Emiliana

I believe Emiliana is the largest biodynamic winery in the world with 920 hectares of vineyards in different places—Limarí, Maipo, Casablanca, Colchagua, Cachapoal and Maule—most of them owned but some rented. The sustainable approach is not only applying organic and biodynamic methods to such a huge amount of vineyards, which is remarkable on its own and merits attention, but they have an integral mindset about sustainability in many different fronts. They have also started planting a property of 292 hectares in Maule, Fundo El Cuarzo, where they are designing everything from scratch with the objective to use less water for irrigation. They have a very active R+D approach where they often have joined projects with other wineries from the group (Concha y Toro and Cono Sur). One R+D project they have is the development and validation of composting technologies with the objective to improve the productivity and quality of their compost. They also have several ongoing projects about native yeasts. This is not a boutique winery—it’s a large operation that produces close to 10 million bottles per year, the result of the forward-looking mentality of the sadly deceased creator of the winery, José Guilisasti.

Emiliana, which belongs to the larger Concha y Toro Group from Chile, was created in 1998 as an organic winery, something quite ahead of its time in the country. They are a prime example that quality and quantity can go together hand in hand; they work large properties and produce millions of bottles of very good quality. They work in many different regions across the country — Casablanca, Maipo, Cachapoal, Colchagua and Bio Bio — work with many different grape varieties and have different vinification wineries. But their center of operations is in Nancagua in the heart of Colchagua. They have recently taken over the Maycas de Limarí project in the north of the country in the Limarí Valley, where they produce a new range of cool-climate varieties — Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. If I had to highlight one of their wines, it would no doubt be their Cariñena/Carignan that belongs to the association of producers called Vigno set to promote the wines from this Spanish grape variety in the Maule Valley. Their example comes from a vineyard planted in 1950, and it’s expressive, floral and unusually elegant.