Ventolera winery and estate was founded in 2008 and one of the first significant vineyards planted in Leyda Valley in San Antonio. Ventolera has over 160 hectares of vines planted, focused on Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Stefano Gandolini is the winemaker and a partner in the business.
Viña Leyda was the pioneer of Leyda valley, planting the first vineyards in this renowned sub-region of San Antonio in 1998. When they planted the virgin terrain, in search of a cool coastal climate, it required a major investment of building an eight-kilometre irrigation pipe to bring water from the River Maipo to this dry region which usually only receives 250 mm of rain per year.
The inaugural vintage of 2001. Following critical success and appraisal of this first vintage, Viña Leyda spearheaded a successful campaign in 2002 to get a special DO for Leyda Valley (Valle de Leyda DO), as a recognition of its unique terroir.
Today the wines of Viña Leyda are synonymous with this promising cool-climate coastal wine region.
The Leyda valley is nestled between the hills of the coastal mountain range, near to the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean and the Humboldt Current. Viña Leyda has two different vineyards planted in Leyda valley, both of which receive mineral-rich irrigation water from the Maipo River and are situated at around 180 metres above sea level. The granite-based soils allow the vine roots to explore deep and the sloped aspect of the vineyards offers good drainage, yielding concentrated grapes.
Viña Leyda’s vineyards, and the region of Leyda in general, is characterised by its strong maritime influence with sea fogs in the morning and cooling afternoon breezes. This cool coastal climate means that the grapes have a slow maturation period giving the wines an intensity of aromas and a naturally high and crisp acidity.
El Maiten vineyard, Viña LeydaThe El Maiten vineyard was originally planted in 2008 and comprises of 87 hectares of vines, which are all located around 12 kilometres from the sea.
It is planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Syrah vines.
Viña Leyda’s El Granito vineyard has 75 hectares of vines seperated into small lots, which was planted in 2010 and is just 4 kilometres from the coast.
This is one of Chile’s most extreme coastal vineyards and has a strong maritime influence.
The wines coming from El Granito vineyard at the moment include Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Gris and Riesling.
Viña Leyda’s portfolio comes exclusively from their estate vineyards in the Leyda valley and focuses on making terroir-driven wines which reflect the cool coastal climate of this renowned sub-region.
The icon wines of Viña Leyda is the LOT range which is an exclusive single-vineyard production of wines from specially selected lots, which exemplify the best expression of the variety and the particular vineyard that vintage. The range includes an elegant and mouthwatering Sauvignon Blanc (Lot 4), a floral and fresh Pinot Noir (Lot 21), a mineral and creamy Chardonnay (Lot 5) and a rich, spicy Syrah (Lot 8).
This premium range comes from selected single vineyards within Viña Leyda, with a blend of the best lots from that vintage. The wines each show an excellent varietal typicity and the juicy, aromatic fruit and crisp acidity reflects the cool climate of Leyda valley. The range includes Sauvignon Blanc, two Pinot Noirs, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Gris and Syrah.
The reserva range of Viña Leyda offers great value and varietal expression within their portfolio of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Syrah wines. The specialities range showcases some of Viña Leyda’s latest experimentations, including in the most recent vintage a bright and fragrant Pinot Noir rosé.
Viviana Navarrete is one of Chile’s leading coastal winemakers and one of the most experienced in Leyda and San Antonio, having worked with Viña Leyda since 2007. She has won several awards and recognitions for her work in Leyda and helping to put this region on the map, helping to define and express the regional style.
“We are really committed to making the best wines for this cold coastal climate in Chile, reflecting the full potential of Leyda valley,” Viviana says about her winemaking philosophy. “I think this valley has tremendous potential, and Leyda valley helped build Chile’s image as a producer of high-end white wines, Pinot Noir and Syrah.”
She works closely with their consultant winemaker Alberto Antonini and her lead viticulturist is Tomás Rivera.
Viña Leyda does not have a winery to visit, although you can visit the sister winery in the group, Viña San Pedro, in Cachapoal.
Viña Garcés Silva winery in San Antonio is best known for its Amayna wines and sister brand Boya. The Garcés Silva family were one of the early investors in San Antonio’s sub-region of Leyda, planting their first vines there in 1999. They have 175 hectares of vines planted in Leyda and are a major grape provider in the area (using only 27 hectares for Amayna and 22 hectares for Boya).
The Amayna winery has its architecture inspired by the waves of the nearby sea and within the curvaceous halls you’ll find the modern production line. Amayna is the more opulent brand (with barrel-aged Sauvignon Blanc and meaty Syrah) while Boya offers a fresher, fruit-forward appeal (with cherry-scented Pinot Noir and citrus-led Sauvignon Blanc).
