Viña Indómita
Mission: To differentiate from other
Chilean wineries so their wine can be
sold in export or domestic markets.
Casablanca Valley vineyard
Viña Indómita
• It is a privately-owned vineyard.
• Designed in 1999 by Chilean-Italian architect
Pablo Scarella
• It is home to the #3 restaurant in Chile, with
top chief Oscar Tapia.
• The firm consists of two vineyards:
– Casablanca
– Maipo Valley
Maipo Valley Vineyard
• It is located in central
Chile, not to far south from
Santiago.
• It consists of 988 acres.
• Its location is ideal because
it has a very dry climate
with little rain.
• This vineyard specializes in
making red wine.
– Cabernet Sauvignon
– Merlot
– Carmernére
Casablanca Valley Vineyard/Winery
• This Vineyard and Winery is
located 66 kilometers
northwest from Santiago, very
close to the Pacific Ocean
• It consists of 494 acres.
• Due to its distance to the
ocean, Casablanca experiences
moderate temperatures.
• This Vineyard specializes in
making white wine:
– Chardonnay
– Sauvignon Blanc
Facts about the Wine Industry in Chile
• Chile has many wine-growing valleys and districts
that each specialize in different wines.
• Their wine was mostly influenced by the French.
• Some notable wine companies are Concha y Toro
and Santa Rita.
• Concha y Toro is the largest producer of wine in
Chile is covering nearly 17,300 acres of land.
• Santa Rita has been investing money in new
technology for a higher quality of wine, which is
receiving international acclaim.
The Wine Industry: Major Product
Categories
• The basic product categories within the Chilean
wine industry is quite simple. It is broken down
to:
– Red wine: made from red grapes
– White wine: made from green grapes
• However, there are many different types of red
and white wines that a producer can make.
– example: Chardonnay is a white wine, while a Merlot
is a red wine.
Competitors
• Due to the limited basic product categories and the boom
of the Chilean wine industry since the 1990’s, competition
within the industry is fierce.
• With such fierce competition it drives firms to differentiate
their wine. A couple of the big firms that do this are:
– Santa Rita: investing money for a higher quality of wine.
– Cono Sur: has began making modern wine.
– Cousiño Macul: began in 1856 and has stressed the family brand
name.
• Viña Indómita is a young and prosperous company.
However, due to their age they are not in direct
competition with any of these big players…yet.
Challenges and Opportunities
• Challenges:
– Since creating wine is natural
process any weather related
problems or natural disasters
(earthquakes) can affect the
profitability of the industry.
– It is hard for a company to
differentiate themselves
because of the intense
competition
• Opportunities:
– The wine industry is a growing
industry within Chile and many
companies, such as Viña
Indómita, can now enter the
market and attempt to
succeed.
Significance to Us
• CBA:
– It is significant to CBA students, because it is such a growing
industry. We are learning in our MCE classes the fundamentals
of business. More precisely, how to differentiate a company’s
product to succeed in a competitive market. These tools can be
directly implemented within this industry.
• SSOE:
– It is significant to SSOE students, because in order to
differentiate the firms are going to have to invest in new
technologies and machines that will give them an edge in the
industry.
– It gives SSOE students the chance to take a first-hand look at
environmental factors and other variables that are relevant to
this particular industry
Background
• Wine was not native to Chile but was introduced
by the Spaniards.
• Due to the Pacific Ocean on the west and the
Andes on the East, wine has been able to thrive in
the Chile without pests and disease.
• In Chile, there are 14 principle regions for
producing wine. Viña Indómita produces in the
Maipo and Casablanca valleys.
• Airport customs in Chile prevent disease and
other fungi to affect agriculture in Chile
Technology
• Wines fermented in climate
controlled stainless steel
tanks.
• Vineyards use unique barrel
cellar partly constructed in
the side of the hill where the
wine is matured.
– Temperature and humidity are
self-regulated.
• Due to the large amounts of
rain in regions close to the
Andes, many vineyards
switched to a drip irrigation
system.
Economy
• 5th largest exporter of wines in
the world, and is the 9th largest
producer in the world.
• Policy makers have been trying
to channel more capital into
wine.
– Creating more competition
between companies
• Pisco is the main component of
growth in consumption
– National drink of Chile
Social Customs
• Wine is usually drank at
mealtimes.
• Wine and other spirits
are often given as gifts.
• If wine is served during
dinner, it is more of a
social gathering
• No wine usually means
a more business-like
atmosphere
Wine & Engineering
• Harvesting & Destemming
-Mechanical Harvesters straddle grapevine trellises and,
using firm plastic or rubber rods, strike the fruiting zone
of the grapevine to dislodge the grapes from the rachis.
• Most of the harvesting is done by people.
• Paddles above the small circular slots rotate to
remove the larger chunks of stems. Grapes are pulled
off the stems and fall through the holes.
• Crushing & Primary Fermentation
-Grapes are put into a machine consisting of two
rollers which crush them and squeeze out the juice.
Engineering Continued
Temperature is regulated to obtain the desired amount of
alcohol percentage and sugar. Pressing
• Pressing is the act ofpressure to grape in order to
separate juice or wine from grapes and grape skins.
Secondary Fermentation and Bulk Aging
• Cold stabilization to prevent appearance of tartrate
crystals after bottling
• Wine is kept under an airlock to protect the wine from
oxidation. This usually takes place in large stainless steel
vessels or oak barrels.
Wine & Engineering Continued
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Raw Materials
• Grapes
Transportation
• Trucks/Trains
• Shipping Oversees
Variables
• Acreage
• Machinery
• Workers
• Moldy Grapes
Safety
•
Worker Safety
• Customer Safety
Environmental Factors
• Weather/Climate
Skills & Do they need to be Engineers?
•
Workers must know when grapes need to be picked.
• No, engineers are only needed to make the equipment. The workers at the vineyard just oversee the
production.
Questions for Professionals
• How big is the Viña Indómita vineyard compared to other
Chilean vineyards?
• Did the recent earthquake have any impact on your
winery?
• How does business life at Viña Indómita reflect my personal
opinions on how a business should be run?
• Is diversity an issue at Viña Indómita?
• How many rivals do you compete against, who is your main
rival?
• Being a Privately owned business what are the advantages
and disadvantages?
• What is your favorite wine to make? To drink?
Questions for Students
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How much wine do you drink typically?
What is your favorite wine?
Have you ever worked on a vineyard?
When do you normally drink? Do you drink at
meals?
• Is drinking encouraged?