Before the natural wine world discovered Itata, Leo Erazo and Justin Decker were already there, making wine in a one-car garage and asking why one of the most extraordinary old-vine landscapes in the world had been left behind. Rogue Vine is their answer: a project built on forgotten vineyards, honest farming, and a genuine belief that wine is made to be drunk, not saved.
Backstory
Leo and Justin met while teaching at the Universidad de Concepcion in south-central Chile. Leo, born Leonardo Erazo Lynch, had already spent a decade travelling through Spain, France, Australia, New Zealand, California, and South Africa, and had earned a Master's degree in Viticulture and Terroir from Stellenbosch University. Justin, an expat from Indiana, was drawn to wine through community and conversation and stayed in Chile to raise a family. They launched Rogue Vine together in 2011 from a borrowed garage, sourcing fruit from the hillside villages of Itata. The project has grown steadily, drawing attention from importers and natural wine buyers across North America and Europe who recognize Itata as one of wine's most compelling emerging regions.
The Region
The Itata Valley lies about 400 km south of Santiago, in the Bio-Bio administrative region of Chile. The climate is cool and rainy by Chilean standards, more Galician than Atacama, and the soils are ancient granite and sandy loam. The valley was planted by Spanish missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries, and it is home to some of the oldest ungrafted vines in the world, survivors of phylloxera thanks to their sandy soils and geographic isolation. Rogue Vine draws fruit primarily from the Nipas and Guarilihue subregions, working with small growers whose families have farmed these hills for generations.
Vineyards and Farming
All vineyards are hillside, dry-farmed, and trained as low bush vines (gobelet). Minimum vine age is 60 years; the oldest parcels are more than 300 years old. These ancient plants have developed deep root systems that tap into the granitic subsoil and survive without irrigation. The main grape varieties are Moscatel de Alejandria, Pais (also known as Mission), and Cinsault, all cultivated by smallholder farmers who maintain traditional practices. Rogue Vine works closely with these growers rather than owning vineyards outright, a model that keeps the community intact and the farming knowledge alive.
Winemaking
The approach is as minimal as the farming suggests. Native yeasts handle all fermentation. No corrections of any kind are made. Aging takes place in cement vessels and used oak barrels. Sulfur additions, if used at all, are a small dose prior to bottling. Leo's winemaking experience across multiple continents informs the work, but the guiding principle is simple: get out of the wine's way. The freshness, acidity, and low alcohol that characterise Itata do the rest.
The Wines
The portfolio includes Pipeno Tinto, a fresh and gulpable red from Pais and Cinsault, a Moscatel de Alejandria that combines aromatic intensity with surprising delicacy, and occasional single-vineyard bottlings from the oldest parcels. The wines are consistently light in colour, low in alcohol, and built for the table rather than the trophy cabinet. They represent Itata as it actually is: ancient, generous, and wildly underappreciated.
