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Viña Requingua

by Amanda Barnes December 30, 2018

Viña Requingua is a family winery boasting over 1,050 hectares of vineyards planted in the heart of Chile’s Central Valley, in Colchagua, Curicó and Maule. The Viña Requingua winery is in Sagrada Familia, in Curicó, and was originally founded in 1961 and is still owned and run by the same family today.

A well-known producer in Chile, and best known for its warming red wines, Viña Requingua’s brands include Toro de Piedra, Potro de Piedra, Laku and Puerto Viejo, which offer good value wines across the board.

About Viña Requingua

This family winery in Sagrada Family was founded in 1961 by Santiago Achurra Larraín. Starting out with only 50 hectares of vines and a small winery, it has grown into one of the most successful family wineries in Chile today with over 1,055 hectares spread between three valleys – Colchagua, Curicó and Maule – and a 30 million litre production.

The wines all come from Chile’s Central Valley, known for its balmy Mediterranean climate in which winters are mild and summers are sunny and warm by day, and cool by night. The vineyards have all been planted in different stages, with the oldest vines being just over 60 years old.

Today the winery is run by Santiago Achurra Hernández, son of the original founder, with the third generation now taking an active role in the running of the winery.

December 30, 2018 0 comment

Featured Chile Featured Wineries Curicó Wineries Big Brand Restaurant

Miguel Torres Chile

by Amanda Barnes December 27, 2018

written by Amanda Barnes

Miguel Torres Chile winery is based in the heart of Curicó, a region which the Spanish vigneron came to in 1979. The Miguel Torres winery has been revolutionary in Chile for many reasons. Bringing the first stainless steel tanks with temperature control and the first French barrels to Chile in the 80s, it was ahead of its time then and continues to innovate today. In particular, Miguel Torres Chile has helped lead the renaissance of Chile’s ancient País variety.

About Miguel Torres Chile winery

Miguel Torres Chile is the Chilean arm of the family-owned Spanish winery Miguel Torres, who were among the first foreign wineries to set up a base here, back in 1979. It has always been seen as a pioneer in Chile, first by bringing modern winemaking techniques to the country and, more recently, by exploring old vines in long-neglected areas of the centre-south area, like Maule and Itata, and also by pushing back the viticultural frontiers even further south into Patagonia.

Miguel Torres Chile is based in Curicó, although it has vineyards in other regions and also buys in grapes from growers in several regions. The company’s own vineyards are certified organic and the company also holds Fair for Life certification and has a policy of maintaining good, long-term relationships with its grape suppliers. Miguel Torres Maczassek, the fifth-generation vigneron of the Torres family, is the company president in Chile.

About the vineyards: Miguel Torres

Curicó Valley

Fundo Maquehua

This was Miguel Torres Chile’s first base, where they set up in 1979 and it continues to be their centre, home to the production and bottling plants, along with their tourism services and 95 hectares of vineyards. With stony, well-drained soils and a warm climate, this site is excellent for growing red varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

San Francisco Estate and Manso de Velasco Vineyard

This is a 50-hectare site with well-drained volcanic soil with a sandy-loam texture. Within the site is the 15-hectare Manso de Velasco vineyard with 115-year old Cabernet Sauvignon vines used to make one of their top wines, Manso de Velasco.

El Aromo

This is an 86-hectare site with volcanic and clay loam soils, and is the estate closest to the Andes, and therefore the coolest in terms of climate, making it suitable for whites. It is planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, and Riesling.

Maule Valley

San Luis de Alico

This is a 40-hectare site in the San Clemente area planted with Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Viognier, all grown organically and used to make the Las Mulas line of wines.

Huerta de Maule

This is a 178-hectare estate with 2.5 hectares planted. It is in the dry lands of coastal Maule, with clay-loam soil planted with dry-farmed Carignan.

Empedrado

Fundo Empedrado

This is a 364-hectare estate near Constitución, 180 kilometres south of Curicó with very steep slopes that have been terraced, so fewer vines can be planted than would be the case on flat land. This site was chosen because it has slate soils, known as “piedra laja” in Chile and “licorella” in Catalonia. The unique feature of this kind of stone is that it allows very good drainage and, because it is black in colour, it absorbs and accumulates heat from the sun, making the mesoclimate warm. This site is planted with low-yielding, concentrated Pinot Noir.

Explore Escalera de Empedrado in Maule on this interview with winemaker Eduardo Jordan

Itata Valley

La Causa

This is a property of around 230 hectares on the banks of the River Ñuble near the city of Chillán. This is a relatively southern location and close to the Andes mountains, so the climate is cooler than Curicó or Maule. Miguel Torres Chile is focussing on red varieties here with the goal of making red wines with fresh acidity.

Coyhaique in Patagonia

Altos de Ñirehuao

Miguel Torres Chile is among the pioneer companies pushing the frontiers of Chilean winemaking further and further south with an eye to forthcoming climate change. The company now owns 740 hectares in the province of Coyhaique in Patagonia and will initially focus on wine tourism and research. In the meantime, they are also producing wine in Osorno.

About Miguel Torres wines

SANTA DIGNA & LAS MULAS

Santa Digna and Las Mulas are Miguel Torres Chile’s are everyday wines that come in a wide range of varieties. Santa Digna is a range of fair trade wines, currently in 10 different options, including an alcohol-free Sauvignon Blanc, while Las Mulas are organic red, white and rosé wines.

MIGUEL TORRES GRAN RESERVA

Miguel Torres Gran Reserva wines are one of their more traditional lines of wines, featuring reds from the Curicó Valley, all with extended French oak ageing.

DÍAS DE VERANO

Días de Verano is a dry, light fresh white wine based on Muscat grapes from the Itata Valley.

RESERVA DEL PUEBLO & ESTELADO

Miguel Torres Chile has been among the leading companies in Chile to try to rescue some of the long-maligned País vines in Maule and Itata and it has two projects based on this variety: Reserva del Pueblo is a juicy, fresh-fruit red wine made with carbonic maceration; and Estelado Blanc de Noirs and Rosé are two traditional method sparkling wines well worth trying.

CORDILLERA

Cordillera is Miguel Torres Chile’s line that features terroir-driven wines from emblematic Chilean wine regions, currently comprising Syrah from Elqui, Chardonnay from Limarí, Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo, Carmenère from Cachapoal, Brut Pinot Noir from Curicó, Carignan from Maule and Sauvignon Blanc from Osorno.

Miguel Torres Chile’s three icon wines are:

CONDE DE SUPERUNDA

Conde de Superunda, a big red blend containing Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Monastrell and Carmenère;

MANSO DE VELASCO

Manso de Velasco, an old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon from a vineyard which is over 115 years old;

ESCALERAS DE EMPEDRADO

Escaleras de Empedrado, a precise and chiselled Pinot Noir from their new Maule vineyard planted on steep schist slopes.

NECTARIA

And finally, Nectaria, is a sweet wine made with botrytised Riesling grapes.

About the winemaker, Eduardo Jordán

Eduardo Jordán is one of Chile’s leading winemakers and a pioneer of the contemporary fresh style of Chilean wines with a long career working with old vines and extreme regions around Chile. Having previously spent 16 years at De Martino winery in Maipo, Eduardo Jordán joined the team at Miguel Torres Chile as Technical Director in December 2018.

“Miguel Torres is a winery with a great tradition of important and innovative achievements for Chile,” Jordán told South America Wine Guide. “It’s important to me that Torres has always been committed to its growers, has a long-term outlook and is a family winery.”

Jordán joins a team of winemakers and agronomists at the winery in Curicó.

Visiting Miguel Torres Chile winery

Miguel Torres Chile’s main site in Curicó welcomes visitors with its popular restaurant and tasting room.

Tours and tastings at Miguel Torres Chile

There are several different tours and tastings to choose from, including bicycle tours in the vineyards, chocolate and wine pairing, and a sparkling wine discovery tour.

See their website for the full range of options: www.migueltorres.cl

Reservations can be made at +56 (75) 2 564121 or by emailing [email protected]

Curicó restaurant at Miguel Torres

Serving innovative Chilean cuisine with local ingredients, the Miguel Torres winery restaurant is one of the best dining options in Curicó and opens for lunch every day. The menu can be expertly paired with a selection of Torres wines by the in-house sommelier, or you can order a la carte. On Friday evenings, the restaurant hosts a special wine and tapas evening.

The winery restaurant is open daily for lunch from Monday through Sunday from 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm and for dinner on Fridays from 8.30 pm to 10.30 pm. To make a reservation, contact: +56 (75)2564110 or [email protected]

The wine shop is also open every day from 10 am to 6 pm.

Experiencing Miguel Torres in Santiago

Miguel Torres also has its own restaurant and wine bar in Santiago, La Bodeguita. With an excellent array of contemporary Chilean dishes and the complete Miguel Torres wine range, this is a great spot for wine tasting and dinner.

La Bodeguita also has special ‘after office’ events in the evening. For more information, visit: www.labodeguitamigueltorres.cl

Address: La Bodeguita, Alonso de Córdova Nº 4280, Vitacura

Videos on Miguel Torres Chile winery

December 27, 2018 0 comment

Featured Wineries Featured Chile Big Brand San Antonio Wineries

Viña Leyda

by Amanda Barnes December 24, 2018

written by Amanda Barnes

A pioneer and leader in the valley, Viña Leyda was the first to plant in 1998 and helped put this cool coastal region on the map for stellar quality premium white wines in particular. With two vineyards, one of which is just four kilometres from the Pacific Ocean, and 163 hectares, Viña Leyda makes a cool climate range of wines under the expert hand of one of Chile’s top coastal winemakers, Viviana Navarrete.

About Viña Leyda

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.

About the Leyda valley & Viña Leyda’s vineyards

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 Leyda

The 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.

El Granito vineyard, Viña Leyda

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.

About Leyda wines

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.

Viña Leyda LOT range

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).

Viña Leyda Single Vineyard range

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.

Viña Leyda Reserva range & Specialities

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.

About the winemaker Viviana Navarrete

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.

Read our interview with Viviana Navarrete

Video about Viña Leyda wines

Viña Leyda does not have a winery to visit, although you can visit the sister winery in the group, Viña San Pedro, in Cachapoal.

December 24, 2018 0 comment

Featured Wineries Featured Chile Colchagua Wineries Biodynamic/Organic Big Brand

Cono Sur

by Amanda Barnes December 23, 2018

written by Amanda Barnes

Cono Sur winery was founded in 1993 with a particular focus for Pinot Noir and aromatic single variety wines. Cono Sur has a modern, New World outlook and delivers wines of good value from mainly organic vineyards across Chile.

The Cono Sur winery is based in Chimbarongo in Colchagua (where everyone comes to work on a bike!) although their wines come from Limarí, San Antonio, Maipo, Casablanca, Cachapoal and Bío Bío too.

About Viña Cono Sur

Viña Cono Sur was founded by Viña Concha y Toro in 1993 with the vision of an independent winery with a focus on premium, sustainable wines from around Chile’s major valleys. Cono Sur prides itself on its pioneering and innovative spirit, and it was the first winery in Chile to produce and export Viognier and among the first to produce Gewürztraminer. It also made the first Riesling labelled with the Bío-Bío Valley Designation of Origin. Cono Sur has also led the way with bottle closures, being the first winery in South America to use synthetic corks back in 1995 and then, in 2002, the first Chilean winery to use screwcaps with aromatic white wines.

Viña Cono Sur has a particular focus on Pinot Noir and it is one of the world’s largest producers of Pinot Noir, with a Pinot Noir in each of its ranges today, from the everyday Bicicleta line through to the company’s iconic Ocio wine. Cono Sur’s Pinot Noir project started in 1999, when it set the goal of producing the best Pinot Noir in Chile. The concept was to make a wine that was unique, expressive and proud of its New World roots, while vinified using traditional Burgundian techniques. To this end, the Cono Sur team called on Martin Prieur, an experienced Pinot Noir winemaker from Burgundy to help them select Chilean terroirs and advise them on optimum vineyard management.

The company’s winery buildings are located on the Santa Elisa estate in Chimbarongo in the Colchagua Valley. In 1999, the company built a special annex especially for Pinot Noir, where they combine traditional Burgundian winemaking techniques with modern technology.

Sustainability at Cono Sur winery & vineyards

Cono Sur also has a focus on environment and has implemented a clean action plan, which embraces natural vineyard management with biodynamic corridors, organic production, ISO certifications and balancing the company’s CO2 emissions through CarbonNeutral® delivery status. When you visit the Cono Sur winery in Chimbarongo, you’ll immediately notice the army of geese which roam the vineyards eating burritos, a small pest weevil that eats away at the vine, destroying the bud and the grapes, if there are any. Conventional farmers might spray pesticides to kill them off, but Cono Sur takes a more environmentally friendly approach with geese and garlic: each vine has a ring of cardboard with a sticky and stinky garlic mixture to deter the burritos from climbing further up the vine, making them easier prey for the geese to gobble up from the floor.

Another trademark and symbol of the sustainable approach of Cono Sur is the bicycle, a fleet of which you’ll see parked up by the winery each morning as all of the local workers arrive from the nearby village on a bicycle.

About the Vineyards

Cono Sur winery has 1,246 hectares of vineyards of their own spread across 10 different estates in all of Chile’s major wine regions – each bringing a different character to the extensive wine profile.

ACONCAGUA VALLEY

El Encanto estate has 101 hectares planted with a wide range of red varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère, Aspirant Bouchet, Grenache, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, Carignan, Petit Syrah, Syrah and Mouvèdre.

CASABLANCA VALLEY

El Centinela estate has 34 hectares planted with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. This site produces the grapes for Cono Sur’s top sparkling wine Centinela, as well as some of its terroir-focussed whites.

SAN ANTONIO

Campo Lindo consists of 34 hectares of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot noir and Syrah, which gives them cool climate coastal wines for the portfolio.

COLCHAGUA

Cono Sur has five vineyards in Colchagua:

Santa Elisa is Cono Sur’s base in Chimbarongo and is home to its winery as well as 122 hectares of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Aspirant Bouchet.
Las Lomas consists of 132 hectares planted with red varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Arinarnoa.
Las Hijuelas is a 50-hectare estate with Carignan, Merlot, Carmenere and Malbec.
Las Lomitas consists of 111 hectares of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Chardonnay, Grenache, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo and Viognier.
San Rafael has 55 hectares of Pinot Noir and Viognier.

MAULE

La Espuela is a 131-hectare estate planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Cono Sur also has another vineyard in Maule, El Estribo, which consists of 52 hectares of Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

BIO BIO

Cono Sur’s southernmost estate in Múlchen now has 71 hectares of Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, offering cool climate wines from this mild, southerly region.

About Cono Sur Wines

BICICLETA and ORGANIC

Everyday wines in several red and white varieties. This range offers great value and varietal typicity, which is ideal for new wine consumers trying to get to grips with the main varieties grown in Chile. Highlights include the superb-value and juicy Pinot Noir, peachy Viognier, and zesty Riesling.

RESERVA ESPECIAL and SINGLE VINEYARD

Two lines of premium wines demonstrating varieties from some of Chile’s most emblematic valleys, such as Riesling from Bio-bio, Pinot Noir from San Antonio and Chardonnay from the Casablanca Valley. This line is particularly recommended for exploring the different valleys of Chile’s wine regions and offers excellent value and varietal typicity.

20 BARRELS

A high premium line designed to showcase particular varieties from special terroirs and includes an opulent Carmenère from Cachapoal, an aromatic Syrah from Limarí and a cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc from Casablanca.

OCIO and SILENCIO

Cono Sur’s icon-level, special-occasional wines are Ocio, a smooth and concentrated Pinot Noir from the Casablanca Valley and Silencio, a complex and expressive Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo.

SPARKLING WINE

The winery also produces three sparkling wines: Cono Sur Sparkling Brut (mainly Chardonnay) and Sparkling Rosé (Pinot Noir), both made with grapes from Bio-bio using the tank method; and Centinela Brut Nature, a traditional-method sparkling from Chardonnay with 3 years on the lees.

Cono Sur wines are widely available in the export market as well as the local market.

About the Winemaker: Matías Ríos

Matías Ríos is the long-standing winemaker of Cono Sur winery, taking charge of all the lines in winery with a special focus on the premium Pinot Noir wines. In this video he discusses the vineyard where Ocio comes from, and some of his favourite food pairings:

Visiting Cono Sur Winery

Viña Cono Sur is now open to tourism and tastings! You can book a winery tour, a tasting, and a bicycle tour through the vineyards plus a tasting of four of its wines.

The winery is open from Monday to Friday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Click here to book your visit to Viña Cono Sur!

More on Cono Sur winery

December 23, 2018 0 comment

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