Viña Cortez

The winery

Viña Cortez is a family project in the Los Maquis area of Portezuelo, within the Itata Valley. Its story begins with don Demetrio Cortez, a farmer from the area, and continues with his son Bernardo, who of the three brothers took the path of wine. The Guía de Vinos del Itata, the valley's wine guide, dates the founding to 2008 and places the shift to a stage focused on quality wines in 2012. Today it is run by Bernardo Cortez as founder, Marcia Rondanelli as CEO and Víctor Vargas as winemaker. In 2026 it took its wines to the Feria Santa Vendimia in Plaza Ñuñoa and to the Festival Ñam in Santiago, where it represented rural Ñuble with the support of INDAP, the state agency for small farmers.

Its dry-farmed vineyards grow on granitic soils veined with quartz, and Cuarzo (quartz) is the name of its main line; they hold Cinsault, País, Moscatel de Alejandría, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the winery describes the vines of its Cinsault as a century old. The Cuarzo line includes reds of Cinsault, País, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon and Extra Brut and Demi Sec sparkling wines, the latter made by the traditional method. Among the sweet wines are the Cinsault Late Harvest and the Sei Cuori labels, of Moscatel and of País in a rosé version. The Blend Viejo Carretero, of Cinsault and Cabernet, and the Sangría del Itata, made on a País base with fruit essences, round out the range. The Guía de Vinos del Itata gave 93 points to its Cuarzo Malbec 2022, Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 and Espumante Extra Brut 2018.

The winery invites you to walk its vineyards, with guided tastings and pairings with local products, and mentions celebrations such as the Fiesta de la Vendimia (harvest festival) and the Fiesta del Camarón con Vino (shrimp-and-wine festival), but publishes no prices, hours or dates: visits are arranged in advance by WhatsApp or email. Its wine club, the Cofradía, includes one winery visit a year in the CLP 20,000-a-year plan and two guided visits in the CLP 20,000-a-month plan, which adds a quarterly case. Enoturismo Chile also mentions country lunches, picnics, a wine shop and an events hall for 70 people, and notes that the place is set up for reduced mobility and accepts pets; confirm this when booking. The wines are ordered by WhatsApp or through the site's quote form, with shipping or pickup at the winery, because the online shop is still under construction.