In the spring of 1887, a young Frenchman named Emile Bouchon left his small winegrowing town in Bordeaux, France and boarded a ship headed for Chile. In time, he purchased a wine cellar in Colchagua Valley and turned it into one of the most prominent vineyards of that age. Emile’s grandson, Julio, fell in love with the granitic soils in the interior dry area in Maule Valley, acquiring Mingre Estate in 1977. The family acquired two additional Maule vineyards with different soil compositions and perspectives. These minimal interventionists are part of “Vigno”, an association of winemakers created to highlight the exquisite qualities of Carignan from the Maule Valley. “Vigno” Carignan vines must be organic, dry-farmed and at least 60 years. The winery is also part of a recent movement to use the exciting, indigenous Pais grape — formerly the region’s workhorse variety — to make top-end quality wines. Pais Salvaje (their Natural versions of Pais) are made from untrained, wild vines that have mutated, spread around their home vineyards and twisted around trees and which are harvested on ladders from the treetops themselves. They work with concrete, French oak and clay amphorae in the cellar and spontaneous ferments are used in order to further highlight the unique terroir of their vineyards. Bouchon Family Wines garner accolades around the world.