French winemaker François Lurton has his own vineyard estates in Europe as well as South America – where he has Piedra Negra in Argentina and his Viña Francois Lurton aka. Hacienda Araucano in Chile. Lurton owns 28 hectares of biodynamic vineyards in Lolol, Colchagua, where his Hacienda Araucano winery is based too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenére, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Pinot Noir make up the red wines and he also makes an excellent Sauvignon Blanc in Lolol.
Part of the Via Wines group, Chilensis winery is based in Maule but it also has vineyards and makes wines in Casablanca, Curicó and Colchagua. It is a value label, a sister-brand to Chilcas and Oveja Negra.
There is no shortage of volcanoes in Chile (over 2,000 in fact, 500 of which are active!) and it is the unique geology of this seismically active country that has inspired the Volcanes de Chile range — hunting down interesting volcanic terroirs around the country.
Winemaker Pilar Diaz works with vineyards in six different wine regions to explore the diversity of volcanic wines in Chile while seeking fresh and energetic expressions of each place.
Bodega Volcanes de Chile, owned by Viña Undurraga, gives away its concept in the name – searching for volcanic soils and vineyards of Chile. While the winery is in Maipo, grapes are sourced from vineyards in Malleco, Maule, Maipo, Cachapoal and Leyda.
Bodega Volcanes de Chile makes some interesting red blends (including Mediterranean varieties) and a favourite is the Chardonnay from Malleco.
The winery is certified as sustainable according to the Sustainability Code from Wines of Chile.
Chile has been producing wine since the mid-1500s and there are many historic wineries in Chile that date back to the 19th century. If you are planning on visiting wineries in Chile, you should certainly add a few of these historic wineries to your list.
In fact, most of Chile’s largest wine producers today were born before the start of the 20th century. Here are some of the oldest wineries in Chile – many of which have original cellars and architecture.
Established in 1856, Cousiño Macul is one of Chile’s most historic wineries, as can be seen from the fact that the winery and vineyards were there long before Santiago sprawled outwards. Today Cousiño Macul sits in the suburbs of the ever-growing city which means that many of its vineyards have moved out. However, you can still visit the historic winery and old cellar on a convenient day trip from Santiago.
Read more about Cousiño Macul winery.
Under the same ownership today, Viña Carmen and Santa Rita are two historic wineries in Chile that were established in 1850 and 1880 respectively. Although you can’t visit Carmen (and the winery is modern anyway), you can visit Santa Rita next door. There you’ll find the Doña Paula restaurant, where the historic hacienda was used to hide 120 soldiers during the civil war 200 years ago. You can also stay overnight in the Casa Real hotel, a stately home built in the 19th century.
Read more about Carmen and Santa Rita.
Founded in 1870, Viña Errazuriz is a historic winery in Chile but it is also one of the most forward-thinking. Never afraid of innovation, Errazuriz has pioneered new wine regions in Aconcagua Costa and made its mark recently with the Pizarras wines on virgin schist soils. A visit to the winery near San Felipe shows both the history and modern vision of Errazuriz winery.
Read more about visiting Viña Errazuriz.
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Established in 1875, Santa Carolina is one of Chile’s oldest wineries. The historic winery and estate lie in Macul, a region that was once covered with vineyards and farms but today is part of the outskirts of the sprawling city of Santiago. Santa Carolina’s vineyards are now mainly situated in valleys much further away, but you can easily visit the winery on a day trip in Santiago and see one of Chile’s oldest cellars.
Read more about Santa Carolina.
Undurraga winery was established in 1885 and remains one of the stalwarts of Maipo and Chile. Although Undurraga’s wine production now spans the whole country, you can visit the winery, the stately home and its handsome gardens in Maipo.
Casa Silva is still run by the Silva family and was originally established in 1892 – making it one of the most historic wineries in the Colchagua valley. Parts of the winery still have their original architecture and you can stay overnight in their boutique hotel – in the family home, which is over 100 years old.
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Although Bouchon Family Wines boasts a very modern portfolio, Bouchon’s wine production was originally established at the end of the 19th century by Emile Bouchon. You can visit the winery and stay overnight at the beautiful family home in Maule, which was built over 150 years ago.
Although probably the least famous on the list, Viña de Pedregal could well be the oldest winery still running in Chile. Founded in 1825 in Maule, Viña de Pedregal is still run by the very same family, who have been there since 1825.
Read more about Viña de Pedregal.
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If you know San Pedro’s 1865 wine series, you might get an inkling about when this Chilean winery was first founded. Viña San Pedro is indeed one of Chile’s oldest wineries that are still running today. However, unfortunately there’s little left to see of the historic wine production or facilities. San Pedro does, however, own another historic winery – Tarapacá (established in 1874) – which you can visit. There you can see some of the more historic buildings built before the turn of the 20th century.
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Concha y Toro was originally founded in 1883, although its modern reincarnation is quite different today. The largest producer in Chile and Latin America, Concha y Toro has come a long way in the last century but you can still visit the old cellar in Pirque and get a glimpse of its past.
Read more about Concha y Toro.