New Tendencies in The Chilean Wine Industry

The economic crisis does not stop the Chilean wine industry. The irruption of coastal zones, plantations in hight altitude, the global increase of malbec consumption and the emerging of small growers with quality wines are renewing the Chilean Viticulture.

The collapse of the shipments to the UK, wineries with red numbers and the fall of the prices by bottle. Even the most confused of the Chileans it has a notion of the complicated reality that the Chilean Wine Industry lives nowadays. In fact, already will be almost a year of negative headlines in the specialized press.

The data is hard, the international economic crisis strike with force. In May, the last month with official statistics, showed that the shipments fell 9,4 percent with respect to this month of the last year, furthermore the price average by box that received the wineries arrive at 24.9 USD, a low of 15,3% .

Against to that reality, the logical thing is that the Chilean Wine Companies became conservative, put the brake in the investments and they would restrict their businesses to the successful areas. That would be the natural decision.

Nevertheless, by these days the national wine industry lives one of last creative moments in years.

After many criticism and journalists complain against the Carmenere, recently the wineries took the pulse of him and placed the “Clos Apalta “and “Carmin de Peumo” between the best wines in the world.

Meanwhile, in coastal zones as Concon, Zapallar, Coastal Rapel begin to appear the first vineyards, all regions where before were not any interest in grapevines for winemaking, nowadays they are taking all the attention of the wine companies.

Other wineries are climbing the Andes mountain from the Elqui, Cachapoal or even Colchagua wine regions, leaving the comfort and minors costs of the flat zones of valleys, seeking for fresh areas with less alcohol, specially to grow Reds varieties.

And now is not like how it was in the great boom of the 90' s, in which tens of wine growers were sent of head to plant the international fashion as the Sauvignon Blanc or took by assault specific zones like Apalta or the High part of the Maipo Valley to plant red varieties.

No massive tendencies. In these days everyone is trying to achieve the difference, to advance towards where few they have gone, to take off itself of the competition.

In depth, it is a work of fine syntony to identify geographic niches with the right varieties and take the maximum of them to get good benefit.

That these tendencies arise from pure innovation plus with a individual character shows clearly how mature is the business of the Chilean wine.

Chilean Wine Tendencies

Malbec in Rise
In these days the Argentinean Malbec is having a crack in the United States. His character and friendly value have done it one of the fashionable varieties in New York and Washington.

To this side of the Andes Mountain, the inadvertent news non-stop. Even though the supply of grapes of malbec is relatively low in Chile, the demand of the wineries for this variety is firm and are several grape growers who have sent themselves planting it.

But is not a matter of imitating an international fashion. The history of the Malbec in Chile in spite of being long - is not rare to find vineyards with seven or more decades in Colchagua valley or Maule valley - is little well-known. Nevertheless, the malbec of this side of the Andes mountain has shown an interesting performance.

The bottle “Viu 1 “ of Viu Manent winery was chosen in 2003 the best Malbec by the South American wine guide

But, what can contribute Chile to a variety that is so associated to Argentina?

According to Juan Pablo Lecaros, winemaker of Viu Manent, in general terms, the Chilean Malbec is robust, with lots of spices and complexity. Furthermore they have a Good acidity, which makes wines to cellar well.

On the other hand, Argentinian Malbec in their majority, are very floral, with enough red fruit like candy and mouth of light weight . “I believe that in Colchagua, specially in old vineyards, being located in clay soils, malbec is obtaining full expression. The common denominator is the fertile soils existence, old vines plus a great thermal differential during the day” affirms Lecaros

Nevertheless, the interesting thing is that this variety adapts in remarkable form to the crazy Chilean geography. In the coastal zone of Casablanca “ Loma Larga vineyards” has drawn attention with a malbec of marine influence, quite different to the Argentinean Malbec Region which is several hundreds of kilometres of the near beach and is cultivated in the heat of the high mountains.

In the Coast

In the principle it was Casablanca. During the 80’s and 90’s this valley was synonymous of coastal wines. At the beginning of the 21st century appeared “ Leyda Valley “ to contrarest with and other Cool climate wines. Nevertheless, the interest to look for new coastal destinies took force in the last time.

Exists vineyards of first of second year, while some people with investment is just starting to plant, the Chilean wine industry is seeking new spots close to the pacific ocean.

Eduardo Chadwick, owner of errazuriz vineyards and arboleda winery bet by “the Manzanar” Vineyard, at 14 km of the opening of the river Aconcagua, in the proximities of Concon. Aurelio Montes sharpens his wine producing project in the proximities of the exclusive Beach of “Zapallar”. Guillermo Luksic is right into his vineyard at the feet of the “Altos del Taninay”, 12 km of the sea, in the Limari valley. Concha y Toro, the most important wine estate in Chile, already planted 200 ha, in “ La Boca “, where the Rapel River opens and get the ocean in the Sixth region. The results are so interesting that some of the grapes of Sauvignon Blanc are in the premium line called “ Terrunyo”

On the other hand, this is absolutely necessary, because we have to be able to offer wines that have some differences with the traditional Chilean Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. It affirms Marcelo Papa, winemaker of Concha y Toro.

In the Andes

When the Undurraga family decided to return to the wine industry, after sold their traditional winery, they cruised around all different Chilean wine regions, specially in the VI Region. In the end, the election to install “ Koyle ”, their New project, was a land near the premountain range in the sector of “Los Lingues”. The plantations, that began in 2007, are located near 500 meters of height and with possibilities of climbing until the 800. “ We wanted to differentiate us from other wineries. In high altitude we could find low average temperatures than in the bottom of the valley.

That allows us to obtain fresh wines and less alcoholic than in the plane of the central valley. Those are characteristics that the worldwide new consumers are demanding with big force. That is what explains Cristobal Undurraga, technical manager of Koyle winery.

The commitment of Undurraga with the wines of high altitude is like promote the launching of the denomination “High Colchagua”. But Koyle, is not lonely . “Altair winery” of the group San Pedro-Tarapaca develops to a project premium for a decade in the high zone of Cachapoal, on the 700 meters of height. But to the north, in the premountain range of the Elqui valley, De Martino Vineyards it sharpens the details for launching of an extreme Shiraz, with vines planted at 2000 meters. Something to look forward in the future tastings.

Something to mention is that the costs and difficulties also grow. It is necessary to add the costs to pump the irrigation water, besides the possibility of mechanical harvest in the grape harvest are diluted by the majors slops, nevertheless the pioneers are all agree that all this investment is worthwhile as long as the growers understand their “ Terroir ” in perfection.

“ We make wines with high balance, great concentration of color and the aromas of fresh fruit”, sais Ana Maria Cumsille, winemaker of Altair.

Old Vines

Often To innovate implies to create new things, to bring technology from the outside, to plant new varieties or clones. Nevertheless, there are times that only are enough with giving a new Glance him to which always it has been presents/displays and that by habitual and the daily thing do not assign value to him .

The modernization of the Chilean wine industry in the 80’ and 90’s, mainly was planting new vineyards and replacing old plants for new ones. In the last time some wineries are rescuing old vineyards of half a century of life . One of the leaders of the process is Marcelo Retamal, the restless winemaker of De Martino Vineyards, who developed the Old Bush Vines Line.

The objective is to aim at the expert consumers; those that wish to leave the massive wines, that although they are correct as far as quality have the homogenisation of the wine globalisation. For those that are looking for some character and personality, wines able to express the tipicity of a specific place of the world. The grace is that they do not have problems with paying 20 by bottle, a lot more of the average in the Chilean industry. “The vines with decades of life are balanced, their roots had explored the ground in depth. They are able to express very clearly, the Terroir in where they are, The Place of origin, and that is something that who love the wine values much. It affirms Eduardo Jordan, assistant winemaker of De Martino.

Carmenere, the Chilean Variety.

Although there is consensus in which from the 15 bottles of U.S. Retail Price already It’s consolidate a good quality level and consistency, the challenge is that in next years the advance of Carmenere consolidates towards levels of low prices, but especially in the varietals.

Until half of this decade it was unanimity of the international criticism:
Carmenere, the large mask of prow of the Chilean grape and wine growing, did not get the width and length to compete an international level.

The excessively herbaceous and capsicum aromas were not receive nicely for the judges and international tasters.

Furthermore, the heterogeneity of styles was remarkable, in if it is not a defect. But as the quality were not have the best ones only it disoriented the clients who faced this variety for the first time.

But in the last time Carmenere, gave a remarkable jump. Clos Apalta of Casa Lapostolle winery and “Carmin de Peumo” received the international aclamation by the end of the 2008.

The bottle Clos Apalta 2005, in fact was chosen the best one of the world 2008 by Wine Spectator, the influential American magazine.

“For about 18 to 24 months ago that the situation of carmenere change. The Chilean wineries began to show that they are taking the pulse of the variety. There is a greater consistency in the supply of the Chilean vines, and not only I speak of expensive wines. We are in a flexion point.” It explains Ignacio Recabarren, Winemaker of “Carmin of Peumo”.

An irrigation that allows to maintain the green leaves towards the harvest, foliage opening so that the sun touches to the clusters and thick the skin of the grapes is part of the techniques that allowed to give the jump in quality.

* Information of this article is from: Las 5 nuevas tendencias del vino Chile, Revista del Campo, Diario El Mercurio. by David Stevens-Castro.