Border Collie, "Border Cocker", mini-greyhound and, well, Kelo...we have no idea what he is, but he is adorable.

    Accommodation will be in our mini-hotel (studio apartment in the winery building). There's some basic daily maintenance to do as well (cleaning the pool, topping up water bowls, some light gardening if you fancy it). We have high-speed internet so this would suit people who need to work from home. There's a full-time worker who also lives on site, and another who comes in every day. They only speak Spanish but will help with anything you need, if you can explain it to them. They love the dogs too, but take a Chilean-countryside approach to looking after them, so when we go away we always look for people who understand how to care for dogs like we do!*


    I'm a 47 year old Englishman who's lived in Chile for 18 years and, with my Chilean wife, have a lovely 4 hectare property in Chile's best wine region- the Colchagua Valley. We're located about 2.5 hours south of Santiago (by car- the bus takes a little longer).

    In 2013 we planted about a hectare of vineyard and we farm it organically. It's fantastic to work the land and great to see all our hard work pay off. We've been making high-quality wine since 2015. In 2020 we opened a small 2 apartment wine hotel, and receive tourists for wine tours and weekend stays.

    The property has an organic fruit orchard and organic vegetable garden. We're about 30 minutes from the town of Santa Cruz and a few minutes from the small village of Poblacion, where you can buy basic provisions.

    We also have 5 dogs (plus chickens and ducks), so if you're not a pet person, we're definitely not the place for you. The dogs are extremely friendly and will follow you around all day! They're all indoor-outdoor animals and have free run of the place.

    We live in a fun community of people from all over the world and the Colchagua Valley is beautiful, full of wineries and vineyards. We're about an hour from Pichilemu, Chile's top surf spot as well. There are usually other volunteers a couple of minutes down the road, as our neighbours are also on workaway.

    Accommodation is in an independent, fully equipped house. The house has 2 bedrooms and is shared with other volunteers, if we have others here. Vegetarian food is included, you prepare your own meals. Internet is fairly limited as we're in the middle of the countryside on a 4G connection. It's for basic browsing and sending emails, not really for downloading or streaming although it works ok. Bring a book and disconnect for a while. We all work really hard, but we have lots of fun as well.

    *Important note: If you're allergic to bees or wasps, you'd be taking a risk coming here for harvest. Bees & wasps are highly attracted to crushed grapes and it's common to have to walk through and work within what seems to be a swarm! It is surprisingly rare for anyone to get stung (they're interested in the grape juice, not you!), but it can happen. We encourage all workers to wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirts buttoned up to the neck, plus gloves at all times, but we can't be responsible if you get stung (unlikely, but always possible), so please take that into consideration!*️️️️️️️️️️️

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Process of making wine, what it takes to run an organic farm, basic construction, how to grow veggies and some Spanish practice...basically, general life skills!

  • Help

    Help

    Gardening, tidying up the property in general (vineyard and gardens need constant attention!), tending the vineyard, looking after the dogs, some basic housework from time to time, lots of digging and some serious weeding...We all work really hard here and expect everyone to pull their weight...but we have a lot of fun in the downtime, though!

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    Spanish: Fluent
    French: Intermediate

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Independent 2 bedroom, fully-equipped house on-site. Satellite tv & wifi access. Vegetarian food included.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    Be prepared to work quite hard! But in your free time, there's plenty to do in the area- wineries to visit, one of South America's best surf spots less than 1 hour away, Santiago 4 hours on the bus.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

Host ref number: 845179112883

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