Kütralkura Wines (Bodega Kütralkura)

The winery

Kütralkura means "stone of fire" in Mapudungun, and it is a family project born in 2013, when José Chahín Ananía and his daughter Josefina Chahín Doussoulin decided to replace the traditional crops on their farm in Angol, in the Malleco Valley, with three hectares of vines. They planted Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Viognier in one of Chile's southernmost winegrowing areas and brought in their first harvest in 2018. That same year, with support from a Corfo fund, they built their own winery in the Andean foothills of Curacautín, inside the Kütralkura Geopark. Today Josefina, a winemaker, is in charge of the vineyard and the cellar, and the house presents itself as wine made by women from vine to bottle. In 2021 it was one of the five wineries that founded the collective brand Vinos de La Araucanía.

The vineyard is in the Cutipay area of Angol, on soils of volcanic origin with clay and limestone inclusions. It is trellised and furrow-irrigated only occasionally, so the roots seek water deep down. Winters are cold and rainy, with frosts that can damage the shoots in spring, and summers are dry and windy, with a wide swing between day and night temperatures. The grapes travel to Curacautín, where they are vinified in small lots: the winery uses solar panels and takes advantage of the winter cold to stabilize the wines naturally. The range includes Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Viognier, a rosé, a blend of Viognier and Chardonnay and a traditional-method brut sparkling wine, sold through the website store and at the cellar door, with prices from CLP 9,000.

The winery is at kilometer 10 of the road from Curacautín to Conguillío National Park and looks out on the Llaima volcano. It receives visitors by booking only: the classic tour goes through the cellar and tastes three wines, and the premium tour adds a fourth wine and a food pairing. Book 48 hours ahead by WhatsApp or through the website form, paying the full amount when you reserve. The winery advertises no restaurant or accommodation of its own; the visit pairs well with Conguillío, the Malalcahuello hot springs and the Corralco mountain resort, all in the same area.