Through theoretical and practical classes, fourth grade students participate in the production of wine, allowing them to learn and identify knowledge that has been transmitted from generation to generation and is valued worldwide as a historical heritage.

Within the framework of the Territorial Valorization Program that Viña Santa Rita has been promoting with the community in Alto Jahuel since 2012, the “Harvest Project” was born. A program focused on children in the fourth grade of the Alto Jahuel High School, which seeks to generate a sense of pride, belonging and attachment to the territory.

“This project is a support to the wine culture of our country, we are the fourth largest exporter of wines in the world and over time the new generations have been losing their love for the land. With the children’s grape harvest we seek to maintain and promote local development in the long term. We are trying to ensure that the youngest children, like their predecessors, are able to re-enchant themselves and value their land,” says Elena Carretero, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director.

In the first stage, the children take theoretical classes, workshops and practical activities in the classroom with specialized teachers. Then, in a second stage, the students visit Santa Rita to learn in person about the winemaking process and the historic wineries in the area. Finally, they relive the tradition of the grape harvest by pruning grapes with their own hands and then treading them, obtaining the must as it was made in the past.

“The activities allow the students to get to know and identify with the territory and to feel proud of the place where they live and of the work that many of their parents do in the vineyard,” adds Carretero.

The Maipo Valley is a world-class territory and a reference in wine production, an economic activity whose history and traditions are part of the cultural heritage of our country, so it is important that children know from an early age the relevance of this activity for the area and Chile.