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ABOUT VINA LA PLAYA  - in their own words:

On the western shores of Chile's Tinguiririca River, near Rapel Lake, La Playa Vineyards occupies some of the Colchagua's Valley most desirable acreage. With near-perfect growing conditions, Colchagua has been described as "The Next Napa" (Wine Enthusiast, March 2002) and as "arguably Chile's premier opportunity for world-class wine production" (Wine Spectator, April 30, 2002).

The La Playa brand, named for Chile's magnificent coastline, was launched in 1989 by the Axelsen family of Marin and Napa Counties in California. (The Axelsens own Cabernet Corporation in Novato, California, a firm of international wine merchants and the exclusive importer and distributor of La Playa wines in the United States.) Rather than follow the traditional business model of purchasing land, building a winery, and finally launching a brand, the Axelsens turned the model on its head: they made wine in other producers' facilities, with the aim, someday, of purchasing vineyards and building a winery of their own.

In pursuing this enterprise, which is known as Viña La Playa S.A. in Chile, the Axelsens were fortunate to find two great Chilean partners in the agriculturally prominent Sutil and Errázuriz families. The partners acquired 242 hectares (597 acres) of prime property in the scenic Colchagua Valley, where the vineyards enjoy a unique microclimate that fosters the growth of premium wine grapes.

Fulfilling their ambition, the partners built a $10 million large-capacity winery with the latest in American, French, and Italian technology, and in 2004 they completed a spacious new bodega dedicated to the further refinement of their reserve and premium wine programs. The bodega is also an elegant hotel. The first winery-based hotel in Chile — with four-star accommodations in which guests sleep under the same roof as Viña La Playa's premium wines.