There’s a new wine association in Chile to know about… Sur Natural — an association of small, independent wine producers making natural wines in Itata and Bio Bio. Founded by six wineries, Sur Natural is an association with producers focused on making minimal-intervention, natural wines from dry-farmed old vines in the southern regions of Itata and Bio Bio.
Founded with the aid of funds from Corfo, Sur Natural is comprised of Zaranda (Itata), Tinto de Rulo (Bio Bio), Viña de Neira (Itata), Viña Doña Luisa (Bio Bio), Gustavo Riffo (Itata) and Viña San Lorenzo (Bio Bio). “We share a vision together for making wines from these important historic wine regions, and focused on natural wine production,” explains Juan Ignacio Acuña of Viña Zaranda.
“As we are all very small producers, it can be very hard to present Itata and Bio Bio internationally, which is why we are working together to show the great diversity we have within the wine regions and the growing importance of natural wines. We are also working together for all the vineyards and growers in the association to get organic certification as part of Sur Natural. We all have a different personal vision though, and each producer is very passionate about their place and how to best show it through our wines.”
Main image of Viña Zaranda
The natural wine producers of Sur Natural
Viña Doña Luisa
The Cea family have owned their vineyards in Millapoa in Bio Bio for more than six generations, and their incredible País vines are over two hundred years old. The combination of the age of these ungrafted vines, the moderate temperature in the region and black volcanic sand soils, make for distinctive wines.
With these ancient vines, father and son Patricio and Bastián Cea make a handful of different wines — all under the philosophy of natural wines with minimum intervention. Ladrón de Uvas (Grape Thief), País Sismico (Seismic Country) and Pipeño no Muere (Pipeño never Dies) are three of their best-known wines, and each is made using artisanal techniques with the native ferments taking place in traditional rauli vats.
Viña Doña Luisa, named after the matriach of the family, is open for visits and Luisa will often rustle up some local dishes to accompany their wines and stunning view over the vineyards and nearby Bio Bio River.
Instagram @vinadonaluisa
Facebook @vinosdonaluisa.millapoa
Tinto de Rulo
Tinto de Rulo has long been one of my favourite gems when it comes to underrated wines in southern Chile. A small project started by three friends in 2013 has blossomed into an exciting natural wine production focused on old vine Malbec, País, Carignan, Cinsault and Moscatel from Bio Bio.
Today with Jaime Pereira and Claudio Contreras at the helm of production, the wines are all made by spontaneous fermentation and all the wines are destemmed by hand. In their boutique winery, vinification happens in clay tinajas and also large rauli vats.
The vines are all old vines found in the dry-farmed regions of Bio Bio and Itata, and range from 70 to 200 years old. You can read more about Tinto de Rulo and their wines in our online winery guide.
Instagram @tintoderulo