As Sol y viento opens, the spiritual leader of the tribe-the machi-weaves a tale in the ancient language of Chile's indigenous Mapuche people. It is a tale of the land. It is a tale of those who would try to take the land away. The machi speaks of conflict and family. She speaks of how the gods seek to keep harmony on the earth, and how the spirits are always among us. As she speaks, a smiling Guardian Spirit fades from sight.

At a dig site in Chile, we first meet María Therese Sanchez, a professor of anthropology at the university in Santiago. Her best student, Diego, has to remind her that it's getting late—she had been so caught up in her work she hadn't noticed the time.

In the United States, James Talavera is a businessman working for Aquapowers, an American company based out of San Francisco. Aquapowers is trying to purchase land in the Valle de Maipo in Chile to build a dam to provide inexpensive hydroelectric power to the area. However there is one problem: Carlos Sanchez (whose family's small vineyard—"Sol y viento"—occupies much of the tract of land to be purchased) has agreed to sell, but is dragging his feet on finalizing the sale. Because James speaks fluent Spanish and grew up working in a Californian vineyard, his bosses believe he is the perfect candidate to fly to Chile and close the deal. James, who has worked hard to leave his past behind him, goes reluctantly.

At the airport in Santiago, he meets Mario—a friendly chauffeur whom he hires to take him to his hotel, as well as act as driver for the length of his visit. Jaime has a looming deadline, and he immediately calls the vineyard to arrange a meeting with Carlos the next morning. After he hangs up the phone, however, Carlos clearly looks worried.

The next morning, Jaime is jogging in the park near his hotel when he buys a fortune from a fortune teller. As Jaime walks away, the fortune teller is revealed to be the Spirit. While reading the fortune, Jaime asks the fortune teller's young assistant what it means. According to the boy, the paper fortune reads "Love is like a whirlwind."

Amused, Jaime turns only to collide with a beautiful young woman—María. Jaime is intrigued by her, and looks down to see she has dropped her business card, which is illustrated with the an image of a Mapuche totem. They chat amiably as they walk in the general direction of Jaime's hotel and she tells Jaime she's an anthropologist. As attracted to him as he is to her, María tells him to keep the card and call her. Mario, who has been watching this exchange, is amused that his new American friend has met a lovely woman already.

As Mario and Jaime arrive at the vineyard, Carlos is speaking harshly with Traimaqueo, the Mapuche foreman of the Sol y viento vineyard. However, he is very polite to Jaime, and explains his situation at the vineyard. Carlos assumed sole responsibility for the running of the family business after his father's death. It is a great deal of work. His mother is unwell, and his sister has never played a role in anything to do with the vineyard. All of the responsibility is left on Carlos, and he would like very much to sell the vineyard. Jaime replies that this is why he has come, to negotiate the sale. However, Carlos will need their signatures before he can sell the land to Aquapowers. His sister will not be a problem, but his mother will take convincing. Jaime is given a tour of Sol y viento by Carlos' foreman, Traimaqueo, for whom wine is clearly a way of life. He introduces his wife, Yolanda, who looks after Mrs Sanchez.

Meanwhile, at the dig site, María's assistant Diego is distracted by family problems. She tells him that he has a bright future, and only he can make decisions about his own future, and that if he should need her, to call her. However, once Diego leaves, María is distracted by the memory of meeting Jaime that morning. Back in Santiago, Jaime is browsing in a shop which sells native crafts when he sees a silver pendant depicting the same figure he'd first seen on María's business card. He asks the shopkeeper about the figure, who explains it is a guardian spirit of the Mapuche people. He buys it to give to María when next he sees her. As the Spirit looks on, Jaime has another surprise meeting with María who is tacking up posters in town. Delighted to see him, she enlists his help and explains that in addition to working at the university, she works for the Mapuche village as well. Jaime gives her the necklace, which she puts on immediately. They make plans to meet again that evening—a proper date.

That evening Jaime reads an article in the newspaper while he waits for María in the plaza. She interrupts his reading, and they embark on their date, which includes a tour of some of Santiago's loveliest vistas. Jaime shares with her the bottle of Merlot that Traimaqueo had given him that afternoon, and asks if she knows of the vineyard. María hedges, saying only that Sol y viento is very well known locally. She asks him how he came to know so much about wine, and he reveals that he grew up working alongside his parents and grandparents in a Californian vineyard as a humble "campesino" or manual labourer. She is surprised and teases him about how that he has risen so far above such humble beginnings. They are interrupted by a cell phone call from Diego. Jaime is disheartened, until María tells him Diego is her student—not her boyfriend. She gives him a quick kiss and tells him to call her. Bemused Jaime finishes the glass of wine as his partner Andy calls from San Francisco to asks how the deal is progressing. Pretending his cell phone has bad reception, Jaime puts him off, promising he'll have news the next day.

Carlos meets with his mother, Isabel, and tries to explain he would like to sell Sol y viento. Isabel is shocked, and immediately says no. Sol y viento is at the core of their family, and embodies everything she and her husband had worked all their lives to build. Isabel calls a dear old friend, Francisco Aguilar in Mexico, who imports Sol y viento's wines to ask for his help. Francisco flies immediately to Santiago, where he is met at the airport by María, who affectionately greets him as "Tio Paco" or "Uncle Frank." Her mother ahs told her of her brother's plans, and they leave immediately for Sol y viento.

Jamie arrives at Sol y viento first, desiring to meet with Isabel. Carlos claims he wasn't expecting Jaime so early and tries to put him off, but Isabel herself appears, inviting Jaime inside while curtly dismissing Carlos. Isabel explains to Jaime that Sol y viento is not for sale. Disappointed, but undaunted, Jaime gives her a copy of the Aquapowers proposal. It's been a sincere pleasure meeting her, and he looks forward to meeting her daughter. Isabel is very proud of her daughter, a professor at the university, and shows Jaime a photo. He is shaken as he immediately recognises María as the woman he met and has feelings for. Outside, Jaime demands Carlos tell him the truth. As they argue, Paco and María arrive. María is clearly furious that Jaime is in collusion with her brother, and assumes his interest in her was all a lie. She removes the silver pendant, dropping it to the ground.

As Mario drives Jaime back to the vineyard the next day, they pass a Mapuche family on the side of the road. As a man turns, he is revealed to be the Spirit, who blows a bubble at the passing car, which immediately blows a tire. Mario explains he has no spare, and Jaime offers to go for help if Mario will stay with the car. Jaime decides to cut through the vineyard as a shortcut. As he makes his way through the vineyard under the blazing sun, Jaime can only think of María and the paper fortune which read "love is a whirlwind." As he approaches the house, Jaime collapses from the heat, and is taken inside where Yolanda and Isabel care for him. Paco explains that he has read all about Aquapowers dam in the neighbouring country of Bolivia, and how the dam devastated the countryside. He and Isabel do not want to see the same thing happen in Chile. Jaime tells Isabel that she reminds him of his own mother, who worked the land her whole life. As Isabel and Paco listen, Jaime explains that he is falling in love with María and wants her forgiveness, and asks Isabel how he might get it. She tells him to prove himself by actions, not words.

When he returns to his hotel, Jaime rings Andy and tells him the deal is going South, and Aquapowers should give up on the plans to build a dam in the area. Andy is aghast that Jaime is giving up so easily. What will he tell their boss? With a grin, Jaime tells him there's a giant man-made lake they created in Bolivia with their dam. He can go jump in it.

That night, María is angry to discover papers with forged signatures in her brother's office. She confronts Carlos, who is angry that she never bothered with the business before now. He was left with the entire responsibility, while she was allowed to make other choices and pursue different interests. María is furious that he would lie and cheat, forging her mother and her's signatures, and use them to change the way of life for the people who work their land forever. He offers to split the money from the sale with her, but she flat out refuses.

The next morning, Jaime meets with Paco in his hotel room. Paco goes over Jaime's CV, noting that he has extensive experience with wineries in California, yet also went to university and has a master's degree. The two of them have a plan to help the Sanchez family, which would be a new beginning for Jaime. Paco asks if Jaime plans on attending the reception being held at Sol y viento that evening, but Jaime has not been invited. Paco invites him along as his guest.

That evening, as María changes into her dress for the party, she asks her mother if Isabel ever regretted María's decision to leave the business in Carlos' hands after their father died. Isabel insists that she was also very proud to have a university professor in the family. María gives her mother some papers which she removed from Carlos' office the night before.

Isabel meets with Carlos in the garden, and confronts him with the truth: she knows about his debts. She can't understand how Carlos could amass such debts, when his father never had. Where did all the money go? Carlos admits that he invested it in technology companies, all of which failed. He was going to use the money from the sale of Sol y viento to Aquapowers to pay off all the debts. She tells him she has two choices: she can either turn over the forged papers to the authorities and see her only son in jail, or he can resign his claim on Sol y viento and walk away and never come back. She counsels him to speak to his dead father and ask for guidance. After she leaves, Carlos breaks down in tears.

At the reception, Paco approaches María and tells her Jaime was only trying to help. She has always let her head lead her, but perhaps it is time to listen to what her heart has to say. María doesn't reply but is surprised when Jaime appears opposite her as they raise a glass of Sol y viento's latest vintage. She is cool and pretends indifference, while Isabel thanks their friends and associates for coming, and Paco announces that Sol y viento will soon be exported to North America, ensuring a bright future for the vineyard.

The next morning, Paco meets with Isabel and María, who is taking over the business from Carlos. María does not want to burden Paco with her family's problems, but he insists that it is no burden. In fact, the export business will cover all of Carlos' debts. They just need to find the right person to negotiate the deal. To María's surprise, Isabel suggests Jaime Talavera, and Paco agrees, stating Jaime has the background—and has quit his job at Aquapowers.

Stunned, María excuses herself. At the dig site, she remains cool and aloof towards Jaime when he appears, asking if they can talk. They are at first awkward, and Jaime suggests they start over, giving her back the silver pendant charm. He is thrilled when she takes it. Jaime tells her that even if she hadn't been in the middle of everything, he still would have quit his job because it was the right thing to do. But now he is unemployed and in love, with no hope. María replies that her mother always says that "Where there's life, there's hope." She'll need someone to help her learn the business of running a vineyard. So perhaps there's still hope for him yet.