Vina Maitia
VISIT IMPORTER'S WEBSITE
Country of Origin: Chile
Location: Maule Valley, Central Chile
People: David Marcel & Loreto Garau, Owners & Winemakers
Items
Media Links
Punch: The Insider's Guide to Chile's Wine Renaissance
Wine & Spirits: Chile's Vino Pipeño
Amanda Barnes Blog: 10 Winemakers to Watch in Chile
Wine & Spirits: The New Chile
Apuntes de Sobremesa: Un Pipeño que Gana Adeptos
Social Media Links
Twitter: @vinoMAITIA
Viña Maitia Facebook
David Marcel arrived to Chile fresh off the boat from France as a twenty-two year old winemaker looking for opportunity. After graduating with a wine degree from Montpelier, David worked for large wineries producing significant quantities of wine. David eventually decided to make his home in Chile, and two decades later, began producing wines primarily composed of Pais and Carignan from some of Chile’s most prized heritage old vines. David is a force and one of the most generous humans we have ever encountered. He is not only a strong voice for Viña Maitia, but he is also a tireless advocate for the artisan winemakers of Chile and continues to lead a path for his contemporaries, typically putting himself after others. David’s wines are understated, extremely drinkable wines of great value.
Viña Maitia is located in the Maule Valley, about 300 km south of Santiago. This valley benefits from a sub-humid Mediterranean climate where high temperatures in the summer are cooled by the breeze from the Humboldt Current in the Pacific Ocean. This cool air helps to extend the growing season and allows for wines with bright, fresh acidity.
David has very close relationships with the farmers of the vineyards that he sources from, some of which are over 120 years in age. These old vines are the remnants of Chilean ancestry. All over Chile, Pais has been replanted with international varieties like Merlot and Chardonnay. However, David saw the opportunity to make wines of place while helping to preserve Chile’s viticulture heritage. The vines are dry farmed, which is possible in the Maule Valley because of the winter rains. The wines are made with low sulfur, native yeast and neutral barrels or concrete tanks, so that the terroir really shines through.
Viña Maitia is a member of Chanchos Deslenguados.