Viña VIK in the stunning valley of Millahue has been rippling with innovation since its foundation in 2006. Whether it is through making their own ‘amphoir’ amphoras from clay in the vineyard, to toasting their own ‘barroir’ barrels from fallen oak trees in their 4,500 hectare estate, there’s always an interesting novelty to discover at Viña VIK.
The latest comes with the launch of a limited edition of the 2018 vintage of VIK as an NFT. As Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) continue to take the world of contemporary art and luxury goods by storm, it is perhaps no surprise that Alex and Carrie Vik — who are discerning contemporary art collectors themselves — have made Viña VIK the first winery in Chile to launch an NFT.
‘We wanted to launch an NFT because it is in our nature at VIK to innovate,’ explains CEO Gastón Williams. ‘Each wine label is special, signed by our winemaker Cristian Vallejo and numbered. The intention is to maintain the exclusivity of VIK and the value of this luxury collectable.’
The limited release consists of 50 NFTs, each representing a double magnum of the special edition of VIK 2018 NFT. On purchasing the NFT, an owner can trade their digital asset or redeem it as a token and collect their physical bottle of VIK 2018. One of the benefits of wine NFTs is the traceability offered by the unique digital token, meaning that buyers can feel safe in the knowledge of exactly where their wine is at all times.
In the case of the limited-edition VIK 2018 NFT, the wines are currently resting in the cellar of the state-of-the-art winery in Cachapoal — which was recently crowned as third in the ranking of the World’s Best Vineyards. The wines are kept in pristine cellar conditions until the buyer chooses to redeem their token and enjoy the 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc blend from the excellent 2018 vintage.
‘2018 was a cool year; spring was inspired and summer patient and this, together with the average temperatures, enabled the tannins to ripen quickly and they are crunchy and dynamic,’ says winemaker Cristian Vallejo. ‘Autumn was joyful and cool, without excesses, leading to an early harvest characterized by ripe fruit with pure perfumes that delight!’
The 2018 vintage also marks the first year that the ‘barroir’ concept, barrels toasted with VIK’s own oak trees, have been deployed in the wines. Following fermentation in tank, the wines were aged for 26 months in the special barrels made in their in-house cooperage.
The first offer of VIK 2018 NFT Limited Edition has been offered to members of the exclusive VIK R.E.D. Society club. Reserved for VIK’s best private clients, membership includes access to special library vintages and unique wine experiences at the VIK retreats in Chile and Uruguay.
