In 1986, Chilean brothers Rafel and Jose Guilisasti foresaw that wine consumers worldwide would begin to want a deeper understanding of the wines they drank, not just for health reasons, but also to respect their surroundings and the environment. After nearly 20 years of vineyard rest and the establishment of a natural ecosystem, Emiliana Winery launched its first biodynamic wine, becoming the first winery in South America and the seventh globally to achieve full biodynamic certification from Germany's Demeter Standard.
Emiliana Winery owns a total of 1,374 hectares of vineyards, all certified organic by the Swiss IMO and biodynamic by Germany's Demeter Standard. However, only about 800 hectares are used for vineyard cultivation; the rest is used as a natural ecosystem for plants, trees, and wildlife. However, this Chilean winery is famous not because it is Chile's largest organic/biodynamic winery, but because of its winemaker, Alvaro Espinoza.
Alvaro was selected as one of the four prominent figures in Chilean wineries in Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2010. A winemaker's recognition as a prominent figure in the industry is not solely based on producing numerous award-winning wines, but rather on a vision and dedication uncommon among winemakers, enough to leave a mark on winemaking history.
Alvaro Espinoza was a pioneer in transforming Chile from a winemaker-only country to a wine-growing nation. Alvaro now owns his own winery, Emiliana, which employs entirely organic/dynamic farming methods.
This wine uses grapes commonly used in Champagne: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and follows the traditional Champagne method, undergoing secondary fermentation in the bottle followed by 11 months of aging to allow the yeast and mash to fully interact with the liquid, absorbing more flavors.