# Pipeño (2025)

- **Producer:** Pino Román
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Moscatel de Alejandría, País, Cinsault
- **Region:** Itata Valley, Chile
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €21
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blueberry, raspberry, violet, herbaceous, grape, smoke, forest floor, game

## About this wine

Ignacio 'Nacho' Pino Román is an agronomist who honed his winemaking skills across Napa, Alentejo, and New Zealand before returning to Chile's historic Itata Valley in 2018. Rather than owning estates, Nacho partners closely with local smallholders in the Trehuaco sub-region, paying them premium rates to preserve ancient, dry-farmed vineyards. This Pipeño is a tribute to Chile's traditional, rustic country wines, reimagined with modern precision. Sourced from the 80-year-old 'Los Pellines' vineyard, it represents a commitment to preserving viticultural heritage and supporting the local farming community.

## Interesting facts

- Farmed traditionally without synthetic chemicals, the ancient 80-year-old vineyards are ploughed using horses.
- This wine is bottled in a traditional 1-liter format, emphasizing its heritage as a casual, shareable Chilean country wine.
- It features an unusual co-fermentation of red grapes with up to 44% aromatic white Moscatel de Alejandría.

## Food pairing

This light-bodied, high-acid red wine acts as a refreshing palate cleanser. The low tannin profile prevents any metallic clash with lighter meats or cheeses, while the vibrant acidity cuts through the fat of charcuterie and wood-fired pizza. The subtle aromatic lift from the Moscatel component beautifully complements herb-forward dishes and roasted white meats.

## Wine making process

The grapes are entirely hand-harvested from un-grafted, head-trained bush vines grown on decomposed granitic soils. In the cellar, the fruit is fully destemmed. Spontaneous fermentation occurs separately for each variety in open vats without temperature control, utilizing only native yeasts. After fermentation, the components—comprising a unique blend of red and white grapes—are blended and aged for 10 months in stainless steel tanks to preserve fresh fruit character. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur dioxide added only at bottling.