Medalla Real was created in 1983 in honor of the Marqués de Casa Real, Francisco García Huidobro, who established Chile’s first mint and is one of the ancestors of the family that founded Viña Santa Rita. To commemorate the bicentennial of this event, a special medallion was minted with his silhouette and the symbol of the Royal Spanish Crown. Gold Medal wines were born to commerorate the wine tasting that took place in Paris in 1987, when a bottle of Medalla Reall Cabernet changed the course of history for Chilean wine. Defeating over 35 particpants, including wines from France, Spain, and California's Napa Valley, Medalla REal became the first Chilean wine to win the Paris Wine Olympics.
