Pedro Parra | Itata Valley

Pedro Parra is a renowned soil and vineyard mapping expert with a Masters and PhD in Precision Agriculture and Terroir from the Institut Agronomique National in Paris. As a consultant to many well-known wineries in the Americas and Europe, he has spent much of the past 18 years discovering new sites, digging ‘calicatas’ (pits for soil analysis) and transforming how wineries manage their vineyards. In 2013, assisted by consultant winemaker, long-term friend and business partner Alberto Antonini, Pedro released Chilean wines under his own, eponymous label. His vision is simple: to make pure wines from old bush vines in Itata, grown on granitic soils, and help the local “brave vignerons” who protected the land and vines for centuries.

The historic Chilean winemaking region of Itata, where vines were planted almost 500 years ago by Spanish missionaries, is 500 kilometres south of Santiago and characterised by cooling Pacific breezes, moderate temperatures and cloudy summers, allowing grapes to ripen steadily. The region has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, with a new generation of winemakers like Pedro championing old vines and celebrating the region’s winemaking traditions. All grapes are hand-harvested from dry-farmed bush vines, many over 100 years old. Thanks to the strong winds in the Itata valley, there is very little disease pressure, allowing Pedro to farm and harvest organically.