“Science and knowledge are our foundation, passion is our engine and the wine is the expression of our art.”
VIK is an incomparable holistic vineyard thanks to its art, design, architecture and exceptional world-class wines. VIK was created in Millahue in the Cachapoal Valley. This is a vineyard that embodies the perfect fusion between humans, experience, land, climate and high technology. It’s a futuristic winery with tours, dining and tastings, mountain views, a wine spa and even horseback riding.
The History
In 2004, Alex and Carrie VIK set out with the audacious goal of making one of the world’s best wines. After an extensive search that lasted two years, they found the best terroir in South Americain Millahue (Cachapoal Valley) of Chile, a beautiful country dedicated to producing world-class wines.
The Vineyard
VIK vineyard was born amidst the foothills of the Andes mountains, within the Millahue Valley, named “Lugar de Oro” or “Gold Place” by the native Mapuche people: 4,300 hectares of astonishing Chilean wilderness where they planted over 327 hectares of vines.
VIK’s terroir offers a majestic and natural landscape composed of 12 valleys, each one with its own microclimate, distinct exposures, all within a wind-tunnel cooled by Pacific coastal breezes and winds from high up in the Andes mountains that provide VIK with enormous complexity and exceptional variety.
The Winemaker
Chief Winemaker Cristian Vallejo oversees VIK’s viticulture and viniculture, ensuring grapes are harvested by hand and fermentation occurs naturally with no added yeasts. Wines are also aged in a combination of new and used French oak barrels.
The Cellar and Winery
Set within the vines, the VIK wine cellar can be seen from the VIK Chile retreat, where guests can admire its primary architectural element: its uniquely transparent, stretched-fabric roof. In 2007, they held an architectural competition, inviting architects from around the world to submit their designs for their winery. The design is state-of-the-art, highly sustainable, technologically creative and a stunning visual experience.
The winery was designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radic, a celebrated Pritzker Prize candidate. Set amongst the mountains and sweeping valleys with the soaring Andes mountains in the distance, the winery is thoughtfully designed to impact the landscape minimally. Its roof gives the impression of an enormous sleek white wing suspended over the underground structure. Traversing through the vines to arrive at the winery, guests discover a beautiful, calming, sloping plaza of running water streaming towards the building. The magnificent water mirror features an imaginative river rock sculptural installation which visitors enjoy as they move across walkways cut into the space, absorbing the picturesque surroundings.
