Investment from European wine families, a generational shift among producers and new international activations are putting Chilean pisco firmly on the global spirits radar, agronomist and wine specialist Max Morales tells db.
Chilean pisco is attracting increasing interest from high-level foreign investors, particularly in the northern regions of Atacama and Coquimbo, as the category builds momentum as a premium spirit with strong territorial identity and export potential.
In recent years, established European wine families from Spain and France have begun investing in pisco production in Chile, viewing the category as a strategic addition to global spirits portfolios.
One notable example is Lapostolle, which has developed the Kappa pisco brand. The range comprises two distillates inspired by the producer’s expertise in Cognac. Meanwhile, Miguel Torres produces Pisco El Gobernador, a well-established label within the category. Both products are made in the Limarí Valley in Chile’s Coquimbo region, using Moscatel Rosada and Moscatel de Alejandría grapes.
These investments are being closely watched within the industry, as they reinforce pisco’s positioning as a denomination-of-origin spirit with premium aspirations and growing international relevance.
Generational change creates new openings
Alongside foreign investment, the Chilean pisco sector is undergoing a significant generational transition, particularly in the Atacama and Coquimbo regions. This shift is affecting both artisanal producers and larger industrial distilleries, many of which operate as cooperatives.
In recent years, several cooperatives have restructured to work more strategically and collaboratively with grape growers and members. At the same time, many long-established viticulturists and grape producers are in the process of passing their businesses on to their children, often while exploring opportunities to bring in domestic or international co-investors.
According to industry observers, this transition is opening the door for investors and importers from Europe, the US, Mexico and across Latin America to enter the Chilean pisco market, diversify their portfolios and expand their international presence.
Many vineyard and distillery owners, often aged over 70, are seeking to secure continuity for family-run businesses while protecting the viticultural heritage of old vines. In some cases, producers are also looking for liquidity to support succession planning, working capital for the next generation, and future growth alongside an oenologist or committed investor.
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In this context, Maximiliano Morales, a wine and pisco specialist who previously worked on the National Geographic Explorer Expedition Ship organising tastings while navigating the Chilean fjords and the Strait of Magellan, says several pisco brands are actively exploring co-investment and strategic partnerships.
These collaborations, he says, are aimed at ensuring business continuity, professionalising operations and driving international growth through commercialisation in Europe, Asia and North America.
To support investor engagement, AndesWines.com launched a new initiative in January 2026 titled “Pisco Exploration”. The specialised tour is designed to offer a first-hand assessment of pisco terroirs across Atacama and Coquimbo and to encourage both domestic and international investment.
The programme was developed following interest from micro-investors visiting the region on luxury cruises, some of whom expressed ambitions to import and develop their own pisco brands in the US and Europe.
The historical foundations of the sector are also being explored in a forthcoming book, El libro del pisco antes del auge del pisco, by historian Patricio Orellana Varas. The work, currently in development, is based on more than a year of research into early grape production in northern Chile and the social, economic and cultural dynamics that shaped the modern pisco industry.
The book examines colonial trade networks, the presence of corsairs and pirates such as Francis Drake and Thomas Cavendish along Pacific routes, and key historical moments including the 1680 attack on La Serena by English privateer Bartholomew Sharp. It also highlights the role of female landowners in consolidating the region’s productive structure.
On the international stage, efforts to raise awareness of Chilean pisco are continuing. Khemngern Tonsakulrungruang, known as The Bottle Curator, has launched a programme of brand activations in Vienna and Paris, focusing on both pisco and Chilean wines. The initiative includes curated tastings and presentations in specialist bars and boutique retailers, delivered in partnership with Morales.
The aim, organisers say, is to strengthen the global visibility of Chilean pisco and position it as a premium spirit of origin in key European markets.
