Viña Garcés Silva (Amayna)

The winery

The Garcés Silva family had a farm of grain and sheep in Leyda, in the San Antonio Valley, when in 1999 it decided to plant vines, at a time when there were almost no commercial vineyards on this coastal strip; Wine Spectator singled it out in 2008 as the first to do so in the valley. Matías Garcés Silva made an experimental wine in 2000, and in 2002, with the Swiss winemaker Jean-Michel Novelle, brought in the harvest that gave birth to Amayna, a name that evokes the calm that comes when a storm dies down (amaina). Today the winery presents itself as Garcés Silva Family Vineyards, and its winemaker, Diego Rivera, was named Young Winemaker of the Year in Tim Atkin's 2023 Chile report.

The Fundo San Andrés de Huinca estate lies in the rolling hills of the Cordillera de la Costa, about 14 km from the ocean as the crow flies, where the cold breezes of the Humboldt Current stretch out the ripening of the grapes. Granitic rock soils dominate, with alluvial deposits and ancient marine terraces in some blocks. The vineyards are farmed organically and the cellar, whose curved roofs follow the outline of the hills, works with minimal intervention and by gravity; in one of its rooms the barrels rest beside an exposed rock wall. Amayna gathers the single-block wines: Sauvignon Blanc, the Cordón Huinca Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Côte D'Mar, a co-fermentation of Syrah and Viognier with a little Garnacha. Boya is the fresher, more approachable line, with a rosé and a Cabernet Franc among its labels. Rounding out the family are the Garden Blends, blends born in a garden of grape varieties; Agapes, a Sauvignon Blanc aged solera-style in barrels from different vintages, and Catalino, a País from century-old dry-farmed vines in Cauquenes.

Visits are exclusive: the winery receives a single group per day, Monday to Friday except public holidays, always with a booking by email to turismo@vgs.cl. The Tour Cordón Huinca, 90 minutes long and for 4 to 12 people, starts with a walk across the estate to a lookout over the valley, where the first wine is served with homemade empanadas, and continues in the cellar with a tasting of four more wines. The Tour Agapes, about three hours, adds a sixth glass and ends with a country lunch in the family quincho (barbecue pavilion), with local, seasonal produce. There is no restaurant open to the public; the wines are sold at the winery's cellar door and in its online shop, which delivers in Santiago and, under certain conditions, to the regions.