Jess Jackson and his wife Barbara Banke, founders of Viña Calina, are convinced of Chile's grape-growing and wine-making potential. After travel up and down the country -from the warm foothills of the Andes range east of Santiago to the humid slopes of the hills south of the Itata River and the banks of the Maule River, near Talca- they searched for the best conditions to grow grapes in vineyards that would benefit form the cold influence of the Pacific Ocean and the Andean currents.

Once they identified the most appropriate grape-growing regions, they began the task of buying properties, planting vineyards and building wineries. Thus in February of 1993 Viña Calina was formed. Viña Calina made its first export to the USA in 1995 and made its debut in the Chilean market with its 1994 Chardonnay and its 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon, which would surprise everyone that same year by winning a Gold Medal at the Expo Gourmand wine contest.

Viña Calina has undergone successive transformations in order to reach its current standards of quality. Today it has a winery and vineyards at Fundo El Maitén, outside of Talca, and vineyards in the Maule Valley, in the area of Cauquenes and Parral.

The wines of Viña Calina are destined to be the ones that place Chile as a first rate competitor in the world market.