Viña Mujeres Itata (Ñipanto Wines)

The winery

Viña Mujeres Itata is a family vineyard at Fundo Ñipas, in the El Barco area of Ránquil, in the dry-farmed interior of the Itata Valley, about 35 minutes from Chillán. It was founded by don Bernardino Alarcón Ramírez in the 1930s and has been farmed by three generations since; according to the press, for decades its production was sold in bulk to other companies. Today it is led by María Loreto Alarcón Müffeler, third generation and the first woman in the family in charge, who opened the winery to wine tourism in 2019 and launched the Viña Mujeres brand in 2021. Its wines also carry the name Ñipanto Wines. In 2022 the Premios Enoturismo Chile, the country's wine tourism awards, chose it as the Best Emerging Winery in Chile, and in 2024 it was the Ñuble regional winner for Best Wine Tourism Experience.

The plots are spread between hills of granitic soils and volcanic sands, without irrigation. According to the winery, those of País, Moscatel de Alejandría, Cinsault and Carignan date from 1950 onward, and in the 1980s Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Syrah and Pinot Noir were added. It declares organic farming, with no certification published, hand harvesting and minimal-intervention winemaking, with raulí (native beech) lagares, or treading vats, and 600-liter French barrels for several labels. Among its wines are Tierra en Flor, a País from vines more than 80 years old; Niña de mis Ojos, a Cinsault; Brisa Luna, País and Cinsault; a carbonic-maceration Carignan from vines planted in 1960; Volver a Casa, a blend of Carignan, Cinsault and Syrah; the orange Moscatel La Chamana and Gran País Ñipanto. It also keeps older vintages, such as a 2005 Cinsault and a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Every visit requires booking, by phone or WhatsApp at +56 9 8449 4355. The two-hour tour covers vineyards, winery and barrel room and ends with a tasting; the sensory tastings add boards or pastries and activities built around wine, some designed for groups of women, and lunches and events are also organized for groups. Published rates differ between sources, so confirm them when booking. The wines are sold at the winery's shop or by WhatsApp: no online shop is published. The winery lists no accommodation of its own, but gives guidance on nearby options and can add visits to other heritage vineyards, the Puente Ñipas bridge or the craftswomen of Quinchamalí.