Viña Los Chanchitos (VLC Wines)

The winery

Michael and Kathryn Gardner met in New Orleans and, after traveling around South America, settled in Santa Ana, an area of Peralillo where the inland Colchagua valley meets the dry-farmed coastal country. What they bought was little more than a pumpkin patch; they named it Los Chanchitos (the little pigs), a nod to the expression “happy as pigs in mud”, and since 2018 they have made wine on a small scale with organic management. Since 2020 the Californian winemaker Alphonse DeRose, with a long track record in organic viticulture, has worked alongside them.

The winery's bet is on Rhône varieties, uncommon in Chile: Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne among the whites, and Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault among the reds, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Carménère. The Wave Hog line, inspired by Chile's surf coast, brings together easy-drinking blends; the estate varietals and the icons Barrel 91 Carménère and King Cuvée complete the list. The little pigs appear on every label. In 2023 the GSMc 2021 won a gold medal at the international competition of the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, and the Viognier, the Mourvèdre-Grenache and the Cabernet Sauvignon took awards at Fête Rouge, in Baton Rouge.

Visits are organized into three tours (Wave Hog, Premium and Ícono) that combine a guided walk through the winery and barrel room with a guided tasting; the two upper tiers add a cheese board, and the Ícono adds an optional stroll through the vineyard. Visitors are received between 10 am and 5:30 pm after arranging by WhatsApp, and the tours are bought in the online store. The awning-shaded terrace facing the vineyard and the mural that Miguel Eduardo Alegría painted on the façade, a New Orleans parade that flows into vineyards, Pacific waves and little pigs, are part of the experience.