Vinicas
Vinicas is a Chilean wine-industry recycler founded in 1965 that processes 150,000 tons of grape waste annually into tartaric acid, grapeseed oil, ethyl alcohol, brandy, compost, animal feed, and biomass fuels, while distributing oenological products from over 20 foreign brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersFresno, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Vinicas does
Vinicas (legal name Industrias Vinicas S.A.) is a privately held Chilean industrial company founded in 1965, operating as a vertically integrated wine-industry recycler and specialty chemicals producer. The company collects grape skins, production lees, liquid wines, and marc from Chilean wineries — processing approximately 150,000 tons of this waste stream per year — and converts it into seven primary product lines: L(+) tartaric acid, cream of tartar, refined grapeseed oil, neutral ethyl alcohol of vitivinicultural origin (96°, 3,000,000 liters exported per year), distillate/aguardiente, oak-aged brandy, and 100% vegetable organic compost (50,000 m³ per year). It also produces pasteurized dry grape marc for ruminant feed (17,000 tons/year), the VITIFEED grape seed extract antioxidant line for aquaculture and animal nutrition, and biomass boiler fuels from grape seed meal and dry marc.
Commercially, Vinicas operates a dual business model. First, it sells its own manufactured ingredients to food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agricultural, and animal nutrition customers under certifications including ISO-9001, ISO-14001, FSSC 22000, Star-K Kosher, HALAL, NCH 2861 HACCP, and FCC/USP/FDA compliance. Second, it acts as the largest marketer and distributor of oenological products in Chile, representing more than 20 foreign brands (Enoveneta, Alfa Laval, Lafood, Velcorin, Westek, Barricas Sylvain, Barricas Meyrieux, BAI, Stavin, Wineoak, Filtrox, Dicalite, Mazzei, Winkler) and distributing their equipment, yeast, enzymes, barrels, filtration products, and winemaking chemicals to the national wine industry.
The company maintains production facilities in Curico and Teno, a regional headquarters in Santiago (Providencia), and a USA sales office in Fresno, California serving North American export markets. Ownership is held under Chilean and Japanese partnership, with continuous reinvestment into production-line modernization and certification. No public financials, headcount, or revenue figures are disclosed.
Vinicas firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vinicas
- Legal name
- Industrias Vinicas S.A.
- Website
- https://vinicas.cl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1965
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Vinicas is a Chilean wine-industry recycler founded in 1965 that processes 150,000 tons of grape waste annually into tartaric acid, grapeseed oil, ethyl alcohol, brandy, compost, animal feed, and biomass fuels, while distributing oenological products from over 20 foreign brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vinicas industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wine Industry Byproduct Recycling and Specialty Chemicals
- NAICS
- Wineries (312130), Distilleries (31214), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Vineyard Certification & Sustainability Programs (Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative, GAP) (AFAGAJAL), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)
Keywords
Where Vinicas is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fresno
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Vinicas business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Tartaric Acid & Cream of Tartar Production: Manufacturing and sale of L(+) Tartaric Acid and Cream of Tartar from wine industry byproducts. Tartaric acid is used as an acidulant in wine, food, and beverages; raw material for emulsifiers; excipient and buffering agent in pharmaceuticals.
- Grapeseed Oil: Production and sale of refined grapeseed oil for nutritional and cosmetic applications. Produces 1,500 tons per year.
- Ethyl Alcohol & Spirits: Production and sale of Neutral Ethyl Alcohol of Vitivinicultural Origin, Distillate, and Oak Aged Brandy. Exports 3,000,000 liters of vitivinicultural alcohol 96° per year.
- Organic Compost: Production and sale of 100% Vegetable Class A Organic Compost for agriculture, horticulture, fruit growing, landscaping, and sports venues. Produces 50,000 m³ per year.
- Animal Nutrition & Aquaculture: Production of pasteurized dry grape marc (17,000 tons/year) for ruminant animal feed and grape seed extract antioxidants (VITIFEED) for salmon, poultry, and shrimp.
- Biomass Fuels: Sale of grape seed meal (12,000 tons/year) and dry marc (30,000 tons/year) as boiler fuels for biomass energy production.
- Oenological Products Distribution: Distribution of wine industry equipment, machinery, and specialty supplies from over 20 foreign brands including filtration products, barrels, enzymes, yeast, and winemaking chemicals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ethyl Alcohol minimum order 200 liters |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Vinicas product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vinicas recycles byproducts of the Chilean wine industry (grape skins, lees and marc) into specialty chemicals and ingredients, including tartaric acid, cream of tartar, grapeseed oil, ethyl alcohol, distillate, brandy and organic compost. In parallel, the company acts as an exclusive in-country distributor of foreign winemaking equipment, supplies and consumables to Chilean wineries.
Product overview
Vinicas is a Chilean company founded in 1965 that operates as a wine industry recycling and manufacturing enterprise. It is the largest producer in Chile of tartaric acid, cream of tartar, refined grapeseed oil, neutral ethyl alcohol of vitivinicultural origin, distillate of vitivinicultural origin (aguardiente), oak aged brandy, and 100% vegetable compost. The company recycles wine industry by-products (grape skins, production lees, and wines) to manufacture products for the food, pharmaceutical, wine & spirits, and agricultural industries. Additionally, Vinicas distributes winemaking equipment and supplies through representations including Enoveneta (Italian vinification equipment), Alfa Laval (fluid handling and process equipment), Velcorin (microbial control), Westek microoxygenators, Mazzei Venturi injectors, and various oak barrel suppliers (Sylvain, Meyrieux, Bai, Stavin, Wineoak). The company also produces animal nutrition products including pasteurized dry grape marc and grape seed extract (VITIFEED) antioxidants, as well as biomass fuels for industrial boilers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tartaric Acid
- Cream of Tartar
- Grapeseed Oil
- Ethyl Alcohol
- Wine Distillate
- Pisco Brandy
- Organic Compost
- Biomass Fuel
- Animal Nutrition Feed
- Winemaking Equipment and Supplies Distribution
Quantifiable outcome
- 150,000 tons of wine industry waste recycled annually
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Vinicas
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Vinicas technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Vinicas partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EnovenetacoreItalian winemaking equipment manufacturer represented by Vinicas in Chile since 2004. Provides destemmers, pneumatic presses, clarifiers, tangential filters, peristaltic pumps, heat exchangers, and other wine production equipment.
- Alfa LavalcoreLeading food process solutions company providing lobe pumps for wines and musts, centrifugal sanitary pumps, tank washing heads, and flow meters for the Chilean wine industry.
- Velcorin (DMDC)coreMicrobicide technology for preventing microbial refermentation in beverages and wines. Vinicas provides the product along with specific dosing pumps and complete service range.
- LafoodcoreGlobal leader in enzymes, yeasts, fermentation activators, tannins, clarifiers, preservatives, antioxidants, acidifiers, stabilizers, sanitization products, and filtration products for winemaking.
- Alvinesa/VinteracoreSubsidiary producing Vintera brand grape tannins that reinforce antioxidant and structuring role of musts and wines at each winemaking stage.
- Barricas SylvaincorePrestigious French cooperage producing French oak barrels. Vinicas represents and distributes their products in Chile.
- Barricas MeyrieuxcoreFrench Burgundy artisanal cooperage producing French oak barrels for prestigious Burgundy producers and winemakers worldwide.
- Barrel Associates International (BAI)minorAmerican barrel producer offering high-end American oak barrels at half the cost of French oak, with 36-month wood drying period.
- StavinminorCalifornia USA manufacturer of oak inserts, barrel heads, barrel profiles, cubes, rectangles, zig-zag and oak powder. Alternative to barrel replacement.
- WineoakminorOak chips and powder producer. Products can be added during or after fermentation for tannin and oak flavor integration.
- FiltroxminorFiltering plates and filter cartridges for wine and beverage filtration.
- DicaliteminorDiatomaceous earth filtering media.
- WinklerminorCleaning and sanitation products including strong alkalis, peroxides, and caustic soda for winery equipment and barrel cleaning.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Vinicas competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Polygal AG: Swiss manufacturer of grape-derived natural tartaric acid and related oenological products - the European counterpart to Vinicas' core acidulant franchise.
- Tarac Technologies: Australian grape brandy and grape-derived alcohol producer with similar byproduct valorization economics, offering a Southern-Hemisphere comparison point for Vinicas' vitivinicultural alcohol business.
- Tártaros Gonzalo Castelló (TGC): Spanish producer of natural tartaric acid and cream of tartar from winemaking residues - a direct competitor in the same natural acidulant category that Vinicas dominates in Chile.
- Alvinesa / Vintera: European grape-byproduct specialist that produces natural tartaric acid, grape tannins, and oenological extracts - the closest analog to Vinicas' circular grape-byproduct model and an existing commercial partner.
- Distillerie Bonollo: Italian distillery producing grape-derived neutral alcohol, brandy, and distillates - directly overlapping with Vinicas' ethyl alcohol, distillate, and oak-aged brandy product lines.
Regional players
- Vinícola de Chile (pisco producers via similar byproduct streams): Chilean pisco producers generate analogous grape-byproduct streams and compete for the same domestic brandy and distilling alcohol category that Vinicas serves in Chile.
Broad incumbents
- Bucher Vaslin: Major global supplier of winery equipment, presses, and filtration - competing with Vinicas' distributed-portfolio brands (Enoveneta, Alfa Laval) for share of Chilean winery capex spending.
- CCL Container (wine ingredient distribution): Global oenological supplier (yeasts, enzymes, tannins, filtration) covering Chile through local agents - broad incumbent whose product range overlaps with several of the brands Vinicas distributes.
- Della Toffola Group: Italian winemaking-equipment manufacturer (presses, filters, bottling) competing with several of the international brands Vinicas distributes in Chile and overlapping in winery-side process solutions.
Emerging players
- Enartis (Esseco/Eno Logica): Specialty wine ingredients (yeasts, tannins, enzymes, fining agents) with growing Chilean presence - an emerging category rival to Vinicas' distribution franchise and oenological product portfolio.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vinicas social profiles
Digital presenceVinicas compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Vinicas financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vinicas leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Vinicas funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vinicas M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vinicas
What does Vinicas do?
Vinicas recycles byproducts of the Chilean wine industry (grape skins, lees and marc) into specialty chemicals and ingredients, including tartaric acid, cream of tartar, grapeseed oil, ethyl alcohol, distillate, brandy and organic compost. In parallel, the company acts as an exclusive in-country distributor of foreign winemaking equipment, supplies and consumables to Chilean wineries.
Is Vinicas a public or private company?
Vinicas is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Vinicas founded?
Vinicas was founded in 1965. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Vinicas based?
Vinicas is headquartered in Fresno, United States, in the North America region.
How does Vinicas make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Tartaric Acid & Cream of Tartar Production is the primary driver. The others are grapeseed Oil, ethyl Alcohol & Spirits, organic Compost, animal Nutrition & Aquaculture, biomass Fuels and oenological Products Distribution.
Who are Vinicas's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Polygal AG, Tarac Technologies, Tártaros Gonzalo Castelló (TGC), Alvinesa / Vintera and Distillerie Bonollo. Vinícola de Chile (pisco producers via similar byproduct streams) is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Bucher Vaslin, CCL Container (wine ingredient distribution) and Della Toffola Group. Enartis (Esseco/Eno Logica) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Vinicas have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vinicas.
What industry is Vinicas in?
Vinicas's product category is Wine Industry Byproduct Recycling and Specialty Chemicals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAB, Wine Production & Winemaking, with a secondary code of AFAGAJAL, Vineyard Certification & Sustainability Programs (Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative, GAP). Its NAICS code is 312130 and its SIC code is 2080.