VIK young winemaker’s competition winners revealed

In October, Chilean producer VIK launched a winemaking competition, which it said would develop “an unprecedented partnership” between the worlds of wine and academia. Now db can reveal the winners of that contest.

Earlier this year, the drinks business reported that the brains behind luxury Chilean wine label VIK had launched a winemaking competition designed to bring the next generation of winemaking stars to the fore.

The contest offered 26 students from the winemaking departments of three Chilean universities (Universidad de Chile, Universidad Católica, and the Universidad de Talca) the chance to complete an internship at Viña VIK, opening up the processes and techniques of the winery to the young winemakers.

Guided by VIK’s head winemaker Cristián Vallejo, each student created their own blend over a period of months, choosing their preferred proportions of the styles of VIK wines to be included within it. They also had the opportunity to work with different ageing processes using VIK’s “Barroir” technique in its on-site cooperage (the only one belonging to a winery in South America).

On 15 December 2023, the winners of the VIK Wine LAB contest were selected by a jury, who assessed the students’ wine blends. The jury included sommeliers, barrel-makers, closures experts, viticulturalists and marketing experts.

“The results were surprising. We were really able to see the young talent and tremendous capacity of these winemakers, who impressed the jury and the industry with the high quality of their winemaking submissions,” said Vallejo.

To reach the final decision, the jury was divided into three groups, with each group tasting nine different wines. Judges then selected the three best examples per table and finally, as a group, chose the winners.

Two students from the Universidad de Talca obtained first and second place, respectively: Sebastián Farías and Katherine Cruz.

Third place was awarded to Katherine Cortés from the Universidad de Chile.

An awards ceremony was held to honour the winners, with Alexander and Carrie Vik, founders of the winery, in attendance, as well as leading officials from the universities and figures from the international wine trade.

Farías, who took first place, won a trip to France, where he will visit barrel supplier Sylvain, before heading to Italy, where he will be received by Enologica Vason, a
company specialising in the selection of raw materials and the formulation of products for the winemaking industry