Isidora Goyenechea was born in 1836 to a family of prominent silver miners in northern Chile. She married Luis Cousiño in 1855, with whom she had seven children. Luis died in 1873, leaving Isidora with the challenge of raising their family and becoming the steward to a group of companies ranging from coal mining to winemaking. Isidora courageously took the reins of both family and business, becoming one of the leading figures of Chilean society during the second half of the nineteenth century. Isidora's role in Cousiño Macul's history may well be compared to that of the great "champagne widows" like Veuve Clicquot, Louise Pommery, and Elisabeth "Lili" Bollinger. Her contributions to philanthropy and the development of the arts have added to her reputation as an outstanding figure in the history of Chile.