Viña Tarapacá

The winery

Viña Tarapacá was born in 1874 as Viña de Rojas, founded by Francisco de Rojas at the foot of the mountains in today's Metropolitan Region. In 1892 it was bought by Manuel Zavala Meléndez, who gave it his surname, and later it took the name it is known by today. The place you visit came much later: in 1992 the Compañía Chilena de Fósforos acquired the winery and bought the El Rosario de Naltahua estate in Isla de Maipo, where it remains to this day. In 2008 it merged with Viña San Pedro, giving rise to VSPT Wine Group, controlled by CCU. In 2024 it celebrated its 150th anniversary.

The estate has 548 hectares planted, according to the group's 2025 annual report, and it also houses the winemaking cellar and the bottling plant. The winery calls it a natural clos, because the Cantillana hills and the Maipo River enclose it; the foothill soils that produce its Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon are of volcanic origin, with plenty of angular stone shed from Cerro Aculeo, and the afternoon breezes help temper the heat. Since 2017 more than 18,500 native plants have been planted to reconnect the Cantillana range with the river. Cabernet Sauvignon is the house's flagship grape, followed by Carménère. The winemaker is Sebastián Ruiz Flaño. The range runs from the Reserva line to the white-label Gran Reservas, which include an organic red, and on to the Etiqueta Roja, Negra and Azul labels, the last a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Etiqueta Dorada, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2023 vintage, joined them in 2026. They are sold at Catadores, the group's online store.

The visit revolves around the Tuscan-style manor house built in 1927, set in a 6-hectare park about 67 kilometers from Santiago along the Autopista del Sol. The five experiences on sale are booked and paid online at VSPT Tours & Events and run Monday to Saturday, in Spanish or English; there is no service on Sundays or public holidays. The simplest is a one-hour walk through the park, the native-plant trail and the vineyard, with four Gran Reserva wines. Three others add a paired lunch in the inner courtyard or in the park, one of them with transfers from Santiago hotels, and you can also book the lunch alone, without the tour. There is a children's menu for ages up to 12; minors need written authorization from their parents and do not take part in the tastings. The winery has a wine shop and will have your wine purchase ready for collection on the day of your visit. Groups can request quotes for private lunches, events and meetings in the manor house.