Winemaker Notes
One of Chile’s oldest wineries, Santa Carolina was established in 1875 by Luis Pereira, named after his wife, Carolina Iñguez. In 1889, the Reserva de Familia Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded a gold medal in “Exposition Universelle de Paris”, France, which made it the first Chilean wine to earn international recognition. The cellars in Santiago, Chile were declared a National Monument in 1973 to protect them from demolition due to city expansion. In 1974 the winery was bought by the Larain Family from Chile. In 2015, Santa Carolina celebrated it’s 140th anniversary and was awarded the “New World Winery of the Year” award by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Annual sales now exceed 25 million bottles, and Santa Carolina has a strong international presence with markets all over the world offering wines in all price ranges,
More than 20 million US dollars have been invested over 2014-2019 to ensure the highest quality in the production of their wines. These investments and continuous innovation provide consistent quality and numerous accolades across all wine ranges.
An officially recognized sub-zone in the southern part of the San Antonio Valley, the Leyda Valley was the original settlement of the wine pioneers who came to the area in the 1990s. They were in search of cooler and wetter growing conditions—as compared to more eastern, drier and often warmer locations.
Planting, which began only in the late 1990s, focused on Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot noir and some limited spots for Syrah. The area continues to receive well-earned accolades for wines of these varieties.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”