Born in Santiago, Chile, Agustin Huneeus began his career in the wine business there fifty years ago and is one of the few vintners who has dedicated his entire professional life to the wine industry. He entered the wine business in 1960 as chief executive officer of Concha y Toro. Then a small winery, Concha y Toro grew to become Chile's largest winery under Agustin's leadership. In 1971, Chile's difficult political climate led Agustin to leave his home country. He subsequently headed Seagram's worldwide operations, responsible for wineries in seven countries, including the United States.
In 1985, Agustin became partner and acting President of Franciscan Estates. Under his leadership, the ailing company was transformed into a successful group of premium wine estates. In addition to running three wineries in the United States for Franciscan, Huneeus developed two well-known Chilean brands, Caliterra and Errazuriz, later selling interest in both. With his wife Valeria, he purchased the Quintessa estate in Napa Valley in 1989.
In the early 1990s, he also discovered the winemaking potential of the Casablanca Valley in Chile. He found the climate, soils and terroir to be perfect for grape growing, yet there were less than 100 acres planted there at the time. Combining over forty years of wine growing experience with Casablanca’s unique terroir, Huneeus set out to craft wines that express the diverse estate’s terroir and build a winery to house Chile’s first Napa Valley-style visitor center. He lives in California at the Quintessa estate and in San Francisco, and spends several months a year in Chile.