Viña Santa Carolina

The winery

Luis Pereira founded Santa Carolina in 1875 and named it after his wife, Carolina Iñiguez. Two years later, the French architect Émile Doyère built the underground brick cellar that still stands in Macul, now surrounded by the city; the cellar and the colonial manor house have been a National Monument since 1973. According to the winery, its Reserva de Familia Cabernet Sauvignon won a gold medal at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle. The Larraín family bought it in 1974 and, after the 2010 earthquake, the facilities were restored and reopened to the public. Santa Carolina is the main brand of Carolina Wine Brands, a group that also includes Viña Casablanca, Ochagavía and Finca El Origen, the last of these in Argentina.

No grapes are grown on this property anymore: the move of the vineyards from Rodrigo de Araya to San Luis de Pirque began in 1963, and the last harvest here was in 1970. The wines now come from several valleys. Among the icons, Luis Pereira is a Cabernet Sauvignon born of the project to rescue pre-phylloxera plant material, Herencia is a Carménère from Peumo and Los Lingues, and VSC, from the Cachapoal, is a blend led by Petite Syrah. The Reserva de Familia Cabernet Sauvignon is from the Maipo Valley, and the range continues with El Pacto, Carolina Gran Reserva and Carolina Reserva, plus sparkling and sweet wines. The Bloque Herencia project, which studies more than 130 grape selections, started at the Bodega Totihue, in Requínoa; the SAG register records another company winery in Molina. The published visitor offer is only the one at Macul.

The visit lasts an hour and is run by Turistik, the winery's official tour operator. It starts in the contemporary gardens and goes down into the cellar, where lights, sounds and stories tell the history of the house, with three tastings along the way and an engraved glass to keep. Children aged 3 to 17 pay the same and get juice and a snack. There are outdoor stretches and stairs, so it is not suitable for people with reduced mobility, and no food or drink is sold, so bring water. The same site offers the visit with transfer from Providencia or combined with Santiago's tourist bus. The manor house also hosts weddings and corporate events. The wines are bought at santacarolinatienda.cl, mostly by the case.