Mingaco
Daniela De Pablo, Pablo Pedreros, and their children Luan and Mayra are the family behind Mingaco, a regenerative farm and winery in the village of Checura along the Itata river. They work with old vines of Moscatel (Muscat of Alexandria, to be specific), Cinsault, and País, some of the traditional varieties that have been present in Itata for many hundreds of years. These vines, planted 30 years ago by Pablo, his father and his grandfather, were farmed traditionally until the 80s and 90s, when conventional (read, industrial) agriculture arrived in the Itata Valley. After watching the health of the vines decline, Pablo decided to move towards organic farming methods in 2010, and eventually moved further towards polyculture, regenerative agriculture and, in 2017, biodynamic treatments.
The vines and the farm at the center of Daniela, Pablo, and their children's life. They extend down from the eco-friendly home that they've built in the outside the tiny village of Huarilihue, then up into the rolling hills that surround them. Their careful, regenerative work in the vines and the beautiful sans soufre wines that they produce from them have earned them the admiration of growers throughout Itata, who come to Pablo and Daniela for advice on natural, low-intervention treatments in the vineyard, for recovering old and damaged vineyards, and for rejuvenating soils that have been harmed by years of chemical treatments and industrial agriculture. Daniela (who is from Concepción and has a background in Visual Arts) and Pablo bonded over their shared interest in regenerative agriculture, healthy foodways, and fermentation. Today, Pablo farms their vines and they work collaboratively in the cellar without additives, fermenting grapes (and making kefir, sourdough and vinegars) with native yeasts. Their dreams of regeneration for their home in the Itata valley go beyond grapes and wine: they are reforesting the valleys around their vineyards with indigenous plants, breaking out of grape monoculture with fruit tree cultivation, and hosting dinners that highlight local produce. The Wines
Moscatel: 100% Moscatel of Alexandria from own-rooted bush vines that are more than 30 years old, planted on clay-granite soils that are rich with quartz. The site is at 300 meters altitude and faces south. The grapes were harvested by hand and destemmed, then fermented outside under an oak tree in an open-top fiberglass tank without temperature control. Maceration on the skins for 12 days: the duration of fermentation. After fermentation completed, the wine was pressed into 6-year-old American oak barrels in their adobe cellar to rest on its lees for 11 months. Bottled without fining or filtering.
Moscatel Flor: 100% Moscatel of Alexandria from own-rooted bush vines that are more than 30 years old, planted on clay-granite soils that are rich with quartz. The site is at 300 meters altitude and faces south. The grapes were harvested by hand and destemmed, then fermented outside under an oak tree in an open-top fiberglass tank without temperature control. Maceration on the skins for 12 days: the duration of fermentation. After fermentation completed, the wine was pressed into plastic tanks in their adobe cellar to rest on its lees for 11 months, where it developed and aged under a veil of flor. Bottled without fining, filtering or sulfur addition. Mezcla Tinta: A blend of Daniela and Pablo's País and Cinsault from their old, own-rooted, regeneratively farmed vines around the home. The soils are clay over quartz-rich granite and the vineyards are around 300m altitude. The grapes were harvested by hand, destemmed, then fermented outside in open-top fiber glass tank without temperature control. As is traditional in the area, the juice is in contact with the skins for the duration of fermentation, and then the wine is pressed to rest on its lees in neutral barrels before bottling. Always bottled without fining, filtering, or sulfur addition. País: 100% País from own-rooted bush vines that are more than 150 years old, planted on clay-granite soils that are rich with quartz. The site is at 300 meters altitude and faces east. The grapes were harvested by hand and destemmed, then fermented outside under an oak tree in an open-top fiberglass tank without temperature control. Maceration on the skins for 12 days: the duration of fermentation. After fermentation completed, the wine was pressed into 6-year-old American oak barrels in their adobe cellar to rest on its lees for 11 months. Bottled without fining, filtering or sulfur addition. Cinsault: 100% Cinsault from Daniela and Pablo's own-rooted bush vines that are more than 50 years old, planted on clay-granite soils that are rich with quartz. The site is at 300 meters altitude and faces west. The grapes were harvested by hand and destemmed, then fermented outside under an oak tree in an open-top fiberglass tank without temperature control. Maceration on the skins for the duration of fermentation: 11 days. After fermentation completed, the wine was pressed into 6-year-old American oak barrels in their adobe cellar to rest on its lees for 11 months. Bottled without fining, filtering or addition of sulfur. |
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