CASA MARIN

Located in the San Antonio Valley. Maria Lutz, who we met at the Marlborough celebration in Blenheim, is the owner and winemaker. Maria was always interested in the San Antonio Valley and felt she could make world class Sauvignon Blanc there. In Chile to own a winery, you either inherit it or you have investors. She could not convince anyone to invest in her project and didn’t come from money. Instead, Maria worked in the bulk wine market and was very good at it. She made enough to start her winery and has made a global name for her wines. Her son is now the winemaker and his wife, Jamie, the marketing manager. The wines are not cheap and are very different to the rest of Chile. They are much cooler in nature due to the steepness, soil and proximity to the sea. The first woman to own a winery in Chile and she got there by herself, when everyone told her she couldn’t. Casa Marin are still the only winery in the San Antonio Valley, no one else is dedicated (read mad) enough to grow grapes here. Mind you, most of the great wines of the world don’t come from where it’s easy...