THE HISTORY

The winery was founded in 1954 by Mr. Máximo Valdés under the name “Las Casas de Pirque”. A prominent business man and a well known Chilean politician, Mr. Valdés was the owner of two famous estates – Santa Rita de Pirque – Maipo Valley – in the best region of Chile for growing wine grapes, and Palmería de Cocalán in the Rapel Valley.

With more than 4,600 acres of land at the Maipo Valley, he decided to build the cellar on Pirque, where he had more than 1,000 acres producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes. In 1954, the cellar was completed for a maximum capacity of 3.100 hectoliters and the winery was named “Viñas Casas de Pirque” honoring his big old Chateaux where he chose to live.


The Valdés family, with four generations and more than 50 years of hard work at Casas de Pirque Estate, brought the quality of their wines to nearly its fullest perfection. Some years ago, when the entrance of Chilean economy in the world market, the winery was renamed “Santa Alicia”, in honor of the preference of the founder for the name “Alicia”, which is present in every generation of his large family.

An infinite number of factors, such as the vines and the wonderful geographical location, where soil and landscape combined with the difference in temperatures during night and day, the hours of sunlight, the rainfall distribution of the region which marks the irrigation regime, and the slope and drainage of the soil, makes the best combination of terroir for each variety. A family-owned company with all the traditions of many decades, combined now with the most modern technology and the high experience in wine making expertise, allows Santa Alicia to come up today with the outstanding quality and unique style of its products.

Mr. Máximo Valdés, founder of the winery

The Chapel at the Estate

The Chapel was built in 1924 by Mrs. Elena Subercaseaux , 30 years before the winery was built – and was originally intended to give service to the entire Pirque community.

The architect, Carlos de Landa, drew the plans of the church destined for a different place, the beautiful beach resort of Zapallar, 150 miles northwest of Pirque, by the Pacific Ocean.

Nevertheless, it was later decided to build the chapel on its present location, the Santa Alicia estate.