VSPT awards Dror Nativ MW for the best performance on contemporary issues paper
Image credit: Dror Nativ MW and VSPT
In November 2024 at the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) Awards ceremony, Dror Nativ MW was awarded the inaugural VSPT wine group award for best performance in the contemporary issues paper. The prize was a trip to visit the wineries and vineyards of VSPT in Chile and Argentina, which took place in the beginning of April 2025, during the final weeks of the harvest. Read his report to learn about his experience as he travels through Chile and Argentina below.
“Firstly, some background on VSPT wine group, a principal supporter of the IMW. VSPT are amongst the top 20 global wine companies, with six wineries in Chile and two wineries in Argentina. The company has been making wine for over 160 years and are leaders in sustainability, winning the Drinks Business Green Awards no fewer than ten times. Their premium brands in Chile include Altair, Cabo de Hornos, Sideral,1865, Viña Tarapacá and Viña Leyda, alongside the Argentinean brands La Celia and Graffigna.
On the first day I visited the picturesque estate of Viña Tarapacá in Maipo, very close to the banks of the Maipo river. The winery was bustling, with trucks of grapes arriving, as head winemaker Sebastián Ruiz walked me through the wine making process from start to finish. As we went onto the vineyards, I was impressed by the estate’s dedication to sustainability, protecting over 16,000 native trees and shrubs. As we tasted the wines it was clear that the strengths here are Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon. One of my favourite wines was the Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Black Label Carmenere 2023, showing ripe cassis complemented by an array of spices.
The second day focused on Viña Leyda, where the proximity to the Pacific ocean and the soils combine to create outstanding conditions for growing Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. I spent the morning in the vineyards with viticulturalist Tomás Rivera, whose profound knowledge and enthusiasm for the varied subsoils in every individual polygon of their vineyard is infectious, and with winemaker Viviana Navarrete, whose capability in making nuanced, terroir expressive Pinot Noirs is world class. The highlight of the tasting at Viña Leyda was the Origin Pinot Noir 2022, a hauntingly aromatic Pinot Noir with super fine tannin and no oak influence, allowing the fruit to shine.
The third day was one of the most inspiring days I’ve experienced. An early morning flight followed by a two hour drive to the Malleco wine region, where VSPT set up the social upliftment project called Tayu, a long-term collaboration with the indigenous Mapuche communities. The visit was led by Juan Pablo Fadic, head of sustainability for VSPT. He explained the project, in which VSPT not only finance long term loans to the Mapuche families in order to establish Pinot Noir vineyards, but also support them every step of the way, including planting the vineyards, guidance throughout the annual viticultural practices as well as administration support. After ten years, the loan is paid off and each Mapuche family can decide if to continue the partnership with VSPT or to sell their grapes elsewhere. It was brilliant to see the vineyards first hand, to meet two of the Mapuche families and to understand what a difference the project is already making to their quality of life and in providing more sustainable future. I got to visit a Ruka, a traditional Mapuche communal dwelling centred around a fire pit, where the family comes together during the day. But what will stay with me the most is the appreciation of the incredibly hard and patient work carried out by the VSPT team to gain the trust of the Mapuche community members, years of determination even before the project got off the ground, with no guarantee of success. I should also mention that the wine I tasted, Tayu Pinot Noir 2022, was delicious, showing dark cherry fruit with a distinct herbal streak, reminiscent of the wild Poleo herbs growing in the region, something between peppermint and lavender.
The next morning I flew over the Andes and into Mendoza in Argentina, spending the day in the Uco Valley at Finca La Celia. The time in the vineyard with viticulturalist Agustín Leiva and chief winemaker Andrea Ferreyra was thoroughly engaging and educational. I learned a great deal about the uniqueness of each of the three sub-regions that make up the vineyard: La Consulta, Paraje Altamira and Eugenio Bustos (a sub region named after the founder of Finca La Celia which is named after his daughter!) The style of the wines reflects their passion for terroir expression, excellently exemplified in the Terruños range, each made from a one hectare polygon vineyard block that best represents its sub region. I loved tasting the Terruño La Consulta Cabernet Franc 2019, showing elegant graphite notes on the nose, a bold yet lingering palate of pure cassis and fine persistent tannin.
The next two days were spent exploring one of the most visually striking and just plain stunning wine regions – the Elqui valley. If the dramatic desert mountains on either side of the valley weren’t enough, the contrast with the lush green growth of vineyards and other crops alongside the river banks is remarkable. With winemaker Andrea Calderón, responsible for the entire range of San Pedro 1865, we visited the vineyard where the grapes for 1865 Desert Valley Syrah are grown. The combination of the desert heat, the diurnal variation and the cooling influence of the proximity to the ocean create a wine with both ripeness and freshness as well as hallmark peppery spice. We spent the evening in Pisco Elqui amongst the vast expanse of vineyards destined for Pisco production and I may have indulged in a Pisco Sour or two. Before heading back to La Serena we also visited Viñedos de Alcohuaz, not part of the VSPT group but a very unique winery at high altitude, where winemaker Rosario Fillol makes outstanding wines from Rhone varieties.
The final day took me to the flagship winery in the group, Bodega San Pedro Cachapoal Andes, home to Icon brands Altair, Cabo de Hornos, and Sideral. Apart from the exceptional site at the foothills of the Andes, the magic here was spending time with winemaker Ignacio Diaz and head winemaker Gabriel Mustakis. The winery is impressive and equipped with a vast array of ageing vessels, from foudres to different shapes and sizes of clay and concrete. Even within the foudres were sourced from a variety of different highly reputable producers, each giving a different nuance to the wines which I appreciated whilst we tasted extensively in the cellar. From the tasting of the finished wines it’s very hard to pick a favourite, as they are all superb wines, but the Cabo de Hornos 2021 sticks in my memory as a classy expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, as generous as it is structured, with polished tannins and very deft use of oak.
Overall, although I have been to Chile and Argentina before, I’ve never had the chance to explore the vineyards and the regions in such depth and I am extremely grateful to VSPT group for this rare opportunity. The trip reinforced what I already believe, that the premium wines of Chile and Argentina are incredibly exciting, innovative and expressive of very unique sites. I sincerely hope that the new synergy between the IMW and VSPT group will play a role in raising global awareness of these truly special wines.”
Information courtesy of Dror Nativ MW and VSPT