A Companionable Adventure

Three women from Santiago, Chile—Verónica Larraín, María Inés Irarrázaval and Carolina Grez—prove that combining friendship, family and great ideas is smart business at Origen Vinegars

How did your business get started?

A. “Verónica and I are longtime friends and studied Agricultural Engineering—including enology and fruiticulture—at the same university. Ever since college, we wondered why Chile—which is a world-class wine producer—did not make high-quality wine vinegar. In 2002, we started Mission Chile S.A. We wanted to produce healthy and unique premium vinegars from high-quality wines with no sugar added and that were 100 percent natural. After receiving recognition in Chile, we decided to pursue international markets so in 2006, Carolina Grez, another old friend, (who is also an agricultural engineer and sommelier) joined us, working with sales and marketing.”—María Inés Irarrázaval

What wines have you chosen for your vinegar?

A. “For our Cabernet Sauvignon line we looked mainly for concentrated wines from the Colchagua valley with ripe red and black fruit aromas and soft and round tannins. These are characteristics we wanted to keep in our vinegars. The Chardonnay wine vinegar line is made with premium wine from Casablanca valley, which produces the most renowned Chilean white wines. We selected an elegant and aromatic Chardonnay, with notes of white peaches and white flowers.”—Verónica Larraín

You have interesting flavor combinations such as Tangerine Chardonnay Wine Vinegar and Mint Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Vinegar. What drives those blends?

A. “The goal was to produce combinations that had good balance, were novel and that make a good starting point. We also looked for products that were typically Chilean: The idea is to emphasize national gastronomy, which is why we chose green chili, for example, for our Green Chili Chardonnay Wine Vinegar.”—V.L.

Why did you name the brand Origen® Vinegars?

A. “We wanted to tell the world that we went back to the origins, to the roots of vinegar making. We do this by using high-quality wines that are converted slowly and aged in oak barrels with a modified ancestral production method that protects the best aromas and flavors of our wines. We wanted the name to not only reflect that we are the pioneers in premium vinegar production in Chile but also to show our respect for nature.”—Carolina Grez

Susan Segrest

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