Registered wineries on The Squeeze Magazine
Escudo Rojo is the every day wine label of the Rothschild family in Chile (who also invested in the high-end wines of Almaviva). The wines come from all over Chile’s Central Valley, including coastal Sauvignon Blanc. The main focus is on red wines from Bordeaux varieties and eponymous blend, Escudo Rojo, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Syrah and Cabernet Franc.
The Aresti family started growing grapes in Curicó valley in 1951 but it took them almost 50 years to start making their own wine. Today the second generation, the founder Vincente Aresti’s daughters Begoña and Ana María Aresti, run the show.
The Aresti winery and its vineyards remain in Curicó where they have four different vineyard sites and produce a wide range of wines from rich Bordeaux blends to fresh Semillón.
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).
María Luz Marín is a true pioneer: one of the Chile’s first female winemakers and the first to plant a vineyard so close to the coast, at only 4kms from the sea in Lo Abarca. Her vineyard and Casa Marín winery were founded in 2000 and since then has become synonymous with distinctive coastal wines.
Today Casa Marín is run by María Luz and her son, a fellow winemaker, Felipe Marín. Casa Marín makes stellar Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir and Syrah as single varieties and a Syrah/Grenache blend. The winery is open to visits and notable for the colourful mosaics that María Luz’s sister, Patricia, has made throughout the winery and vineyard, and in the quaint village of Lo Abarca. You can eat lunch at Cipreses wine bar and also stay overnight in their vineyard villa.