Carmen

Viña Carmen was established in 1850 and is Chile's oldest wine brand. It is located one hour's drive from Santiago in the Maipo Valley. The winery hit hard times in the 1970s and was purchased by entrepreneur Ricardo Claro in 1985. He built a state-of-the-art winery and appointed Bordeaux-trained Alvao Durain as winemaker.

50% of Carmen's grapes are estate grown, with the remainder being bought in from established growers in Apalta, Rapel and Casablanca. A wide range of varietal wines is produced, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

The wine making team for Carmen is Maías Lecaros, María del Pila González, José Morandé and Olivia Salas and they are creating one of the most innovative and forward-looking producers in Chile today. There are particularly exciting developments in the vineyards, with a move towards organic, and even biodynamic, viticultural practices, as well as new plantings of Sangiovese, Syrah and Viognier.