What Cooperativa Capel does

Cooperativa Agrícola Pisquera Elqui Limitada (Capel), founded in 1938 and headquartered in Vicuña in Chile's Elqui Valley, is an agricultural cooperative and the producer of Chile's flagship pisco spirit. It operates as a vertically integrated producer-distributor with 800+ member grape growers (cooperados) across the Coquimbo and Atacama regions, eight production plants spanning the Elqui, Limarí, Choapa, Huasco, and Copiapó pisco-designated valleys, and four domestic branch offices in Ovalle, Santiago, Talca, and Puerto Montt. Its revenue mechanics combine (a) branded pisco and other alcoholic beverages under multiple sub-brands (Capel, Alto del Carmen, Brujas de Salamanca, Le Pac, Estrella del Elqui, Capel Ice, Maddero Ron, Sensus, Myla, Prologo), (b) B2B grape juice concentrate exports through subsidiary Viña Francisco de Aguirre to approved-supplier clients including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Ocean Spray, and Country Pure, (c) direct-to-consumer sales through Centro Turístico Capel (over 30,000 visitors per season) and e-commerce, and (d) experiential tourism anchored by the Pisco Museum.

The cooperative's core technology is traditional pisco distillation from Muscat Rosada and Muscat of Alexandria grapes under the protected Denominación de Origen del Pisco certification, supplemented by a double-distillation line (Pisco Capel Familia Doble Destilado). It holds international food-safety and ESG certifications including FSSC 22000 and HACCP for Viña Francisco de Aguirre, Fair For Life fair-trade certification (consecutively since at least 2017), and a Clean Production Agreement (APL) from Chile's Agency of Sustainability and Climate Change. Operational sustainability investments include Lipigas-powered clean-energy steam generation (cutting CO2 by 5,687 tons/year) and artificial wetlands at four facilities reducing particulate emissions by 99%. The business sells across price tiers from entry-level economy pisco (Brujas de Salamanca Especial 35° at 5,990 CLP) to premium aged piscos (Brujas de Salamanca Envejecido 40° at 12,490 CLP), with go-to-market via major retail chains (Cencosud), independent liquor stores, on-premise channels, e-commerce, the Centro Turístico, and international distributors including Shanghai Yiming for the Chinese market.

Capel has accumulated 109+ international awards since 2000, recognition as one of Chile's best companies by Deloitte/UAI/Banco Santander in 2017 and 2018, and a Catad'Or Grand Gold for Alto del Carmen Volcán 40° in 2022. In 2026 the cooperative announced a multi-year structural change plan emphasizing value growth, productive efficiency, and internationalization, alongside expansion of the China partnership and an INIA/FIA-funded R&D project developing dormancy-promoter agricultural inputs from alcohol industry byproducts.

Name

Cooperativa Capel

Legal name

Cooperativa Agrícola Pisquera Elqui Limitada

Website

https://cooperativacapel.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cooperativa Capel is a 1938-founded Chilean agricultural cooperative that produces and commercializes pisco, wines, RTD cocktails, and rum for 800+ member growers across the Coquimbo and Atacama regions, exporting B2B grape juice concentrate to Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and other global beverage companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spirits and Wine Production

NAICS

Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Wineries (312130)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alcoholic Beverage Mixers & Cocktail Ingredients Brands (Non-alcoholic) (CRADAIAH)

Keywords

• Chilean pisco production
• Agricultural cooperative spirits
• Wine and sparkling wine
• Grape juice concentrate
• Ready to drink cocktails

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Pisco Production and Sales: Core revenue stream from producing and commercializing pisco under multiple brands including Capel, Alto del Carmen, and specialty lines like Brujas de Salamanca. Products include piscos in various categories: Especial, Reservado, Envejecido, and Transparente.
2. Wine Production: Viña Francisco de Aguirre produces wines under brands including Prologo and Especial, operating as a subsidiary of the cooperative.
3. Sparkling Wine Production: Production and sale of sparkling wines under Sensus and Myla brands.
4. Cocktail Products: Ready-to-drink cocktails under brands including Capel Ice, Alto Ice, Estrella del Elqui, Myla, and Cremisse. Includes the first premium pisco sour in the market.
5. Rum Production: Production of rum under the Madderoch brand.
6. Grape Juice Concentrate Export: Viña Francisco de Aguirre exports grape juice concentrate to major international clients including Coca-Cola for Jugos del Valle in Mexico, Coca-Cola USA, PepsiCo, Ocean Spray, Country Pure, and participates in bids for Coca-Cola Korea and Kirin Japan. Certified FSSC 22000 for international food safety standards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cooperativa Capel is a Chilean agricultural cooperative that produces and commercializes pisco (the flagship product), wines, sparkling wines, ready-to-drink cocktails, and rum under multiple brands such as Capel, Alto del Carmen, Brujas de Salamanca, Capel Ice, and Maddero. Through its subsidiary Viña Francisco de Aguirre, it also produces and exports grape juice concentrate as an industrial ingredient to major beverage companies including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Ocean Spray.

Product overview

Cooperativa Agrícola Pisquera Elqui Limitada (Capel) is an agricultural cooperative producing Chilean pisco, wines, sparkling wines, cocktails, and rum under multiple brands. The core offering centers on its pisco portfolio under the Capel and Alto del Carmen sub-brands, spanning styles from Transparente to aged Envejecido varieties. The product portfolio includes premium lines (Brujas de Salamanca, Le Pac, Barricas de Selección), ready-to-drink cocktails (Capel Ice, Alto Ice Fresh, Estrella del Elqui, Cremisse, Artesanos del Cochihuaz), sparkling wines (Sensus, Myla), wines (Francisco de Aguirre, Prologo, Capel Especial), and rum (Maddero Ron). An affiliated subsidiary, Viña Francisco de Aguirre, produces wine and grape juice concentrate and holds FSSC 22000 certification as an approved supplier for Coca-Cola and PepsiCo globally. Capel also diversified into non-alcoholic sanitizing products (Alcohol Plus) and operates a tourism center (Centro Turístico CAPEL) offering tours, museum visits, and tastings. Members access services via the Portal Cooperados. Beyond its own brands, it supports ChileCoop, a savings and credit cooperative serving its members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alto del Carmen: Premium pisco brand featuring varieties including Reservado, Envejecido, Volcán, Cumbre, and Etiqueta Negra
• Capel Ice
• Le-Pac
• Brujas de Salamanca
• Estrella del Elqui
• Maddero Ron
• Sensus
• Prologo
• Myla
• Cremisse

Products and services

• Capel Pisco
• Alto del Carmen Pisco
• Brujas de Salamanca Pisco
• Le Pac Pisco
• Viña Francisco de Aguirre Wines
• Sensus Sparkling Wine
• Myla Sparkling Wine and Cocktails
• Capel Ice Ready-to-Drink Cocktails
• Alto Ice Fresh Cocktails
• Estrella del Elqui Premium Pisco Sour
• Artesanos del Cochihuaz Cocktails
• Cremisse Cocktails
• Maddero Rum
• Alcohol Plus Sanitizing Product
• Centro Turístico Capel
• Pisquera Grape Juice Concentrate

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• INIA (Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Research partnership for developing a dormancy exit promoter from alcohol industry by-products, contributing to sustainable agriculture and climate resilience. Led by researcher Nicolás Verdugo Vásquez with cooperation from CAPEL cooperados across Elqui, Limarí, and Choapa provinces.
• INDAP (Instituto de Desarrollo Agropecuario)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProductive Alliance Program providing technical assistance, irrigation management, good agricultural practices certification, and investment project support for small pisco grape producers. Initial budget over 111 million CLP with 4-year renewable program. INDAP contributes approximately 68 million CLP annually.
• LipigascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to implement clean energy systems using liquefied gas for steam generation in two CAPEL plants in Coquimbo region. Project reduces particulate matter by 99% and decreases CO2 emissions by 5,687 tons annually. Includes exclusive gas purchase benefits for cooperados and company personnel.
• Shanghai YimingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic international partnership for expanding distribution of Alto del Carmen brand in China, one of the most dynamic premium beverage markets globally.
• ChileCoopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial services cooperative founded in 2005 to provide financial solutions to CAPEL cooperados and collaborators. Promotes access to financial services for cooperative members.
• Foro Mundial de Cooperativas VitivinícolasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational forum connecting major wine and spirit cooperatives globally. CAPEL participates in annual forums to strengthen innovation and competitiveness in the sector.
• Pisco Chile A.G.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChilean Pisco trade association working on promotion and protection of Chilean pisco denomination of origin internationally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bacardi Limited: Global privately-held spirits company with premium rum and diversified portfolio. Comparable as a benchmark for multi-market spirits distribution, brand-building, and premiumization — and a potential channel partner for Capel's rum (Maddero) expansion.
• José Cuervo: World's largest tequila producer with a heritage, agave-spirit positioning analogous to pisco. Comparable as the dominant producer in a protected-origin agave spirit category that has scaled internationally through premiumization.
• Pernod Ricard: Global spirits group with a broad portfolio that has historically held interests in Chilean pisco through Controlado Pisquero. Relevant as the incumbent whose category, premiumization, and global route-to-market Capel must compete with in international expansion.
• Viña Concha y Toro: Concha y Toro is Chile's largest wine company with diversified spirits and a global distribution footprint; relevant benchmark for scale, premium portfolio management, and internationalization trajectory of a Chilean alcoholic beverage producer with similar geographic roots.

Regional players

• Codorníu: Long-standing Spanish sparkling wine producer with international distribution and multi-brand portfolio across cava, still wines, and complementary categories. Comparable as a regional heritage alcoholic beverage producer scaling into international markets via brand-led premium play.
• Viña Santa Rita: One of Chile's largest wine companies with broad domestic scale and growing exports. Comparable in terms of Chilean-origin alcoholic beverage production, premium portfolio, and incremental international expansion — although focused on wine rather than spirits.

Direct peers

• Compañía Pisquera de Chile: Compañía Pisquera de Chile produces Pisco Controlado and other pisco labels from the Coquimbo and Atacama regions under the Denominación de Origen del Pisco, making it the most directly comparable competitor to Cooperativa Capel in the Chilean pisco market.
• Destilería La Caravedo: Oldest distillery in the Americas (est. 1684, Ica, Peru), producing premium pisco with traditional methods and significant international on-premise presence. Comparable as a heritage, premium-pisco distillery leveraging Denomination of Origin exclusivity.
• Pisco Portón: Premium Peruvian pisco brand distributed internationally (US, Europe, Asia) with award pedigree. Comparable as a premium-pisco challenger leveraging DO/pisco single-category positioning across global markets — a leading example of how Capel's Alto del Carmen and Brujas de Salamanca could internationalize.
• Pisco Bauzá: Family-owned Peruvian pisco producer with multi-generation distillation expertise and export focus. Directly comparable category, raw-material (Muscat grapes), DO/protected-origin narrative, and craft-vs-mass market positioning to Capel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coopcapel
• Facebookfacebook.com/CooperativaCapelOficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coopcapel
• Instagraminstagram.com/cooperativa.capel

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cooperativa Capel