Learn about the new Cousiño Macul Vineyard Replanting Project

With this project, the Agricultural Team seeks to improve the quality and yields of the vineyards in Macul and Paine, as well as adapt to the new climatic conditions of the area.

Since its founding in 1856, Viña Cousiño Macul has been characterized by producing world-class wines that express the unique character of the Maipo Valley . And of course, if its protagonists, The vines were brought directly from Europe. pre-phylloxera by Luis Cousiño and his wife Isidora Goyenechea more than 160 years ago, a period in which they have adapted in an extraordinary way to these lands.

Continuing with the commitment to produce wines of excellence, our Agricultural Team has begun a replanting project both in our vineyard in Paine and in our traditional vineyard in Macul. The objective is improve quality and yields , as well as adapt these new plantations to the current challenging climatic conditions of the Maipo Valley.

Replanting Project – Paine and Macul

This project seeks to renovate the plots that, over the years, have begun to decline in quality and yield. Under this scenario, the Agricultural Team of Viña Cousiño Macul structured a plan to renovate vines for the fields of Macul and Paine, Each one with its own approach adapted to the quality and performance that is sought in each one . In addition, for each project, factors as important as the current scenario of water scarcity were considered, with the aim of establish a highly resource-efficient plantation.

Our Paine estate was acquired in 1996, with the aim of building a new production plant, with cutting-edge technology, that would allow us to expand our vineyard, always within the Maipo Valley. This is where the vine replanting project began in 2020. We started with Cabernet Sauvignon, the flagship strain of our vineyard, and by 2022 there will be 6 hectares of Carmenere and 6 hectares of Chardonnay.

According to Carlos Cousiño Mery, Agricultural Project Manager at Viña Cousiño Macul, “Paine focuses on establishing clones with medium-high characteristics in the sense of productivity , with attributes of the cluster and organoleptic properties of the grape that translate into potential quality barracks when we want to work and manage them in such a way. A different objective than the one we seek with our Macul vines, where We focus exclusively on the quality, reserve and storage of the wine .”

For its part, Macul is the cradle of our highest-end wines. In this vineyard you can find the best and oldest vines in our winery, planted from 1932 onwards. For this project, the use of plants with genetic material of French origin , with the organoleptic characteristics of the berries, plant yield and storage capacity that is sought to be obtained.

Efficiency in the use of resources

These new vineyards are planted in a medium density planting framework, with a structure of 1.6 – 1.7 metres in height… What is relevant about height and distance? Our winery is located in a valley with a dry climate, high temperatures and radiation, with less and less winter rainfall every day, which is generating a significant water deficit. Carlos Cousiño Mery explains that the characteristics of this plantation provide the following benefits:

• Having a medium density planting frame , The plant's roots can take advantage of and use irrigation water more efficiently , because we minimize competition between them for the absorption of water and nutrients from the soil.
• The height of the new gardens and plants (1.6 – 1.7 meters) It works with a smaller leaf area, that is, the leaves cover a smaller surface, reducing evapotranspiration (moisture loss through evaporation) of the plants, generating lower water demand.

The harvest results will be this 2021-2022 harvest for the Paine plantation and in the case of Macul it will be the 2022-2023 harvest.

It's already 165 years of history and in Viña Cousiño Macul, through processes of innovation and continuous improvement , seeks to preserve our tradition and, of course, our commitment to producing elegant wines, unmistakably Chilean and with the unique character expressed by the Maipo Valley.