Santa Rita Winery

Wine Tours Wineries - Vineyards

For more than 135 years, Santa Rita has worked ceaselessly to craft fine wines, earning it vast experience that shines through in the quality of its products - quality that has been upheld over the decades, and will carry on delighting wine lovers in every corner of the world.

Best wineries in Chile

Currently, the Santa Rita Estates’ vineyards in Chile are located in the best and most diverse terroirs for growing and developing each of its grapes.

The winery has over 3,000 hectares planted across the prestigious valleys of Limarí (131 hectares), Casablanca (314 hectares), Leyda (90 hectares), Maipo (796 hectares), Colchagua (1.043 hectares), Curicó (458 hectares), and Maule (131 hectares). This great geographical diversity has allowed their vine-growers and winemakers to produce a wide range of high-quality wines, marked by their individual terroir.

Santa Rita Winery

LIMARI - Located in the Region of Coquimbo, at a latitude of 30°LS. The Limarí property is 28km (17.5 miles) from the Pacific Ocean and 400km (248.5 miles) north of Santiago
CASABLANCA - The Casablanca Valley is located in the Region of Valparaiso. The vineyards are 80km (49.7 miles) from Santiago and 26km from the Pacific Ocean
LEYDA - The Leyda Valley is located in the Coastal Mountain Range, just 14km from the Pacific Ocean, within the sub-region of the San Antonio Valley
MAIPO - Located in the Metropolitan Region, 40km south of Santiago, at the foothills of the Andes Mountains
COLCHAGUA - The Colchagua Valley is located 181km south of Santiago and 45km from the coast. The Coastal Mountain Range allows for the sea breeze to enter the valley, playing a key role in reducing afternoon temperatures. This effect is particularly important during the maturation period
APALTA - Located in the Premium wine production region, the Apalta Valley is inserted in the middle of the Colchagua Valley, 190 kilometers south of Santiago
CURICO - The Curicó Valley is located 200 km south of Santiago. It is one of the most renowned and diverse winemaking regions in Chile. It is characterized by well-drained soil and a high-temperature variation between day and night
RAPEL- Rapel Valley, located 181km south of Santiago and 45km from the coast, is considered one of the most extensive valleys in central Chile and produces a large diversity of grapes

Santa Rita Valleys

Santa Rita Winery

HISTORY
Santa Rita Winery was founded in 1880 by Don Domingo Fernández Concha, a leading businessman and public figure of the time. Don Domingo brought the finest French grape varieties to the rich soils of the Maipo Valley, together with specialized equipment and a team of top winemakers from France. This brought techniques that were hitherto unknown in Chile, changing how wines were made in the country and bringing spectacular results.

In 1980 the company became part of the Claro Group, and the new ownership brought a major leap forward in the quality and business acumen. Major investments were made, allowing exports to be increased by the end of the 1980s. The new owners also implemented a range of technological innovations, allowing the company to craft higher-quality wines.

Since then, Santa Rita Winery has continued to work with the latest and most advanced technology to create exquisite wines for each of its product lines, bringing forth the many prizes and awards that it has earned over the years.

Santa Rita Winery

2018 - Santa Rita Winery celebrated three decades of Casa Real Reserva Especial, its 100% Cabernet Sauvignon icon wine, considered one of Chile’s most important. This anniversary coincides with the launch of the 2015 vintage, which pays homage to its forefather, Ricardo Claro Valdés.

2017 - The number one Chilean brand in sales, the renowned 120 wine, turned 50. To celebrate and commemorate this event, Santa Rita launched 120 50th Anniversary Limited Edition which exhibits the best of the Alto Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon. This year also commemorates the 20th anniversary of Doña Paula, which is currently positioned among the most important export wineries in Argentina and is world-renowned for the quality of its wines. Sustainability is one of the core concepts in Santa Rita’s productivity, and in 2017, it received the Corporate Sustainability Award in the Social Category, an award handed out each year by Sofofa, Adolfo Ibáñez University, and the Chilean business and economy magazine, Revista Capital. Likewise, the 2017 ISC ranking listed Santa Rita as the second most sustainable winery in Chile.

2016 was a year of great achievements: Santa Rita was elected “Winery of the Year” by Vinos de Chile, a recognition based on our commitment and passion as an ambassador of Chilean wine around the world, in addition to good sales performance and extraordinary sustainability management. Also that year, Santa Rita signed a strategic alliance with Arsenal, one of the most important soccer teams around the world, making 120 the first official wine sponsor for an English Premier League team. We also began an agreement with the London museum, The National Gallery, based on the creation of a new line of limited edition wines whose labels feature some of the gallery’s most important pieces.

2010 - International recognition and consolidation. This has been a decade marked by company recognitions and achievements. In 2013, Casa Real Reserva Especial received one of the most important distinctions in the world: it was named a Wine Legend by the prestigious British magazine Decanter, becoming the first South American wine to hold this title. This is in addition to two other milestones in 2014: the 25th anniversary of Casa Real Reserva Especial and the 20th anniversary of the rediscovery of Carménère by Viña Carmen, with the participation of French ampelographer, Jean Michel Bouriquot, who discovered the grape. In 2015, the British magazine Drinks Business named Santa Rita the Ethical Company of the Year in its Green Awards, the most important recognition for sustainability work in the Industry, highlighting our focus on the social aspect.

2000 - Global marketing strategies
In 2001, the company acquired the Terra Andina brand from the multinational French company Pernod Ricard, since managed by Sur Andino S.A., a subsidiary of Viña Carmen S.A. In 2003, with the goal of opening up to new markets, Santa Rita Europe Limited was created with offices in London to better serve the European markets.

Meanwhile, production growth in Chile led the company to create Distribuidora Santa Rita Ltda. in 2005, to improve distribution throughout the country. That same year, the company acquired 1,169 hectares of new land in Pumanque.

In 2007, Sur Andino Argentina S.A. was created to complement the wine offer of Vina Dona Paula, reaching a planted surface area of over 3,500 hectares in Argentina.

In 2008, Santa Rita USA Corp. was created with offices in Miami to provide commercial support to the U.S. market, and the following year, Nativa Eco Wines S.A. was founded for the exclusive development of organic wines. During this period, a strong emphasis was placed on technological development.

1990 - New technologies, new valleys, and new wines. The 1990s began with significant investments across all processes, particularly the winemaking area, with the incorporation of new equipment, stainless steel tank, and French and American oak barrels. The agricultural area consolidated the acquisition and plantation of over 1,000 hectares in the top Chilean wine valleys: Maipo, Colchagua, and Casablanca. Its expansion and newly planted vineyards implied growth of the Santa Rita estate, reaching a surface area of 2,860 hectares. This is in addition to a new Viña Carmen vineyard and winery that started up in 1992, focused on producing fine wines for the international market. In 1997, Vina Santa Rita expanded to Argentina, where it began Viña Doña Paula, an export winery with vineyards in Ugarteche and Tupungato, both located in the Province of Mendoza.

1980 - Claro Group and the expansion of Santa Rita. In 1980, the Claro Group and the company Owens Illinois, the top producer of glass containers in the world, acquired part ownership of Viña Santa Rita. The arrival of the Claro Group implied a strong boost for the company. The production area incorporated significant technological and technical advances in the production of wines never before seen in Chile. It also meant a strong impulse for new lines, with the 120 line starting in 1982 and the export of Chilean wines to global markets beginning in 1985. Santa Rita’s growth was accompanied by the acquisition of prestigious brands in the market, like Carmen in 1987. In 1988, the Claro Group gained full ownership of Santa Rita, initiating a period of great expansion, with the winery becoming an open corporation in 1990. Its growth was based on a strong emphasis on exports and the excellent reputation of its award-winning wines.

1970 - García Huidobro, new players. From the end of the 19th century to the mid-1970s, the Winery was developed under the ownership of the García Huidobro family, starting with Vicente García Huidobro, the son-in-law of Domingo Fernández Concha, who followed the founder’s legacy and ideals.

1880 - Fernández Concha, foundation. Domingo Fernández Concha founded Viña Santa Rita in 1880. The distinguished businessman of the time started the company in Alto Jahuel, where it still stands today. The founder brought in French winemakers and French grapes, giving way to wines that were superior to those produced in Chile at the time.

Santa Rita Winery

Tours - Whether you are an experienced connoisseur or more of a beginner, our tours will help you learn about and enjoy the fascinating world of winemaking. When you visit Santa Rita, you will find the roots of Chilean wine...

Hotel Casa Real - Hotel Casa Real is located on the Santa Rita Estate and was formerly the summerhouse of the winery’s founder. Following restoration, it was converted into a hotel in the mid-1990s...

Andean Museum - Amidst the Santa Rita vineyards, on the foothills of the Andes, sits the Museo Andean, a large, modern museum that houses a collection of around 3000 archeological and ethnographic artifacts.

Cuisine - Visiting Santa Rita is a fascinating chance to experience Chile’s cultural heritage and winemaking traditions, just 45 minutes outside Santiago...

Celebrations & events - Santa Rita Winery - A wide range of activities can be held at Santa Rita, from family celebrations to corporate events, all of them imprinted with the winery’s seal of exclusivity. In an outstanding natural and cultural setting...

Wine Shop Santa Rita - Visitors to Santa Rita can take a chance to enjoy further tastings and to buy wines and local products directly at the Wine Shop...