The Itata Valley's peasant family agriculture once again took centre stage on the international wine scene.
In the 2025 version of the Catad'Or World Wine AwardsThe wine Doña Elita Cinsault 2022, produced by Elia Fierro's Doña Elita winery in the commune of Ránquil, won a Grand Gold Medal and the Trophy for Best Ancestral Wine, consolidating its trajectory as one of the country's most renowned producers in the rescue of heritage grape varieties.
The recognition adds to a historic performance for Ñuble: 10 other family wineries in the region won 14 gold medals, highlighting the talent, innovation and territorial roots of small producers supported by INDAP in the Itata Valley.
Award-winning vineyards include Trifulca, Cortez, El Guindo, Guarilihue Familiar, Hermanos Díaz, La Kura, La Misión de Francisco, San Luis, Tres C, and Viejo Encino.with labels that reflect the diversity and unique character of the territory. Each one of them represents the efforts of families who, with dedication and collective work, have turned the Itata winemaking tradition into a benchmark of regional and national identity.
For Elia Fierro, producer of Viña Doña Elita, this award "rewards all the effort and work that goes into each bottle. In the vineyard we work all year round, without rest. This award is of immense value to me, because I make the wine myself, I review it every day and then I consult an oenologist just to adjust the details".
INDAP Ñuble highlighted that these results confirm the sustained growth of the valley around the peasant viticulture, driven by associative programmes, technical advice and commercial promotion that strengthen the positioning of Itata as a heritage wine destination in Chile.
In this line, the national director of INDAP, César Rodríguez, said that "the producers who chose to dedicate themselves to the production of wines and distillates chose the most demanding path: that of quality, differentiation and deep commitment to their territory. From INDAP, we are fully committed to continue supporting and strengthening this effort, which today receives a well-deserved recognition in this important international competition such as Catad'Or".
Relaying peasant family farming
The awards ceremony, held at the Monticello Gran Casino in San Francisco de Mostazal, also celebrated the 30th anniversary of this competition, considered the most important in Latin America and the only one in the region with the backing of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) and VINOFED, the federation that brings together the world's leading wine competitions.
At the national level, Ñuble's success is added to the recognition of producers from nine regions of the country, where 37 wineries, distilleries and family cider makers supported by INDAP received 53 medals: 2 Grand Gold, 43 Gold and 8 Silver.
The achievements of Viña Melozal del Maule, which won the Trophy for Best Ancestral Distillate for its Brandy País Dorado; Viña Los Oasis de Pica in Tarapacá, which received two gold medals; and the family businesses La Quinta Chiloé and TerraLluvia Chiloé, from the Los Lagos Region, awarded for their ciders and spirits made with an agro-ecological seal and environmental commitment, stood out for example.
Catad'Or 2025 thus reaffirms the potential of Chilean family farming and the quality of its products, demonstrating that work based on the land, identity and collaboration can compete on equal terms with the great names in the world of wine. More information at https://www.catador.cl/premiados2025.
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