Viña González Bastías

The winery

Viña González Bastías is a family property on the south bank of the Maule River, in the municipality of San Javier, in the heart of the Coastal Range and about 40 km from the sea. On the opposite bank is the hamlet of the same name, with its station on the Talca–Constitución branch line; it was called Infiernillo until 1955, when it took the name of a local poet, uncle of the current owner. José Luis Gómez Bastías is the fifth generation of winegrowers here, and the winery dates its origin to around 1800. For generations the family sold its wine in bulk, until José Luis began bottling it in 2007; today he does so with his wife, agronomist and winemaker Daniela Lorenzo. The Maule flood of August 2023 inundated the vineyards and destroyed the adobe cellar and the family home. The family began rebuilding, announced a reopening for September 2024 and called a harvest festival in March 2025.

These are about four hectares of old ungrafted vines, head-trained and unirrigated, on granitic soils of sand and gravel. The oldest is the País, around 200 years old, joined by Torontel, Moscatel and Semillón; on the same bank there are younger plantings, about 50 years old, of Viognier, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. The land is worked with horses and by hand, with sheep grazing between the rows and, according to the winery, without chemicals; it publishes no organic certification. Around 80% of the grapes are its own and the rest comes from neighboring vineyards. Crushing is done over zarandas (screens) of coligüe cane, fermentation is with native yeasts, and the wine is kept unfiltered in raulí-wood foudres, used barrels and clay tinajas (amphorae). The current line includes Matorral and País en Tinaja (País), Descabezado (a strawberry-colored País), Naranjo (pink Moscatel, País and Torontel), Tierra Madre (Torontel and Semillón), Salvaje in two versions (País with black Moscatel, and Cabernet Franc), Hombre Río (Viognier) and Pirata (Chardonnay and Viognier).

The winery publishes two programs, booking required: the Tour del Vino with tasting (CLP 40,000) and the Tour Viña with lunch (CLP 52,000), which take in the vineyards, the zarandas, the raulí foudres and the tinajas. Days, times and places are not published, and bookings are arranged directly by WhatsApp at +56 9 9349 1345; confirm price and availability before you travel. According to its U.S. importer, the property is reached by crossing the river by boat from the branch-line station, so it is also worth asking about access. Enoturismo Chile also mentions group accommodation, with a camping option, and private dinners. To get to know the wines without traveling, the winery's online store sells them in mixed cases of 6 or 12 bottles, from CLP 14,000 a bottle.