Chile’s Sustainable Winemaking Mapped

Errazuriz

Why We Love It:

Errazuriz may be one of the oldest wineries on the map, dating back to 1870, but it’s also one of the most forward-thinking. It was an early adopter of sustainability practices, and became one of the first vineyards to receive certification by Wines of Chile. Its environmentally-friendly Don Maximiano winery, built in 2009, utilizes geothermal and solar energy throughout the iconic building

Viñedos Veramonte

Why We Love It:

Viñedos Veramonte has more than 500 acres of certified organic land, which it calls its “living soils” — accounting for almost 15 percent of Chile’s organic vineyards. It’s also leading the way in waste management and water consumption: In 2019, the winery recycled 83 percent of its waste and since 2017 has reduced its water consumption by 23 percent. Plus, all Viñedos Veramonte wines have been certified vegan since 2018.

Matetic

Why We Love It:

Matetic embraces biological corridors (meaning it uses strategic planting to execute natural pest control and avoid the use of chemical fertilizers), and allows local wildlife to roam the grounds. Thanks to an on-site water treatment plant, 100 percent of wastewater gets reused in other areas of the property, like the veggie garden. Matetic also uses mindful packaging that can be recycled, from bottle to cork.

Garcés Silva

Why We Love It:

Garcés Silva’s philosophy is to “intervene in the ecosystem as little as possible” — words we could all stand to live by. In addition to mindful water consumption, the vineyard also uses the natural forces of gravity to treat water waste before it gets fed back into the river system. Moreover, forestation is also a major priority. The winery has planted countless native trees in place of non-native species, and created what it calls a “green lung” effect on the property that promotes biodiversity in the land and cleaner air for the community.

Natura

Why We Love It:

Under the tutelage of winemaker Emilio Contreras, Natura has prioritized sustainability without compromising quality standards. The vineyard’s vegan-friendly wines are grown from “100 percent organically-grown grapes,” according to the winery. Natura forgoes the use of chemicals in favor of growing practices that promote — not harm — the land’s biodiversity.

La Playa Wines

Why We Love It:

La Playa Wines relies on natural light and the use of recycled materials for thermal insulation. In 2017, the winery implemented water-saving techniques that reduced consumption by 2.5 million liters per day — that’s the equivalent of showers for 25,000 people. La Playa Wines also participates in "1% for the Planet", an international organization whose members contribute at least one percent of their annual sales to environmental causes.

Los Vascos

Why We Love It:

Los Vascos prides itself on being rooted in tradition. Like many of the wineries on this list, it uses drip irrigation to conserve water resources by targeting specific areas in need of resources. The winery says its yields have also been “intentionally reduced” and the vineyard restructured in order to meet modern-day sustainability standards. Learn more about Los Vascos wines here.

Viña Maquis

Why We Love It:

Located in Palmilla, Viña Maquis uses geothermal heat pump technology to reduce energy (a process that reduced its electrical consumption by 30% and won the winery the British-Chilean Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 Innovation Prize for energy saving and carbon footprint reduction), utilizes biological corridors to control pests, and sheep (yes, sheep!) to control weeds and increase soil fertility where needed.

Lapostolle

Why We Love It:

At Lapostolle it’s not just about what’s in the bottle, but the bottle itself: Each one is manufactured to be 40 percent lighter and is constructed from recycled glass. The vineyard uses trees from sustainable forests for its paper products (think labels, corks, and packaging). Then, when it comes to shipping, all deliveries are certified carbon neutral.

Cono Sur

Why We Love It:

Cono sur Winery has five photovoltaic installations that run across the country from Leyda to Maule, and provide its vineyards with 83 percent renewable energy. The winery utilizes high-efficiency drip irrigation systems to reduce water consumption and through the West India Wind Power Project has offset some 10,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

Ventisquero Wine Estates

Why We Love It:

Ventisquero Wine Estates was ahead of the pack when it came to obtaining the “Certified Sustainable” label from Wines of Chile. Until 2012, Ventisquero Wine Estates was the only winery to obtain the certification for 100 percent of its vineyards and made waves with its underground gravity cellar, which generates a controlled temperature year-round, without using energy for heating or cooling. Its widespread use of solar panels has reduced its CO2 production by some 80 tons per year.

Viña Casa Silva

Why We Love It:

Viña Casa Silva’s commitment to sustainability starts at the top and trickles down to all its employees and even benefits its suppliers. The vineyard has been Certified Sustainable for a decade, and focuses on ideas like sustainable wine tourism, energy efficiency, and responsible water consumption.

Viña Koyle

Why We Love It:

Located in Los Lingues, Viña Koyle’s mantra is “respect for the origins,” and its production remains guided by organic and biodynamic techniques, as well as solar energy and panels, which reduce the energy used by as much as 40 percent. Viña Koyle treats its vineyard as its own ecosystem and its team as family.

Montes

Why We Love It:

Through its Finishing Education Program, established in 2014, Montes has helped more than 110 workers obtain their grade school and high school degrees, in addition to supporting the local schools of employees’ children. When it comes to the land, Montes employs sustainable vineyard techniques across the board, from sheep farming to compost production, to erosion control, to reforestation. Learn more about Montes wines here.