Chile is home to some of the world’s greatest wine regions. With cool and warm climates across hilly, lush mountains and valleys, the lands of Chile offer some of the most fertile fields in South America for growing wine.
Winemaking is a historic pursuit in the country, and some Chilean wineries date back to the 16th century, but did you know that Chile is also one of the world’s most innovative and environmentally-conscious winemakers?
The country is not only home to some of the oldest wineries in South America but is also leading the way in sustainable, organic wines – a creation that is equally as delicious but far less destructive.
Here are the top organic wineries in Chile you must visit:
Emiliana Vineyards
Founded in 1986 by the Guillsasti family, the Emiliana Vineyards specialise in creating organically grown and eco-friendly wine. In fact, the company are so invested in making organic wine that they became the first ever winery in South America to create a biodynamic wine. Of the vineyard’s 2,812 acres, around 1,470 acres are fully organic and biodynamic while the rest is in transition and is currently an ISO 14.001-certified vineyard. Every process of their award-winning winemaking is overseen by Alvaro Espinoza, one of the world’s authorities on organic and eco-balanced winemaking.
Lapostolle
All three estates at Lapostolle received fully organic status in 2011 after years of working to achieve organic vineyard status. This means every grape grown and used to make wine at Lapostolle is made with 100% organic grapes – that is no pesticides, herbicides, regulators, GM organisms or artificial fertilizers are used. Lapostolle uses composting, bees and recycling to help produce its vines and has released its very first organic wine: Cuvee Alexandre Syrah Los Kuras 2009.
Viña Miraflores Del Maipo
Every wine at Viña Miraflores Del Maipo is handcrafted with an inherent respect for the environment and surroundings of beautiful Chile. Located in the Maipo River Valley, the oldest wine producing zone in all of Chile, Viña Miraflores Del Maipo has developed an organic know-how and produces two unique varieties of wine – Sol y Viento and Gil Ferrer. Every wine is created with utmost care and respect for the natural culture of Chile in a bid to protect and preserve the surroundings, and the company also focus on good ethics and offer job security for all of their workers.
Cono Sur
Located in the region of Valparaiso in Chile, Cono Sur is one of the leading organic wine producers in the country and has earned an international reputation for its wine. The company take sustainability very seriously, and have optimized their vineyard management to reduce their carbon footprint and make environmentally-friendly wines. The workers navigate the vineyard on pedal bicycles and use natural alternatives to protect the grapes from disease and pests. Cono Sur was the first winery in South America to received a double ISO certification for quality assurance and environmental policies and the first winery in the world to receive a CarbonNeutral delivery status. Try the Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauv/Carmenere organic wines.
Vina Nativa
Established in 1995, the award-winning organic winery Nativa was created as a strand of the larger Vina Carmen – one of Chile’s most recognised historic wineries. In 1999, the Nativa wines made history and became the first organic Chilean wine to be exported. Historically, the company worked closely with organic grape producers until 2008 when they received their very first organic grape harvest, and have been growing their own organic grapes ever since.
