Roberto Henríquez

The winery

Roberto Henríquez, an agronomist trained at the Universidad de Concepción and a winemaker, discovered the rural world as a boy at the vineyard of his uncle Enrique Ascencio, in the Itata Valley. After working at large Chilean wineries and specializing in Canada, France and South Africa, he returned to Biobío at 29 and learned to make pipeño, the rustic country wine, with the local farmers. His winery was born in 2015 with just 400 bottles; today, by his own figures, it is around 60,000, which travel to cities in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania. With young agronomists he also formed Agrícola Sin Patrones (“No Bosses Farm”), which makes ciders, beers and spirits from old fruit trees on neighboring farms.

He works vines one hundred to two hundred and fifty years old, own-rooted and unirrigated. His own vineyards are in Biobío: Viña 77, a hill of País in the El Venado area of Santa Juana, about two kilometers from the river, the source of Tierra de Pumas; Millapoa, on black volcanic sands on the river's south bank, the origin of Rivera del Notro Tinto and País Franco; and Carrizal, the highest, at around 500 meters in the Cordillera de Nahuelbuta, where Cerro La Trinchera comes from. A fourth farm, Palmilla, is being recovered. Much of the Itata line, such as Molino del Ciego or Fundo La Unión, comes from grapes bought from outside growers in the Coelemu area, with Semillón, Moscatel, Chasselas and Cinsault. Fermentations are spontaneous, with native yeasts, in concrete vats, raulí (native beech) lagares, or treading vats, old clay tinajas, steel and used oak. Tim Atkin named him Young Winemaker of the Year in his 2021 Chile report, and Descorchados Chile 2026 put Tierra de Pumas 2024 at the head of its wines under 12% alcohol, with 95 points.

The visit takes place at Tierra de Pumas, about twenty minutes from Santa Juana, in the Biobío Valley, and lasts around an hour and a half: a guided walk through the century-old vineyards and the winery, and a tasting of five wines. Book by WhatsApp at +56 9 3775 5309 or by email at info@robertohenriquez.com. The winery publishes no price, days or hours, so ask when booking. Nor does it list a restaurant or lodging: in April 2026 it announced a lodge and a new winery as future projects. The website's catalog shows the wines without prices or a purchase option, and does not say where to buy them in Chile. The regional press announced in April 2026 that the restaurant Sabores Lotinos, in Colcura (Lota), would be a distribution point; ask about it when booking.