Ona Viognier Riesling Chardonnay 2013

Named after the first inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego or 'Land of Fire' in Patagonia, Anakena Ona Special Reserve pays homage to the Ona Tribe who kept themselves away from civilisation for as long as possible in order to maintain the character and spirit of their indigenous tribe. By understanding the land, Viña Anakena have managed to convey that spirit in a sip. The blend of Viognier, Riesling and Chardonnay has gusto and intense minerality from the loam soils, a refreshing floral overtone and a typical Chardonnay tropical fruit finish. And, while it won’t start a fire in your mouth, it would work well with Asian food that might.

In the Rapel Valley, at the foothills of the Andes Mountains, school friends Felipe Ibáñez and Jorge Gutiérrez founded Viña Anakena. Their project was to be exceptional, so they scoured the celebrated wine-producing regions of the world, soaking up the culture and the most up-to-date winery techniques, and then translated that in the Rapel Valley.

Anakena is committed to the preservation of the environment, using environmentally friendly production methods. These include an integrated system of agriculture, recycling resources, reprocessing any waste and the use of organic compost.

The philosophy of the winery is inspired by the Ona Tribe, who were the first inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, in the Chilean Patagonia. They kept away from civilization for as long as any other indigenous ethnic group, maintaining their spirit intact for centuries. The Ona Special Reserve range from Viña Anakena rescue that courageous and daring spirit, offering wines in accordance to the characteristics of their origin and elegance, refinement and audacity.

The winemaker at Viña Anakena, Sergio Cuadra, has a lot of experience in working with the grape varieties in the Ona Special Reserve. During his time at Fetzer Vineyard in California, Sergio worked with white wine varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Gewürztraminer. Sergio called on his vast experience to create wines for Viña Anakena that are unique, fresh and environmentally conscious. Anakena Ona Special Reserve was made by fermenting each grape variety separately; the wine was blended in September of that year and 25% of the wine was aged in French oak for four months.

This wine is a bold and intense depiction of the terroir at Viña Anakena. Each grape variety is distinctly apparent in every sip; the Viognier is soft with floral notes, the Riesling brings vast amounts of minerality and the Chardonnay adds concentrated tropical fruit flavours. This wine would be perfectly partnered with oily fish such as salmon and would work well with pork dishes too.