Founded in 1856, Cousiño Macul is the only winery in Chile amongst those established in the 19th century that continues in the hands of the original founding family. The company remains 100% under family control, producing limited quantities of fine wines.Founded in 1856, Cousiño Macul is the only winery in Chile amongst those established in the 19th century that continues in the hands of the original founding family. The company remains 100% under family control, producing limited quantities of fine wines.

Grapes have been cultivated in the area of Macul since 1564, when the king of Spain granted the Hacienda Macul to Juan Jufré, a Spanish "conquistador", who cultivated wheat, barley and vinifera grapes on this estate. In 1856, the Macul estate was purchased by Matías Cousiño with the sole purpose of producing wines.

By this time, Matías Cousiño had established himself as a visionary and pioneering entrepreneur within a country beginning to shape itself following its recent independence from Spain the early 19th century.

His endeavors took him through a wide range of industrial projects. In the north of Chile he developed what was to be one of the most successful and richest silver mines of Chile. Later he constructed the first copper smelting plant.

Then he embarked on the ambitious project of building the railroad between Copiapó and Caldera in order to transport minerals to the shipping port on the coast. He later expanded into coal mining in the southern region of the country.