Ventisquero

Ventisquero is one of Chile’s leading premium wineries. A project that began in 1998 with the first Ventisquero wines being released in 2001. Since the beginning, owner Don Gonzalo Vial and his family have been pushing the status quo and always looking “a step beyond”.

With 100% estate vineyards, and one of the founding wineries to push the sustainability movement in Chile, it was only a matter of time before they set sights on a new project.

Tara was born in 2008, when they dared to plant its first vines in the Huasco Valley right in the midst of the Atacama Desert. The first year, all vines died due to incredibly salty soils. This is the driest desert on earth, and so the winemakers soon learnt that this was extreme viticulture, and it was like planting vines on Mars.

The Tara project produces the only commercial wines from the Atacama desert, making wines further north than any other winery in Chile. The vines grow not only on salty soils, but with a high limestone content adding to the minerality. The yields are highly restricted due to the soils, the very strong winds that blow from the nearby Pacific Ocean and the lack of rain. Some vines even produce as low as 18hl/ha.

The wines are pressed by feet and bottled by hand. Even the wax covering the cork is done manually. They are bottled unfiltered and unfined and there are no additions to these wines. Just a small amount of sulfur is added to maintain the wines freshness. Due to the very consistent and reliable climate, there is no need for chemicals or pesticides in the vineyard.

The wines are made in small quantities and truly are a reflection of terroir.

Buy Ventisquero wine below.