Exclusive Wine Tour to highest winery in Chile

Chilean Quake’s Wine Toll by Elin McCoy

February’s quake has damaged wineries and vineyards and delayed the white grape harvest in Chile. The massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Chile on Feb. 27 and killed more than 800 people hit the country’s wineries hard.

ANDES WINES ALLIANCE WITH STU, THE WINE GURU

Stu The Wine Guru started his business related to wine in August of 2009 but has been 15 years in the making. Stu started in the music business 20 years ago, in sales and marketing. He travelled extensively throughout the U.S and Canada visiting music retail accounts. He is the host of The Radio Show “Wine Talk with Stu The Wine Guru” with listeners all over the world and he writes Wine Articles & Reviews that have been selected and published by  Yahoo and The Examiner.

CHILEAN WINE INDUSTRY REPORT AFTER EARTHQUAKE BY ANDESWINES.CL

After six days of the 8.8 richter´s scale earthquake impacted Chile, the country is moving forward to recover from the devastation. Food and water started to be delivered along Constitución, Talca, Concepción, Dichato, Pichilemu and several small cities and villages. Seems like will never be enough, however, international and local help started to arrive providing some hope to the people. Report from AndesWines.cl
The damage to wine industry’s infrastructure varies among the different wineries and valleys and has not been fully measured. Wine valleys like Curico, Maule, Rapel (Colchagua) and Itata are the most affected in the wine industry´s points of view.

TIM ATKIN´S ARTICLE (AUTHORIZED)

Interview with Angelo Gaja: At an age when most men are contemplating the prospect of a free bus pass, Angelo Gaja is as youthful and energetic as ever. His hair may be grey now, but Italy’s most famous winemaker still moves at a pace that is closer to a jog than a stroll. Spend three hours with him and he barely pauses to catch his breath. The flair, the passion, the downright brio of the fellow are remarkable.

Gaja meets me at the entrance to his winery in Barbaresco, dressed in a suit and designer coat with the collar turned up against the cold. The 2009 harvest has barely finished, but Gaja is already buzzing about the wines that are fermenting in his stylish modern cellar. “2009 is like 1990,” he tells me, grabbing my arm for emphasis, “good everywhere. There was a little bit of rain in the south, but in northern and central Italy, it’s an excellent vintage.”

How things have changed. When Gaja joined the family winery in 1961, it was a struggle to make good Barbaresco. “In five vintages out of ten, Nebbiolo didn’t reach 12% alcohol,” he remembers. “We couldn’t chaptalise and even if we reduced yields, it was hard for us. It often rained in September. Climate change has been a boon for Piedmont. Since 1995, the grapes have reached full maturity almost every year.” With the exception of 2002, when Gaja bottled no Barbaresco or Barolo, every other vintage has been “beautiful”, although 2003 was not without its problems. The worry now, says Gaja, is that “too much sun will make alcohol levels too high”.

The Gaja winery was celebrating its 150th anniversary when I visited, complete with an exhibition showing the four different generations, including Gaja’s three children, two of whom are already working in the business. Angelo is often described as the man who dragged Piedmont into the modern world, but as we walk past the photos, he pauses in front of a black and white portrait of his father, Giovanni. “My success is due largely to him,” he tells me. “An artisan is someone who learns from within his family. I went to school with him in the winery and the vineyard.”

Keep reading this interview:
http://www.timatkin.com/articles/article.html?cat=Latest articles&id=492

English Video

English Video

FERIA INTERNACIONAL VITIVINICOLA Y GASTRONOMICA INDUSTRIAL

Prueba de posicionamiento internacional.

THE DEBATE OF THE GRAPE VARIETIES

The grapes are having an argument of a shameful level. Very shameful. They are not discussing ideas, but insulting. They don’t see the trunk that underlies under the leaves. The vineyard is swarming with intruders. The chilean false red mite and the broad-nosed weevils doesn’t hear the mediator’s voice. All is chaos in the debate that will define the soon election of the grape variety for Chile. The nematodes don’t talk anything. They are hidden. They are not pursuing a political ideal. They are simply protesting against a system that excludes them, marginalize them. So they are fighting a discrete battle against the rootstocks that are trying to maintain the establishment. BY EDUARDO BRETHAUER
The Carménère opens fire in the middle of this confusing atmosphere:

-Your time is over- he confronts a surprised Cabernet Sauvignon. You have governed the chilean valleys for decades, but you didn’t achieve anything. Now it’s my turn to change the things.

- You don’t have any experience… so, how you think you can lead our exportations. You are a nobody!

-And you a halted and boring variety.

-People are not stupid. You are a variety that only wants power. Oportunist!

The mediator takes part.

- Time is over, Cabernet. I repeat, your time is over. Let the other candidates speak.

- I want to clarify that disqualifications are not my style- The Merlot interrupts. We all have to pull together… I believe in a viticulture where all the varieties have their space, where…

-You don’t exist! – interrupts the Carménère.

The merlot accuses the blow and asks for water. It’s dehydrated.

- You all represent the past of a country that nobody wants. As a movie star, I call to all the people to believe in my candidature, in a new style of politics – said the Pinot Noir.

- Shut up, peaky – muttered the Cabernet Sauvignon.

- Precisely, I believe in a country where doesn’t matter the origin or the color.

- How you say for you doesn’t matter the color? So, why are you recruting another varieties to set up your list of candidates for the Parliament? – intercede the Carménère.

- Because I believe in the diversity, in a viticulture where neither poor nor rich exists. Where everyone fits in Wines of Chile, where the small ones have the same rights that the big ones.
- You’re just a kid. One thing is to propose and other very different is to govern – replies the Cabernet Sauvignon.

The mediator said to the Cabernet and to the Carménère “Don’t monopolize the turns”.

- I think its our time: The white varieties. We’ve demonstrated what we can do. We’ve contributed to change tha image of our viticulture and we’ve refreshed our politics. But, in other hand, we still have many things to do…. we are trapped in a world where the red wines achieves the best scores, the higher prices….

-My preposition is to offer more cask and less chips… more fruit and less wood…- The Carménère ignores what the Sauvignon Blanc said.

-Demagoge – shouts another red variety that was remaining in silence.

-Who allow you to speak? First, you should define yourself. What you think you are? A frenchified, australian or chilean variety? Syrah or Shiraz?

-Hey, don’t forget us – demands the Carignan. For many time you treat us like we were the backyard of the chilean viticulture.You didn’t consider us. But now, when you want some votes, you are desperated to show a clear and varied image. Now you remembered this old grapevines you looked down on before.

-I promise to repay that debt progressively. I will give a bond to the countries that want to be grafted.

-Populist – shouts the Pinot Noir.

-What debt? – whispered the Cabernet Sauvignon.

-I suggest an unity government – says a red blend.

-Isn’t a bad idea – answered the other candidates.

-I agree – stated the Cabernet Sauvignon. But I am the most suitable to govern the blend.

The nematodes are the only ones that are celebrating.

First published in http://www.brethauer.cl and authorized by Eduardo Brethauer, editor of Vitis Magazine, to be published in Andes Wines.

Translated into english by César Gonzalez Fernandez.
Andes Wines Communications ™
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117
andes@andeswines.com

Grapes are good…Wine even better!!!

ON-LINE VITICULTURE & OENOLOGY THESIS REGISTRY ANNOUNCE

In order to index viticulture and oenology-related research and thesis, the wine marketing company Andes Wines did a call to all the graduated professionals and wine universities to be part of the first on-line viticulture and oenology thesis registry. This inititive starts within the International Wine University Network (WUN), beginning its operations last year. Its objective is to integrate wine-related institutions and entities having wine programmes to generate a better information exchange. The objective of this Viticulture and Oenology registry is to generate more oportunities to develop new studies and researches. This knowledge will be transfered to the wine industry more quickly, avoiding that important discoveries be forgotten in the universities’ libraries.
This week Andes Wines is getting in contact with all the ibero-american universities teaching agronomy and the oenology specialization. Next week will be the turn of the European Union, the United States and Oceania.

The abstracts will be published in their original lenguages in http://www.andeswines.com, founding the first on-line viticulture and oenology thesis registry having open access documents to its users. In spite of Andes Wines is a Chile-based website, it is visited by more than 95.000 subscriptors of 12 countries in english, italian, portuguese and spanish.

To date, interested agronomists and oenologists should send a word file with the abstract (2 sheets maximum), and requires the name, profession, university where he graduated and e-mail.

The countries that have been called to participate are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, and United States

Andes Wines Communications ™
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117
andes@andeswines.com

Translated by César Gonzalez Fernandez.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR THE SERIOUS BEER DRINKER

Trying to find the perfect gift for the craft beer lover in your family? There are several alternatives to giving just beer. We’ve compiled a few gift ideas that are sure to please even the most serious beer drinkers. By JOHN HOLL for AndesWines.com
A Perfect Fit

Show off your pride in good beer by wearing it on your chest. CraftBeerClothing.com has three t-shirt designs targeting craft beer lovers. Jonathon Lenard and Gavin Guest said they started the website because there were very few t-shirt designs that captured the true spirit of the craft beer movement.

“There are plenty of beer shirts available out there, but they focus on getting hammered, drunk, or on sexual statements, we wanted to do something different and more positive,” said Guest.

There are three designs to choose from and the shirts are $14.95 each and can be purchased online through the website. Use the code “beerme” at checkout for 10% off your order.

Notes Worth Taking

Perhaps your favorite beer drinker approaches each new pint as a scientific discovery. For those people there is the beer journal.

The book describes in great detail all types of beer and what the drinker should be looking for with regard to aroma, color, mouth feel and taste. There are pages where the drinker can take detailed notes on different beers sampled.

This is a gift that drinkers will return to over and over again.

Chris Wright said he created the beer journal for those “who enjoy and appreciate craft Beer take that love to another level. Any time you study a particular subject it is imperative that you take notes, experiencing craft Beer is no different. It is scrap booking for Beer lovers.”

The book comes in three different bindings – spiral, perfect binding and hardcover case wrap. It’s available for purchase from most Internet book retailers or at www.thebeerjournal.com for $18.95 or $24.95 depending on the spine.

At The Movies

For the visual type and those interested in modern brewing history, there is the Beer Wars Movie. The director describes it as a modern day David vs. Goliath where smaller brewing companies are fighting for part of the market against larger brewing companies like Molson Coors.

The documentary had a very limited release in theaters earlier this year and is now available on DVD. Director Anat Baron goes behind the scenes of the daily battles and all out wars that dominates one of America’s favorite industries.

It retails for $19.95 and can be purchased at: http://beerwarsmovie.com/shop/

In Depth Reading

There are entire publications devoted to the love of beer. One of the newer but more promising titles on the shelves is The Beer Connoisseur Magazine.

The first issue of the magazine hits newsstands this month and according to its editors, it will be the “expert authority on beer for both the novice and the connoisseur.”

With articles on premium beers and those who brew them, as well as the best in dining, cooking, travel, personalities, culture and more, The Beer Connoisseur magazine is poised to become a must read for serious beer drinkers.

Subscription information may be found at: httpS://www.beerconnoisseur.com/subscribe

The Simple Gift of Beer

And after all the reading, writing and watching about beer, your favorite suds drinker will likely be thirsty. So, why not just give the gift of beer itself?

Around this time of year most breweries put out special holiday packages that can include extra items like glassware, clothing and even Christmas ornaments to adorn the tree. Check your local beer shop for ideas.

John Holl writes about craft beer and the culture of drinking. He maybe reached at johnholl@andeswines.com

DOG BEERS: MAN’S BEST FRIEND MEETS MAN’S BEST FRIEND

In an age when people try to incorporate so much of the human experience into their pet’s lives – doggie Bat Mitzvahs, feline weddings, spa days for ferrets – it almost makes sense that several companies both in the U.S. and abroad now make a “beer” for dogs. Considering one of the great adult pleasures is enjoying a cold beer after a long day working in the yard, shouldn’t a pooch be able to do the same after an afternoon of sniffing around, chewing on a shoe and barking at squirrels?
BY JOHN HOLL for AndesWines.com
Of course the products on the market are not actually beer. Like chocolate and raisins, alcohol can be potentially deadly to canines and carbonation in beer can cause serious stomach irritation. So the brews are really just a beverage consisting of malt and meat
flavoring.

On the plus side, this means pups do not have to wait until they turn three years old (21 in canine years) to get served. If beer is not your pooch’s thing, there are also several canine wine brands available (Sauvignon Bark, White Sniff ‘N’ Tail) and even a scotch (Johnny Barker Black Lab).

Jenny Brown, the owner of 3 Busy Dogs, a Scottsdale, AZ company which makes two dog beers – Beefy Brown Ale and Cock A Doodle Brew – said she got the idea after first making pretzel-flavored dog snacks for customers.

“I thought, what goes best with pretzels and that’s how I came up with the beer idea,” said Brown. Since starting the company a few years ago Brown has seen business boom.

Most that can be found in New Jersey cost around $3.99 for a single 12 oz bottle. Others, like the Happy Tail Ale from Dog Star Brewing, can be ordered via the Internet for $12.00 per six-pack plus $13.00 added for shipping and handling.

Brown said that given the recent scare involving tainted pet food from China, every ingredient in the brews comes from the United States. The Heartland Brewery in New York periodically makes a Slobber Logger, a similar dog beer, according to the company, but it will not be available this summer.

A recent study revealed that while even in times of recession people are still willing to spend huge amounts on their pets. The feeling, according to some in the pet industry, is that more people are sticking closer to home as they try to hold onto their cash, but want
to keep their furry friends entertained in the process.

Veterinarians interviewed by Newjerseynewsroom.com said while it should never be used as a substitute for water, the brews are a kitschy but acceptable “sometime” treat.

At first sniff, the Cock-A-Doodle Brew smells vaguely like chicken soup. The official Newjerseynewsroom.com canine taster quickly lapped up very last drop and looked up, as if to order another round. Next, the taste-tester pup moved on to the Beefy Brown Ale, also from 3 Busy Dogs, but like a responsible drinker she paced herself with the second round.

The Happy Tail Ale, which comes in actual glass beer bottles with pry-off caps (the other beer comes in plastic bottles with screw off tops) did not fare as well on its own in the dish, but was a homerun as a topper to some dry food

But, as is true with human beer drinkers, not every dog will like every brew.

(For the record, this reporter also tasted each of the dog brews and will stick to the real stuff, thank you very much. They have a slightly vinegar-based taste, rather than a savory broth.)

Both 3 Busy Dogs brew and the Happy Tail Ale contain vitamins that the companies say promote a shiny coat and glucosamine, which can help ease any pain in a pup’s joints.

The best part, of course? No hangovers.

John Holl writes about the culture of drinking. He may be reached at johnholl@andeswines.com

Andes Wines Communications ™
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117
andes@andeswines.com

TAILOR MADE WINE TOURS IN CHILE

As a response to the need of highly specialized tours by foreigner “wine lovers” visiting Chile, Andes Wines will provide this summer season a new service called “Tailor Made Wine Tours by Andes Wines”, a guided service specialized in visitors with high purchasing power that are willing to experiencing an unforgetable adventure in wine growing valleys.
Although for many years the company has waited on a limited number of wine lover skiers, specialized journalists and foreign univerity academicians, this year we will focus in increasing the number of clients since our company does not offer regular tours but only tylor made wine tours. Therefore this tours are focused in a very specific target, considering people with a high purchasing power where each visitor lay down the transpotation, hotel and service he wants to have, or in other words, the visitor can adapt a tour to his needs acompanied by a highly wine specialized guide.

“The main requiremente of the visitors is being allowed to talk with the wineries’ oenologists for them to explain the winemaking process and what is envolved in the production of wine. This demand is a challenge to us, because thanks to our eight-year experience in wine marketing we have an excelent contact with the owners and oenologists of the national wineries, something we put to the test everyday to offer unique and unforgettable experiences”, as said by AndesWines.com

Among the most sucessful programs of these years we have “Stars & Wines”. In this program visitors are able to visit observatories in the north of Chile and they can also taste wines classified by stock and valleys where they come form,. Another famous tour is the “Flowering Desert & Wines”, where visitors tour the flowering desert where they can taste a sparkling wine or a late harvest from many wine growing valleys.

This season Andes Wines will offer a new tour called “Terroir Wine Experience”, that pretends promoting the visit to remote zones where are producing unique wines with low production of renowned oenologist in Colchagua Valley (Apalta), Leyda, San Antonio, Elqui, Limarí, Cauquenes, Itata and Malleco.

More information in andes@andeswines.com or (56)9-9-2197117

LAST MONTH IN CALIFORNIA, THE CONTEST WAS SETTLED

By one vote, beer was the preferred beverage – over wine – with dinner. This was the third year in a row that the Rancho Bernardo Inn, in San Diego, hosted a dinner where a multi-course meal was paired with both a glass of wine and a pint of beer, according to Matthew Steele the *Social Media Coordinator* for Stone Brewing Co., one of the better known and more celebrated American craft breweries. By JOHN HOLL for AndesWines.com.
The wines were hand selected each by Barry Wiss of Napa’s Trinchero Family Estates. The beer was picked by Greg Koch, CEO & Co-Founder stone. Neither, according to organizers, had any say in the food menu.

“The premise of the dinner–the motivation for me to do it–was to prove a point,” said Koch. “I intentionally picked a wine-centric, fine dining, chef-driven restaurant for the Beer vs. Wine Dinner. I wanted to show that even in this ‘hostile territory’ the ability of great craft beer to pair amazingly with great food was equal, or better, to that of fine wine.”

He proved just that in 2007 when the first dinner was held. At that meal, each beverage won three courses, but brew got the high end of the final vote. The following year, wine won. Again, each beverage took three courses, but wine got the most total votes.

The tie-breaker dinner, held on Oct. 16, “was so fierce that the ballots had to be recounted twice, but it was eventually determined that Beer won by one single vote,” said Steele.

There has been a growing awareness from serious foodies that beer can often compliment a beer better than wine. Brewers from around the country are trying to bring more people to the table.

Craft beer, according to Julia Herz of the Brewers Association, “can both complement and contrast flavors and elements of today’s American dishes where as wine mostly just contrasts.”

She said the carbonation of craft beer cuts through the fat and richness of food getting diners ready for the next bite.

“So many chefs today understand the versatility of craft beer with food and that’s why you’re starting to see more selection available in today’s finer restaurants and specialty beer stores,” she said.

Photo caption: Beer vs. Wine winner Greg Koch (left) with El Bizcocho Executive Chef Judd Canepari and Barry Wiss of Napa’s Trinchero Family Estates

Photo Credit: Colleen Rugg.

John Holl writes about craft beer. He may be reached at johnholl@andeswines.com

THE ABSENCE OF AN STRATEGIC GRAPE-WINE GROWING PLAN HOLDS UP DEVELOPMENT IN BIO BIO

Although the Bío Bío Region is developing many initiatives to attain a position as a high-end wines producing zone with high added value, its bigger weakness is that it doesn’t have a Regional Strategic Grape-Wine-Growing Plan that defines, organizes and projects the activity on an integrated way that is affecting the attraction of new investors to produce higher quality wines in the area, says the report of AndesWines.com
While in countries like Spain are taking away vineyards because of the oversupply of cheap wines and Australia is ruling out wine-producing zones because of the drought and average low prices, in Chile are betting on developing the field with new vineyards in remote areas like Limarí, Elqui, San Antonio, Colchagua and Leyda.

Is essential that the strategic wine-growing plan for the Bío Bío Region will be developed in a long-term vision helping all productive chain– mission grape, moscatel and high-quality grapes producers, small, medium and big-sized vineyards- to identifiy the existent business oportunities; and to prepare themselves to the reconversion of the vineyards. In the reconversion they will need to invest in technology and in new ways if management and winemaking.

Because of that, AndesWines.com began a strategy to attain a position and to develop new niches in the Bío Bío. Wine Tourism and to boost the production of sparkling wine and high-end wines will be its goal. AndesWines will be able to do that thanks to the support of Francois Massoc, oenologist and winemaker consultant.

The first stage included a survey in Chillán to detect the interest of local producers to develop wine-growing projects with high added value like sparkling wine, by means of a talk that explained and projected what the region needs to achieve that goal. The forthcoming meeting was a sucess and laid the foundations to continue the search of oportunities for the south of the country.

In the second stage, strategic alliances and business were agreed in the last field trip in Bento Gonçalves, Brazil, between 17 to 23 of August, visiting Miolo, Aurora, Salton, Casa Valduga, Lidio Carraro and Cava Geisse vineyards.

On this matter, AndesWines.com organized a brazilian sparkling wine tasting in Santiago to improve integration, an example of successful example of Brasilian sparkling wines, despite they have more technical limitations to produce high-end wines, they have managed to create a high quality product.

In despite of the Bío Bío Region hasn’t implemented an strategic wine-growing plan giving the guidelines and form to optimize the activity duties in marketing, communication and enologic tourism, we are going to develop a focused work that will need the support and finnancing of government institutions to begin a professionalization process, by means of training and specialized consultancy of the regional vicultural field.

This process take into account the implementation of vinicultural projects by oenologic consultancies, viticultural and commercial techniques boosting the development of the “family, crafted and boutiques wineries”, where grape quality is exceptional or the product have a attractive identity.

To make this, the producer will have to invest in vine clones adapting to the chosen areas; in the necessary technology to achieve the pursued purposes and in training to obtain the necessary/required knowledge to manage in a sustainable way his business. Furthermore, they should follow a production protocole that will be the basis to sell his grapes, wines or alternative products in more higher prices than regional average – stated AndesWines’ report.

Andes Wines Communications ™
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117
andes@andeswines.com

Grapes are good…wine even better!!!

ANDESWINES LINKS POLO WITH WINES IN ARGENTINA

The Andes Wines’ representative in Argentina, Gabriela Luna Romano, said they will began the development of a sport marketing this week through AndesOne.com, subsidiary of the trans-andean company. The objective will be to develop and to improve the organization of sporting events in Argentina, thanks to the incorporation of Ezequiel Mones Ruíz.
Because of his passion for horses and the practice of different equestrian sports like polo, Ezequiel Mones Ruíz has stood out in his surroundings, awakening a great interest in the chilean company. Because of that, it will support the whole positioning and developing process of polo in Buenos Aires, because AndesWines has strong business ties in latin america.

“Thanks to that association with wines, over the last 6 years in Argentina and 8 in Latinamerica, AndesWines wants to develop a great variety of thematic events that will be in charge of Mones Ruíz”, said Gabriela Luna Romano in Buenos Aires.

Ezequiel Mones Ruiz began to pratice horseback riding, specifically show jumping in different categories. Then he began to compete in eventing or three day event (3DE), an equestrian event which comprises dressage, cross-country and show jumping. That requires a very rigorous training because of the efforts and requierements of the different tests, since he is competing in national and international one-star cathegory
competitions

“We always celebrate savoring a sparking wine and the closing wine reception in every polo or show jumping competition. This is an ubiquitous activity for the culmination of these events, and there is where we can share, promote and run our activity” states AndesWines.

“The main objective is that, from the AndesWines’ attained prestige and its international level, we will be able to use this platform to increase the commercial strategies in the medium and long term, specially in the regional environment, where Chile and Argentina took the iniciative, boosting tourism, regional and vinicultural products and wineries positioning” assured Ezequiel Mones Ruiz.

Andes Wines Communications ™
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117
andes@andeswines.com

Grapes are good…wine even better!!!

BRASILIAN SPARKLING WINE TASTING AT WINE CIRCLE OF ANDES WINES

The Wine Circle of Andes Wines celebrated an exclusive tasting of brasilian sparkling wine on October 15th. The tasted Sparkling wines were: Salton Brut Gold Reserve (Charmat Method), Salton Evidence (Champenoise Method), Cave Geisse Brut (champenoise Method – 70% chardonnay 30% Pinot Noir), Cave Geisse Rosé (champenoise Method – 100% Pinot Noir) y Sparkling Miolo Brut (Tradicional Method) y Millèsime (Champenoise Method). Special thanks to Hotel Club Presidente, Glasses of Chef&Sommelier de Arc International. More information at andes@andeswines.com

URUGUAY SPECIAL – PART VII: ALTO LA BALLENA AND GIMENEZ MENDEZ

In our last Uruguay report, we will know more details about Alto la Ballena and Jiménez Mendez wineries. The first one is located very near to Punta del Este and the second one, near to Montevideo. Álvaro Lorenzo, Paula Pivel, Marta Méndez, Sebastián Gonzatto, Mauro and Luis Gimenez were our hosts. AndesWines.com from Uruguay
ALTO LA BALLENA WINERY

Álvaro Lorenzo and Paula Pivel represent the generational change of Uruguay’s wine industry through Alto La Ballena. Paula was recently graduated as an oenologist and Álvaro is a well-known businessman. They both are innovating radically going from terroir choice to producing their wines with the relaxing way they are getting in this so competitive industry.

With the same experience any wine consumer may have, in 1998 they decided to create a little winery near to Punta del Este, in Maldonado specifically.

This last years, Sierra de la Ballena has been a very desirable place to develop high level tourist projects: fact which worked as a motivation to be committed to develop a pioneering wine project motivating the second wave of investors in the area.

They bought this land 10 years ago. It has special characteristics that draw the attention for both Paula and Álvaro, and also project assistants. Land of Alto la Ballena is 20 hectares with three types of soil- quartz schist, gradient stone and pebbles. This added to certain sandy sectors with specific agro-climatic conditions are delivering a unique type to wines.

Topographical, climate and soil factors were considered to locate vineyards in order to obtain best fruit quality, raw material of high range wines.

Pioneer plantation was made in spring 2001 in over 20 hectares acquired last year. In year 2005 was realized the first harvest with varieties of Cabernet Franc, Tannat, Viognier, Merlot and Syrah. In year 2007 their first wines were introduced into the market.

Alto la Ballena has the proper technology ensuring quality throughout the entire winemaking process. That is to say, in pre-fermentation maceration, fermentation, maintenance and aging.

Grape processing is performed in a handmade way, in batches of small volume and divided control of every fruit variety. The complete dedication looks for every category to have the product profile they want to own in their aging and production.

Production capacity is estimated in 60,000 bottles approx.

Currently, their wines are commercialized mainly in Tienda Inglesa and other wine specialized places in Punta del Este, principally.

GIMENEZ MENDEZ WINERY

The President of Asociación de Bodegas Exportadoras del Uruguay – ABE (Uruguay’s Exporter Wineries) which currently is being called Wines of Uruguay, Marta Méndez Parodi, who also is Director of Gimenez Mendez wineries received us in her own house to taste a wide variety of her wines which have a great tradition in Uruguay.

In 1990, Plaza Vidella is founded by Luis Alberto Giménez, who started to produce international quality fine wines such as: LAS BRUJAS and 100 AÑOS.

Her vineyards are located in the southern part of Uruguay, near to the estuary breeze of Río de la Plata. They have around 100 hectares focusing on vine harvesting and different microclimates with soils and cares given to them, in addition to the Integrated Production system which allows the excellence of their grapes.

GIMENEZ MENDEZ is the wines which traditionally have produced in the winery and a new offer is being added to them, driving by Marta Méndez Parodi’s sons.

Brothers Luis and Mario, both winemakers, are the new image and represent the generational change of Gimenez Méndez winery. Among their recent wines launched to the market, highlights LYM (“Luis y Mauro”, Luis and Mauro). It is a conceptualized wine by both brothers coming from two different Tannat vineyards which grapes are specially selected.

Their wines are produced with raw material of their own vineyards. In addition to this, they are elaborated and bottled in its origin. The primary characteristic is the exhaustive supervision made by the family going from the vineyard to wine glass, always considering the best way to improve continually quality excellence of their production.

Varieties produced by Gimenez Méndez are being adapting to international demand, producing, among others: Tannat, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Marselan and Syrah and Arinarnoa. Their philosophy is producing wines of international level based on excellent grapes and strict care in every detail of their processes.

Other particular wine is Puzzle, composed by 15 varieties of wines combined in the same quantity, 11 red ones and 4 white ones. The name is due to the mixture which wine was presented into the market: Puzzle. It is characterized by its aroma and fruit taste, as well as its medium colour.

Joining knowledge, technology, and tradition, the company is producing 650,000 annual bottles. Currently, they are in an expansive phase to international market such as Germany, United Kingdom and Mexico.

Sebastián Gonzatto, the current export manager, explained us the Winery’s growing challenges, which will be focused on increasing exported wine mainly to European markets. They also confirmed their participation in the “Vinos de Uruguay del Círculo del Vino de Andes” tasting event (Wines of Uruguay from Andes Wines’ Wine Association).

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URUGUAY SPECIAL – PART VI: MARICHAL AND CASA FILGUEIRA WINERIES

In this sixth report of our trip, we will know more about Casa Filgueira and Marichal Wineries. In Filgueira’s case, we will know their wines since they had participated in the “Octavo Salón del Vino” in Concepción, year 2007, and we believe they are being progressing throughout time in their oenologic concept, being adapted to market requirements. On the other hand, the enterprising spirit of Juan Marichal is detected at once, that is why he was elected as the undertaking one of Endeavor Uruguay. Andes Wines from Uruguay.
MARICHAL WINERY

We visited around Las Violetas sector where Marichal is placed and we realised the great effort and care that family has had to work the vineyards, winery, and marketing of their wines, reaching to 250,000 produced bottles approx. besides table wine to internal market.

Tradition begins when Isabelino Marichal settled in Etcheverría area in 1910 and in that place he created the first variety of Tannat. 28 years later, he created a small golden wine cellar with underground fountains to get suitable wine conditions.

Since then, Marichal family set the importance of introducing specialized personnel: winemaking technicians ensuring the best wines with strong colours and forecasted structure and balance.

Craftsmanship in wine production has been transmitted to four generations, and in all of them the highest quality has been bet.

Currently, third and fourth generation is in charge of the company, having an international quality production.

Juan Andrés started his winemaking studies in Mendoza when he was 17 years old. After 5 years he graduated and initiated his work and specialization as a winemaker, driving him to lead the family business.

Vineyards’ location, 40 kilometres from the sea, weather with warm days and cool nights gives the suitable framework for grape harvest in order to be in the best development and expression conditions.

Harvested grapes are Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Merlot, Tannat, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon, Semillón and Pinot Noir.

Scandinavian market and specially the Finnish one are very important to Marichal, as they have managed to enter with a Sauvignon Blanc which has given them many opportunities that are being taken.

Nowadays, winery is focused on international markets trading their production in Brazil, Italy, Luxemburg, and Germany.

CASA FILGUEIRA WINERY

At the beginning of XX century, Winery bases were established in charge of Manuel Filgueira. Work was done in a reduced piece of land where grape were transformed using traditional methods into good quality table wine.

And that was the way how the prestige of Filgueira name was growing, synonymous of honesty and work which was consolidated with José Luis Filgueira’s performance, son of Manuel.

In 1992, he assumed the leading of Martha Chiossoni vineyard, José Luis’ wife, who gives new airs to the project, combining modern production techniques and traditional production process. All this resulted in company restructuring.

Wine production is made from own grapes and extraction does not exceed 8 tonnes per hectare, ensuring quality. In spite of the most modern production techniques, they continue with the essence of handmade work.

Casa Filgueira is located in the centre of the vineyard, enabling grape to be in a perfect condition and in the right point of ripening, in few minutes.

As a way of making the difference, Casa Filgueira bet in certifying under the ISO 14001:2000 standard, which gives clear outlines related to Environment Management.

Having excellent commercial relationships, Casa Filgueira Winery is open up to the Wine World. Their constant innovation and promptness to be in embassy tasting events abroad or international fair presentations different to traditional circle, as it was the “Octavo Salón del Vino” in Concepción, Chile.

85% of the production is focused on internal market and 15% on external market, proportion they wish to revert and this way reaching more markets.

Mexico DF, Brazil, North and South Ireland, Scotland, and England are some of the markets which Casa Filgueira’s wines are currently introduced.

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URUGUAY SPECIAL – PART V: BOUTIQUE BOUZA AND STAGNARI WINERIES

In this fifth Uruguay’s Wine Special, we invite you to know two concepts focused on fine wine production- Bouza and H. Stagnari- both wineries are properties of 100% dedicated families to wine production which is H. Stagnari’s case and as a second activity, which is Bouza’s case. The input of both families to winemaking is added to the effort of many others that are growing, dreaming and living for the Tannat. AndesWines.com from Uruguay.
BOUZA WINERY

Our visit to Boutique Bouza Winery was in charge of Juan Martin Borda, General Manager and Dr Eduardo Boido, oenologist, who guided us into vineyards covered by crushed stones being an experiment implemented to increase temperature and radiation in the lower part of the vineyards.

It was a quiet day. Although we did not have lunch at the Restaurant, we could appreciate great care in details. Its automobile museum and old trains taste by the owners are remarkable. All this made the visit and experience mixing wine and history.

It is hard to see care and dedication put for the winery development by the family; details which are admired by their friends and colleagues of the area. Having just 100,000 bottles, in just eight years they have achieved creating an unique concept making Wine Uruguay to be proud, which no one could ever hesitate.

Vineyards treated with great care, low loads and certain winemaking techniques, in addition to strict cask controls, make this wine to be an experience to talk and enjoy.

With surprise we see a train being restored that will be part of luxurious rooms for special guest in the future.

History begins driven by love to field and fruits coming from it. Family’s initiative grew in conjunction with the theme: “work at small scale always provides better results”. In order to achieve such objective, they had great care in following up all the process from vineyard to the top and they trust that is the way to get from their vineyards the personality which identifies them.

Vineyards are located on great fertility lands, good drainage and they are characterized by the presence of calcium carbonate. Property is divided into two fields: in Las Violetas and Melilla. In the last one, there is the winery containing 5 vineyard hectares approx. of Chardonnay, Albariño, Merlot and Tannat. Las Violetas is composed by 12 hectares with varieties of Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Merlot, Albariño and Tannat. Lands, in turn, are divided into 4 vineyard hectares between 16 and 30 years and 8 young vineyard hectares.

In order to guarantee that pre-established quality standards are achieved, they are taking care of using only own grapes, because of their fruit is well ventilated, has indirect light and has foliage conduction with high sun exposure. They are aware that not even the best technology is enough if accurate fruit treatment and proper maintaining conditions are taken.

H. STAGNARI WINERY

Uruguay’s well-known grape: Tannat, which for a while it was denominated as Harruague, name of the person who introduced it into the country’s viticulture in 1840. It is still used that name in some Uruguayan sectors until now.

In their time, Harruague harvested 200 hectares of Tannat getting international recognition in that period of time when their wines were exported to France.

Héctor Stagnari, part of the third generation of the family, was graduated from the oenology school and together with his father, they started with vine plantations for high quality wine production.

After years of specialization and hard work, Héctor Stagnari decided to create their own way and founded H. Stagnari Winery in 2000. From the very first time, his wife Virginia Moreira de Stagnari supported him in all the process and until now she supervises many winery tasks related to visitor reception and tourism.

Having own vineyards in the Departamento de Salto and in the Canelones, Héctor Stagnari produces author wines with character and unique type which can be appreciated in their well-known wines- Dayman, Dinastía and Tannat Viejo- they seduce the most demanding palates in the markets where they are introduced.

They export just 20% of the production; that is why this year they Hill be focused on opening new markets, as well as strengthen internal market growing at huge steps.

Their current location is in the coast of the Río de Uruguay (Uruguay River), near to the big water mirror created along Salto Grande’s lake. Thermal fluctuation from there creates an excellent tannin ripening which subsequently they will be processing by their own and winemaker. This is part of the great secret for what Fine Wines H. Stagnari produces the most awarded Tannat wine in the world.

In a very few years, Héctor achieved the unthinkable: getting such award varieties in competitions and presentations around the World, which is the main Winery asset which is supported by their own wines. And that is how in year 2007 they achieved to be crowned as the World Best Red Wine with their Tannat Viejo 2005 on Vinalies América Latina de Chile competition, beating wines of different countries and positioning them in the international wine map.

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CASA VALDUGA FROM BRAZIL / ANDESWINES.COM IN BRAZIL

Our first stop was at Casa Valduga, located at Vale dos Vinhedos in Bento Gonçalves, about 2.201,44 ft. above sea level. Our hostess, Elisa Walker from the winery export department, told us about the enotourism boom that currently generates an average total of 155.000 visitors to Bento Goncalves, getting 50% of them thanks to their long- time specialization in tourist attention. AndesWines.com from Brazil.
The Valduga family first arrived in Brazil from Rovareto town in Italy, starting the viticultural tradition in the southern part of the country.
They also own vineyards in the Encruzilhada do Sul area, south west Rio Grande do Sul, a region with outstanding conditions for vine growth.

The winery management is now run by three directors- Juarez, Erielson and Joao Valduga- who have set a path through quality, innovation and viticultural leadership to the company.

Casa Valduga built the first enotouristic facility in Brazil, with two restaurants mixing Italian cuisine and local products. Given visitors demands, first rate cabins were built to meet their needs, price of which include a tour through the winery.

The vineyard production reaches 1.000.000 bottles- 50% red and white wines and 50% sparkling wines- focusing on delivery to hotels, restaurants, specialized stores and final consumers.

They began exporting in 2002 and in 2004 they were already in Wines from Brasil, thus improving the brand consolidation with trade fairs involvement, overseas trips and invitation of specialized journalists.

They only export a 7% from the overall production and hope to reach the 15% by next year. In Europe they export to six countries; in Asia to Hong Kong exclusively and also to U.S.A.

To compete with the International market, Casa Valduga developed a wine line named “Mundvs”, a selection of varieties from the finest viticultural regions and terroirs from around the world. Wine is produced in origin under a Valduga enologist supervision. That’s why they now have “Mundvs Chile Cabernet Sauvignon 2005”, aged in French barrels.

They also have “Mundvs Malbec Argentina”, to then continue with South Africa, Portugal, Italy and Australia.

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BOUTIQUE WINERIES IN CHILE: FLAHERTY WINES, ANTIYAL, FACUNDO, KOYLE, POLKURA

Ed Flaherty says in Chile a “boutique winery” means a winery whose owner is the winemaker and viticulturist and not an absentee landlord. He says boutique wineries in Chile really are small family-run operations and not the mega custom crush operations found in his native California. By Walker Elliott Rowe.
Flaherty Wines

Having arrived in Chile 16 years ago, this son of an American agronomist sits behind the computer ordering wine barrels for future vintages as chief winemaker at the million case winery Tarapaca. This towering gringo longs to get his hands into the pomace and away from the keyboard having worked as chief winemaker at the mega wineries Errazuriz and VIA Wines. So on the weekends Ed Flaherty heads home to the Aconcagua Valley where he produces 25 barrels of red wine a portion of which when it is available includes tempranillo which he is planting at a new vineyard in Cauquenes near the Italian-owned Caliboro winery.

Ed fostered an interest in tempranillo having worked a harvest in Spain and having spent time in Argentina where are a consultant for the Zuccardi family he developed a tempranillo wine. Of Chile he says, “There is very little tempranillo planted in Chile, maybe10 hectares so no one really knows what the potential of the variety is or where it grows best in Chile”. Ed selected Cauquenes for his new plantings of tempranillo, syrah, and cabernet franc because this coastal mountain region has just enough annual rainfall to allow dry farming. The area is heavily planted with 100 year old head trained mission grapes, called “país” in the Spanish. Ed says, “the Red clay soils, rolling hills and moderate climate 40 kilometers from the coast have started to produce some really good red wines from carignan, carménère, syrah and a occasional cabernet sauvignon.”

UK Agent: Boutique Wines of Chile

Koyle

For Chileans the name “Undurraga” is synonymous with those odd shaped wine bottles with the wide bottom. But that is history as the family has sold the label. In its place they have planted 35 hectares in the upper Colchagua Valley and joined the ranks of boutique winemakers in Chile. The father Alfonso and daughter Rebecca work in finance and administration while one of the sons, also named Alfonso, works both at the new winery and as commercial manager at Matetic. The other son Cristobal left his day job working at Aurelio Montes´s Kaiken winery in Argentina after having worked one vintage at Chateau Margaux, another in Napa Valley, and at the Rosemount Estate where he picked up English saying his French is pretty bad but improves with a glass or two of Bordeaux. Having quit working for others he has plunged headlong full-time into the new family venture working as enologist and viticulturist. Cristobal says he went to work in these overseas wineries to gain experience that he could apply to Undurraga. At the Rosemount Estate he says he learned to apply quality standards to really large quantities of wine. At Chateau Margaux he found winemaking with passion coupled with a constantly development of new techniques. He bundled those experiences into what he calls a “fusion” of old and new world styles and brought them back to his native Chile.

Koyle is located in a corner of the Colchagua Valley where grows a rare purple flower of the same name. The vineyard situated here at the foothills of the Andes is divided into three terraces. Syrah and carménère in the bottom terrace are planted on grafted rootstock to reduce their vigor. But cabernet sauvignon and other red grapes planted on less vigorous soils are planted on their own roots. The vines are so well balanced that they require hedging only once per year or not at all during the growing season.

UK Agent: Genesis

Polkura

Polkura vineyard in the Colchagua Valley produces exclusively syrah on yellow granite soil whose name in the Mapuche language is “Polkura”. The partners here include Sven Bruchfeld who was chief winemaker at the giant Chilean winery Santa Carolina.

Having quit Santa Carolina last year to pursue his 2,000 case boutique winery full-time, Sven Bruchfeld is one of Ed Flaherty´s protogées from Errazuriz. This Chilean whose mother is from Norway planted the Polkura vineyard in 2002. The property is located between the large estates of Casa LaPostolle and the Rothchild properties in Santa Cruz and the black sand beaches of Pichelimu. Of his location west of the larger vineyards in Sven says, “It is sort of an area in between. It is not cool climate, but it is not warm climate either. So you get cool climate character on the nose but on the palette is it more warm climate–more full bodied and textured wine.”

Agent in UK: Direct Wines Ltd

Antiyal

Alvaro Espinoza and his wife farm Marina Ashton farm two vineyard red wine grapes in Maipo. In 1996 they planted Antiyal which is 1 hectare of carménère, cabernet sauvignon and syrah valley vineyard followed by Kuyen which is another hectare of syrah and cabernet sauvignon. Alvaro is considered by many in Chile to be the innovator of the boutique winery concept and Chile´s foremost biodynamic grape grower having planted the Emiliana Organic Vineyard and others. He is much in demand from his grape growing and winemaking clients so his wife Marina takes care of day-to-day operations of the family vineyard. Marina says, “We started Antiyal Winery, with the vision of making a family wine teaching our kids to make wine, have a nice time, and grow grapes organically in our own vineyard.” With accolades flowing in from the international press this small family business soon became a full-fledged winery producing 19,000 bottles per year leaving Marina with her hands full. She says, “In the year 2000, we stated selling and I started helping Alvaro, I had another job, but then we had more and more orders. Someone needed to take care of the day to day work.” The vineyard is readily identifiable as one of Alvaro´s biodynamic projects with flowers planted in the vineyard rows to attract beneficial insects and chickens scratching at the soil to get rid of the bad ones, mainly mites. Horse drawn plows cultivate the soil instead of tractor mounted equipment. The weather here in Maipo is for the most part rain free so there is no need to spray systemic nor manufactured chemicals. Because the vineyard is biodynamic the harvest and training of the vines is timed to the rhythm of the moon and stars. Compost replaces fertilizer.

UK Agent: Adnams

Facundo

Facundo is not a winery but a label. These wines are produced by the husband and wife team of Felipe García, a winemaker from Casas del Bosque; and Constanza Schwaderer, whose day job is making wine at Córpora where her husband says she is in charge of all the top projects. Formerly, Felipe was a winemaker at Calina which is Kendall Jackson´s operation in Chile. He says working at Calina he learned to buy high quality grapes from such farm flung locales as the Limari Vallley. Of that experience he says, “For that reason the grapes that we choose for our project are really small growers with unique conditions.” Now he sources grapes for Facuno from Itata Valley to the South and Limari in the bone dry North.

Facundo does not have their own winery nor equipment so they use the facilities of the Tabonkö winery where works his former boss from Kendall Jackson. While acknowledging that it could be difficult for anyone to work too much time with one´s spouse, Felipe says his wife brings some French perspective to this Chilean operation. Felipe says his wife, who he calls “Cony”, worked side by side with French winemaker Pascal Marchard making pinot noir and chardonnay in he Burgundian fashion. Córpora have been a joint venture with the Boisset family of Burgundy then called “Veranda” but then Córpora bought out the French.

UK Agent: No agent in the UK

By Walker Elliott Rowe.
http://www.rosewoodhillfarm.com

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IT’S ALMOST LAST CALL FOR SUMMER BEERS

Plenty of variety and taste to help cool off after a long day…..Head to the cooler at your local liquor store around this time of year and you will likely see a lot of beers with the word “Summer” on their labels. Most are quite good, like Samuel Adams Summer Ale or the Summer Blonde from Lambertville’s River Horse Brewing. But, as the mercury climbs towards the top of the thermometer, there are other beers available that can help beat the heat and compliment food straight off the grill.
By JOHN HOLL
AndesWines.com

There are, of course, the year-round offerings from large breweries that are typically associated with this time of year, including Corona and the beers ending in “Lite” but there are others to be considered as well.

Pale ales, for example, offer a crisp brew with a not-so-overwhelming finish of hops. Or a wheat beer, brewed with yeast, that gives the beer a highly carbonated and cloudy appearance, but can be a perfect thirst quencher.

For those looking for a change, the saison style beer should add to summer’s enjoyment. Typically brewed during the cooler months, it’s usually released around this time of year.

So, before the summer ends and the brewing world turns its full attention to autumn and Octoberfest, take a look around the display case and give one of these styles a swirl in the glass.

SIERRA NEVADA: Kellerweis

Introduced earlier this year, the Kellerweis is a light and refreshing beer with deep complexity of flavor. The yeast provides hints of fruit flavors and spices, including ripe banana and clove. This hazy-golden beer glows with suspended yeast creating a velvety texture. The brewery says it’s perfect for a sunny day, but members of a recent NewJerseyNewsroom tasting panel said this beer is perfect for any day and is among the finest new large scale releases from an American craft brewery in quite a while.

That sound you hear? Beer lovers cheering the fact that Sierra Nevada plans to make the Kellerweis available year round.

SAMUEL SMITH: ORGANIC FRUIT BEERS

Long known for making exceptional beers, the small and historical Melbourn Bros. Brewery has introduced three wonderful fruit beers, in cherry, raspberry and strawberry. The complex multiple yeast strains used to ferment these beers lead to a beautiful marriage with pure, rich certified organic fruit.

FULL SAIL BREWING: LTD 03 and Session Black Premium Dark Lager

Summer is made for pilsners. Crisp and served cold, they’re the beer most Americans think of during this time of year. Full Sail Brewing in Oregon released a limited edition pilsner, simply named 03, just in time for the warm weather.

Pale golden in color, it features a spicy floral hop aroma, a malty medium body and a smooth thirst-quenching finish. For after hours, Full Sail also offers its Session Black Premium Dark Lager, which is short, dark and totally drinkable. The initial tastes are a subtle pairing of caramel and chocolate malt flavors with precise hopping to provide an elegant citrus background to the delicate finish of dark cocoa.

FLYING FISH: Farmhouse Summer Ale

In the saison tradition, this New Jersey brewery delivers its tribute to the highly drinkable “every day” beers from French-speaking Belgium. The brewery in Cherry Hill is proud of the lightly filtered appearance with an earthy, spicy hop character. Pour it into a glass and enjoy the beautiful rich creamy head from the wheat, just before you sip it down.

With so many choices out there, these are just a few suggestions. The best advice is to experiment. Even if you don’t love the beer you choose, at least you had the experience of trying something new. You might also wind up finding a new Summer favoriate.

John Holl may be reached at johnholl@andeswines.com

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URUGUAY SPECIAL – PART IV: ANTIGUA BODEGA STAGNARI AND TOSCANINI

In our Fourth Uruguay’s Wine Special, we will tell you about two traditional families owners of Antigua Bodega Stagnari and Toscanini Wineries which were able to enter into the wine business thanks to the drive and trust on grape quality they own; a raw material in which they are working every day in the countryside in order to get wines with a singular character. AndesWines.com from Uruguay.
ANTIGUA BODEGA STAGNARI

The winemaker Laura Casella loves Merlot and we can notice this in her wines. We could taste a great variety of wines that make this grape a winery bastion which has to be well utilized.

The Antigua Bodega Stagnari is located in lands of stony soils covered by pink granite, different to other soils we visited in other wineries. It is a family enterprise led by Héctor Nelson Stagnari with his daughters Graciela and Virginia and his granddaughter Mariana and grandson Carlo.

Work is done with a careful, strict and handmade production technique in addition to the permanent quality search which has positioned wines as a result from the family vast experience transmitted from one generation to another.

They felt that climate change is a new factor to be considered in their wine production, especially in this year where great frost made load decreasing in 40% and drought then came in broad growth.

Wines are characterized for being elegant and balanced and they were awarded in prestigious world competences.

Having four Merlot –Osiris Merlot, Tannat Merlot, Merlot Prima Donna and Del Pedgral Merlot- Antigua Bodega Stagnari has a great challenge in making the difference with wines thought by women and for an international market. They have started exporting to Mexico, Belgium, Germany, Brazil, and Puerto Rico.

TOSCANINI WINERY

With young lady Celicilia Tortorelo’s enthusiasm, we decided to visit around Toscanini Winery located in Paso Cuello in the Canelón Chico. Then, the engineer Andrés Toscanini joined us and told us part of the family’s history.

The story begins when Juan Toscanini and his wife left Génova in 1894 to settle down in the area of Canelón Chico in Río de la Plata. In that palce, they rented a little piece of land which subsequently be bought and where they perform rural worker tasks.

In the year 1908 his own winery was founded and were elaborated 4200 wine litres which were commercialized under the brand “La Fuente”. From that moment, viticulture’s seed achieved to be strongly consolidated within the family, remaining through work and many generations.

Lands have a total extension of 90 hectares and are located in Paso Cuello and Canelón Chico regions, to the south of Uruguay. From the total, they own 75 hectares with vineyards on clay loamy soils and grass among rows, helping to compete by water.

Firstly, the purpose is to obtain a high-expression wine, keeping grape quality. For that purpose, grain structure is integrally maintained in winemaking process, controlling that fermentation is a suitable temperature and using the lowest quantity of elements externs to wine in order to reach the type of each variety. Its conservation is at low temperature, ageing in a French and American oak cask, carefully bottled and lastly establishment on heated places, finalizing the process.

They use grapes of their own processed vineyards supported by technology, but keeping art and tradition acquired in past generations.

Intensity And concentration of aromas and flavours created by growing grape process are due to the influence on these in the Atlantic Ocean, as it gives a great thermal fluctuation providing fresh nights and warm midday.

As most wineries which produce fine wine, from the total of production, 50% is for Fine Wine and 50% for table wine.

Adagio is one their well-known wines. Having 9.000 produced bottles, this wine goes out when grape quality requires it, due to its high company’ standards.

Wine quality is recognized in many national and international competences and within the most demanding markets where production is exported.

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WINE TAYLOR MADE TOURS IN ARGENTINA AND CHILE

If you are travelling to Argentina or Chile and want to contract an exclusive service of taylor made wine tours, write to us to andes@andeswines.com to quote our service of specialized tour guide. AndesWines.com has 9 years of experience in wine project development and has a global wine network in South America to investors, wine owners and wine lovers.

WINES OF URUGUAY – PART III: CARRAU AND JUANICO WINERIES

In this third report of our trip across Uruguay, organized by Wines of Uruguay, we will tell you more about two emblematic wineries: Carrau and Juanicó. The first one, is led by the family of the same name, and the second one, by the Deicas Family. In both cases, we will tell about their drive and perseverance carrying them to lead in their segments. AndesWines.com from Uruguay.
With wide experience on exports and new markets opening, Carrau Family continue to lead through innovation and tradition intermingling themselves to provide a wine with history. Having a conversation with Margarita, Javier and Francisco Carrau was a whole experience. Conversations were through adventures of wine fairs abroad to challenges faced in Chapeu.

For many years they bet to produce from 500 kilometres to the northwest of the country in Cerro Chapeu area – geographical area of red clayed soils- located to more than 320 kilometres above sea level. At the same time, they will produce wines in Brazil very close to the frontier.

Year 1972 is a key year to Carrau Winery, as it was there when Francisco Carrau Vehils bought the first vineyard of the family in Cataluña.

The arrival to Uruguay is due to Juan Carrau Sust -his grandson graduated from enology- was in charge of transporting the family arriving with his wife and five children: among them, Juan Francisco Carrau Pujol. Carray Sust was added to the creation of Santa Rosa winery which, between 1930 and 1940, growths with the state-of-the-art technology given by Francisco Carrau, who also contributes to Uruguay with methods, such as the champenoise and other specials.

In 1949, Carrau Pujol was in charge of the management of Santa Rosa, he got married and had 8 children: Javier, Margarita and Francisco, who currently manage the wineries.

In 1976, he founded Carrau Wineries, Castel Pujol’s project for which he imports grapes free from clonal selection virus revolving the established for that times. For the project conditions, on November of 1977, it is declared of national interest by the imminent interest of exporting and presenting to the world the Uruguayan wines.

This effect, makes the initial point of a new stage to be considered in the Uruguayan viticulture. Then, they should properly equip their Chapeu Hill’s vineyards, and also, acquire Pablo Varzi’s winery founded in 1887, which also is part of the Italian import to the wine history of Uruguay..

Years ago, Margarita Carrau was in charge of the Winery’s tourism area. She explained us that although they are receiving a large amount of cruise passengers, they now are prepared to receive even more, that is why they have been improving route and sectors to be visited.

JUANICO WINERY

The export managers Sarah Crowley and Nicolás Bonino, together with Fernando Deicas and the winemaker Jose María Lez Secchi, were the responsibles in guiding us in one of the wineries with the biggest exporting, tourist and commercial experience. Decline and knowlegement of the market is plausible, and due to economic crisis, make them to reflect on how to optimise their operations and improve their results.

Juanicó Winery is completely managed by Deicas family, as they own 100% shares. Its founder Juan Carolos Deicas with their sons Mariela and Fernando, and accompanied by the third generation have been dedicated to work with great effort. This, in order to give the establishment a framework, sharing the same passion for achieving the perfect conjugation that gives innovation and tradition for the best wines’ production.

In 1830, Francisco Juanicó broke up the farming area tradition of that time, when he built an wine cellar which was able to create high-quality wines due to the given natural weather. However, it was not until 1979 when finally world opportunities were opened for him.

That was the big change year, when Deicas family started to be responsible of Juanicó. With new airs, ideas and technologies and supported by industrial investment to face new and big challenges oncoming.

The first restructuring sign was in 1980, when the company was re-oriented giving more dedication to fine wine exploitation and French varieties. A soil and harvest study, unknown in Uruguay, discover that this is a region with the same qualities than Bordeaux area for grape harvesting. This way, France’s varieties harvesting started to be practiced, and in 1992 arose the first great Uruguayan wine: Preludio.

Preludio is the result of the mix of five varieties of the best cask selections, after two years of keeping in the mythical wine cellars.

Juanicó team is emphatic in pointing out that one of the main Uruguay’s weakness is no having a clear image which represents the country abroad, fact that makes harder to sale wines, as most people do not associate Uruguay as high-quality wine producers.

Currently, they own 30-35% of Uruguayan market, opportunity that makes them to be on the sale strategies leadership and promotion of their wines. From the total produced, 80% is used in internal market and 20% in foreign market.

They have 300 vineyards hectares. Winery is inserted in the community, specially in Juanicó village, fact that highlights when crossing the highway in all their road signs. This characteristic resulted in that a big part of the Juanicó’s inhabitants are working in the winery, adding over 300 people in harvest period, and near 100 in a fix way, revitalizing significantly the sector.

Juanicó region is characterized by its clayey-lime soils, with waves that help water drainage, ensuring the best conditions to high-quality wines.

In the wine variety harvested in Juanicó, clones and suitable draft-holders are rigorously chosen in order to leverage them qualitatively. This allows also the great homogeneity of the produced fruit.

They have high standards of the selection of their grapes, which make them to have the first selection in the same vineyard, a second selection on the table to enter grapes into the winery, and a third selection by hand to enter into winemaking.

Tourism area is one of the company’s recent challenges. That is why they have 12 people as staff actively participating in visitors’ guidance and attention, besides assisting the innumerable enterprise events carrying out during the year.

Every year new surfaces are planted assisting the constant global demands, thanks to the varieties restructuring in their lots by re-grafting or top change.

Andes Wines Communications ™
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117
andes@andeswines.com

CONSOLIDATION OF BODEGA NORTON’S WINES

Luis Steindl, Operations Manager hosted our tour through Bodega Norton, a traditional Mendoza-based company that managed to set as one of the leading wineries in Argentina. At that time, we sampled a wide variety of wines in order to understand their philosophy. And more…
In 1889, Edmund James Palmer Norton settles in Argentina with a fixed goal of building bridges between Chile and Argentina. However, he searched for other activities, too, that 6 years later would turn into the first winery from the southern region of the Mendoza river, Perdriel district located at Luján de Cuyo. After that, he starts importing grape varieties from France, beginning to work full-time in viticulture.

While living in Argentina he married Juana Suárez who bore his children. By the time of his death, he was remembered by being noble and warm, features that helped him to create bonds with this land.

Given its location and wine quality, almost 100 years later, the Austrian entrepreneur Gernot Langes Swarovski, purchased the winery and asked his son Michael to run Bodega Norton along with a select team of local professionals who created an upgrading plan in the facility and helped to achieve a progressive increase in the new vineyards.

As stated by Luis Steindl during our visit, “We make a difference by being detail-focused. There are several brands of wine in the world. I always wonder why someone would choose my bottle. What’s new or different in our product that would draw our customer’s attention?. Our challenge is to develop an internationally well known brand that will offer a quality wine under a good price.”

In this path towards quality, the Norton team has been saving many wines: from a 1944 Tannat to others from the sixties, apart from other “gems”: 1.752 bottles of a 1974 Malbec that has shown a great storage potential surprising even the most demanding tastes by the liveliness of the fruit and varietal feature. Under Norton’s philosophy of saving old harvests luxury wines, customers have grown great interest in doing so as well.

Among the innovations, since 1997 Norton owns a winery in Chang Li, China-technically supported by Argentina. Their wines are so far designed to meet exclusively the Chinese high standard market luxury wines requirements. At the same time, and undoubtedly, Norton is the best-selling Argentinian brand in that country.

Finally, and to honor the owner, Bodega Norton launched “Gernot Langes”, a selection of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that managed to take the form of the winery ‘s philosophy, in constant search for excellence.

Andes Wines Communications ™
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117
andes@andeswines.com

FORMER WINEMAKER OF CHILEAN CHATEAU LAFITE´S ROTHSCHILD WINERY LOS VASCOS BETS ON EUROPE

Freddy Grez Navarro, Bachelor of Science Degree in Enology and former Winemaker of Chilean Chateau Lafite´s Rothschild winery Los Vascos is looking for a job in Europe. The last couple of years, Freddy Grez has been working in several countries and prestigous wineries like Charles Krug Winery, Peter Mondavi Family, Viña Tarapacá ex Zavala, Viña La Posada.
In December 1988 he was chosen for the development of Viña Los Vascos-Lafite Rothschild Chile project from the beginning. This included the application of new Oenological techniques, full barriques managing, development of new products (reserve and premium wines), staff managing and domestics logistics of the winery, enlargement, remodeling and actualization of the wine cellar and all the equipment (tanks, barrels and machinery),etc. He worked mainly with Cabernet Sauvignon (premium, reserve, varietals and rosé), Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, being all it’s products exportation focused.

Because of this job, he travelled for technical and commercial reasons to several countries around the world (Europe, USA and South America). In those trips he enriched his Oenological skills about vinification techniques of grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Syrah, etc., and gave him much more knowledge and experience about the integral winery management.

The most successful goal for Freddy Grez was “Le Dix” from Viña Los Vascos”. At the same time, since his arrival in December 1988 until May 2001, the selling increased from 40.000 cases to 350.000 wine cases.

After his retirement of Viña Los Vascos he collaborated in Charles Krug Winery, Peter Mondavi Family, in Napa Valley, California, during 2001 harvest and then in Viña La Posada of Colchagua Valley until September 2007, where he produced the Premium Wine in Viña La Posada.

Since August 2008 to January 2009 he worked as a seasonal winemaker in Fresno, California, at the Golden State Vintners winery owned by The Wine Group and cooperated in the increases of the wine’s quality, tastings and blends for the selection of the different kinds of wines, specially for their exportation.

¿FOREIGN WINERIES SHOPPING IN CHILE?

This week, AndesWines.com confirmed a daring strategy that would show why Argentinian and foreign cellarmen want to invest in wine cellars and vineyards in the Chilean Limari, Maule and Bio Bio regions. At this point in Mendoza, Argentinian/Foreign and Chilean investors are already crossing borders to Chile to launch their wines. A greater number is expected for the next months given the Chilean remarkable diversity in climate and terroirs that suit the production of high standard wines.
AndesWines.com said that due to the current economic crisis there are several Chilean wine cellars and vineyards for sale throughout the country viticultural valleys. This represents a great opportunity for foreign investors if one considers that most of the Chilean wine cellars belong to Chilean owners. To assess this opportunity, a meeting of specialists on the field, winemakers and viticulture-investors was held.

“Given the present world economic circumstances, the trade and international investors are focusing on and improving their moves. That’s why both Malbec and Chilean Carménère are being recognized and used for spreading investments and for a logic strategy to create new sales, advantage that only Chile has taken so far. It is expected that Argentina will make its move now, in turn” as reported by AndesWines.com

“Argentinian cellarmen leading the U.S.A. and some Europe countries export markets have been asked about a time when a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc or Carmenere will be available in their portfolio and thus keep doing business with the same wine cellar”, said viticulture marketing consultant, Maximiliano Morales.

To answer that, Bodega Renacer, owned by Chilean Patricio Reich and located at Luján de Cuyo will introduce the first Casablanca Valley Chilean Sauvignon Blanc as told to AndesWines.com, an important news given their headquartes located in Argentina.

This fact is a clear strategic reaction coming from the more than 8 Chilean-owned vineyards in Mendoza that sell Argentinian Malbec under a Chilean label for years, or have added Malbec to their international wine portfolio.

An example of the above-mentioned was the acquisition of Chilean Chateau Los Boldos by Sogrape, who also owns Flichman in Argentina. In this case, it’s about a Portuguese investment seeing in Chile a sound opportunity to diversify their portfolio, therefore establishing a precedent to attract not only Portuguese investors but also Argentinian, American, French or Spanish.

After this, Colin Becker, M&A associate for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Chile, said that “when in crisis, there is a greater volatility in the exchange rate and a local shortage of resources, attractive conditions for foreign investors to invest in Chile. We advise this kind of investor as well as local owners, so we can feel a good deal of future investments being analyzed, most likely to close by the end of the second semester”.

In turn, Luis Enrique Alamos, a PwC Chile associate in charge of Retail & Consumer and an expert in the viticulture sector, says that “wine industry in Chile is advancing toward settlement, but the sector is still weak in the production area, so we see quite a few opportunities to develop. We are working in some now, hoping to settle properly given that buyer and seller points of view are now getting closer in their approach than in previous years “.

“Due to the current great dynamism in wine industry, given the worldwide economic conditions, we started to develop a positioning strategy in Limari, Maule and Bio Bio regions using high standard wines based on varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, looking into settling new viticultural investments and operations in Chile”, stated the consultant agronomist Maximiliano Morales.

Andes Wines
56-9-9-2197117
andes@andeswines.com

FORMER NEW YORK TIMES BEER JOURNALIST TO JOIN ANDESWINES.COM

After an almost nine year-period of developing an intensive internationalization process on the wine subject, the website AndesWines.com has extended its scope to beers, thanks to the recruitment of the distinguished American journalist John Holl.
Holl is a graduate from Seton Hall University, and writing about American beers and other subjects related to cocktails and drinks for the New York Times has been one of his major achievements. Thanks to this new columnist, AndesWines.com has definitely started a new stage that will hold the site as the only Latin American site to count on an American correspondent specialized in the field of international beers.

Holl has worked for over 15 years on subjects ranging from American politics to agriculture, and developing his career mostly at the New York Times, covering for instance the 9-11 terrorist attacks. He also writes for Forbes Auto, The Newark Star-Ledger, the Indianapolis Star, Cosmopolitan, Scholastic Administrator, New Jersey Life, among others.

Holl sends a monthly column from U.S.A written exclusively for AndesWines.com. In it, he analyses the new trends set by America’s small and big beer producers in order to get to know the people behind the creation and production processes, sealing their products with love and passion.

Andes Wines Communications ™
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117
andes@andeswines.com

NEW VINE GROWERS TO REVITALIZE THE BIO BIO REGION

It is a fact. The Bio Bio region is drawing the attention of a long listed number of investors interested in viticulture enterprises in the river banks of Bio Bio and Itata rivers, moved by several facts that make of the southern region a place with great potential to produce high quality wines,as well as the most promising region for the domestic viticulture activities.
On this whirl of high-budget investments, the standout areas are the surroundings of Los Angeles, Negrete, Mulchén and Laja , which are currently the attraction of both investors and vine growers such as Pedro Ibáñez from Viñedos Córpora, the Guilisasti family, and most recently the businessman Juan Sutil, with the acquisition of 494,21 acres in a close to Los Angeles area, which will be greatly used to the production of high quality wines.

Empresas Sutil is a well known domestic berry producer, apart from being a Coagra controller- second agricultural supply distributor in the country- and also the owner of Viña Sutil, Pacific Farm, Pacific Nut, among others.

Prestigious independent enologists, in turn, like Felipe García and Constanza Schwaderer are purchasing grapes from the Chillán area to produce wines under Bravado Wines label.

García y Schwaderer told AndesWines.com: “Itata Valley grapes deliver a world-class Cabernet Sauvignon – balanced wines with good tannin concentrations and graphite tannins – a unique feature for a great CS, and the cooler weather condition gives balanced wines , not burnt-tasting or alcohol excessive.”

“It is not a fashion for investors to be choosing Bio Bio region but a trend based on thorough research carried out by private companies that has shown a great regional strength to achieve an average price of over US$45/box, way over the US$24/box average current export price in the country”, as reported by AndesWines.com

The soil and climate diversity in association with the proper viticulture and winemaking techniques and management boost the production of extremely high quality wines in the Bio Bio region .

Andes Wines Communications ™
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117
andes@andeswines.com

CHILEAN WINE INVESTORS TAKE OVER 18% OF ARGENTINE WINE EXPORTATION

The Argentine wine scenario is still changing with the arrival of new Chilean investors who are still trusting and investing in areas such as Luján de Cuyo, La Consulta, Perdriel or Agrelo. This way, until December 2007, based on Caucasia Wine Thinking statistics, and supported by the leading Chilean newspaper, El Mercurio, if we consider the total of Argentine

bottled wines, Chilean/Argentine wineries have already taken 18% of the exported wine–all types and varieties. This percentage will keep increasing in the next years, according to the exclusive report from AndesWines.com

The last Chilean investors in arriving are “Espíritu de Argentina”, the name of the wine produced by the Chilean Winery Aresti in Argentina, in alliance with the German Distributor Racke. Also, Veramonte Winery of Casablanca valley in Chile, whose owner is the most well-known Chilean vintner in California, Agustin Huneeus, launched few weeks ago his Argentine Wine in order to conquer and expand his portfolio in the international market.

The AndesWines.com’s report pointed out the existence of others Chilean business with limited Malbec productions that are developing in the area of Vistalba. Therefore, in the next months there will be more surprises complemented with potential Argentine vineyard and winery acquisitions by other Chilean investors.

Since their arrival to the country, Chileans had the purpose to get the higher market share thanks to several strategies, like buying grapes at the beginning or joint ventures with prestigious wineries in order to carry out small productions to test the market before investing.

“Chilean investors and vintners have planned this strategy since the very first moment they started to buy wineries in Argentina. Therefore, this plan is going to expand and new wine players are planning since months to invest in Argentina in order to improve their global portfolio with Argentine Malbec and Torrontés, for example. One of the main reasons to invest in the other side of the Andes, is based on importers and distributors’ interest of many countries, such as United Kingdom, United States, China, Korea, Japan and others, in order to keep working with Chilean producers, and this way, to keep long commercial relationships, which are expanded now, with the Argentine Wine”, says the wine marketing consultant, Maximiliano Morales.

The current scenario of Chilean wine investments is Trivento (Concha y Toro), Kaikén (Montes), Bodega Renacer (Patricio Reich), Doña Paula (Santa Rita), Finca del Origen (Santa Carolina) and Bodega Universo Austral (Viñedos Córpora). Finally, Viña San Pedro and Viña Tarapacá are on a merger process, creating a new and great wine exporter, producing the merger of Finca La Celia and Tamari in Argentina, as well.

However, this tendency to cross over the Andes has not convinced everybody: one of the most important wine players in Chile, who created the “Berling Tasting”, Eduardo Chadwick, owner of Errázuriz, Seña and Caliterra, has always pointed out in several interviews on wine press that he will continue promoting Chilean wines and he will not invest in Argentina.

Andes Wines Communications
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117
andes@andeswines.com

ALEXANDRE SCHMITT: THE NOSE CONSULTING THE WORLD’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS ENOLOGISTS

OLFACTION SEMINAR IN CHILE: The French perfumer, Alexandre Schmitt, who nowadays is working in Bordeaux Faculty of Enology teaching prestigious winery’s enologists and wine professionals on olfaction in Spain, France and United States, announced his visit to Chile between January 12th and 23rd 2009 in order to dictate the First Olfaction Seminar in South America.

Schimitt works as a consultant to Jean-Claude Berrouet (Taransaud Barrels, Château Pétrus, Lafleur-Pétrus, Trotanoy, Magdeleine), Château d’Yquem, Château Margaux, Tim Mondavi, Geneviève Janssens (Robert Mondavi Winery), Michael Silacci (Opus One), Marimar Torres (Miguel Torres wineries), Kendall Jackson, among others.

He has been called the “Guard of the Essences”, the “Nose of the World”, and according to his words: “the smelling sessions are a new tool for winemakers, which offers the possibility to develop the sensitivity of our sense of smell and to record in our memory a large amount of aromas.” Evidently, the extent of our aromatic knowledge is related to the degree of our immersion in this universe.

Before and after the Olfaction Seminar, different meetings with well-known national winemakers, who have been interested in personally meet him, will be carried out. Even wine valleys that want to carry out private activities to their producers have been contacted. That is why a very hectic week is expected.

In Europe, seminars have been dictated successfully in different places such as Bordeaux, Barcelona, La Rioja, Madrid, Rueda, Porto, Alentejo, the Douro Valley, confirming the vast interest in participating on the exclusive seminar. Many important figures or famous wineries have been already trained such as Jean-Claude Berrouet (Château Pétrus, Lafleur-Pétrus, Trotanoy, Magdeleine), Château d’Yquem, Château Margaux, Taransaud Barrels in Cognac, Tim Mondavi, Geneviève Janssens (Robert Mondavi Winery), Michael Silacci (Opus One), Marimar Torres (Miguel Torres wineries), Kendall Jackson wineries, Viader winery, Diageo (Beaulieu Vineyards), Merryvale, Dominus Estate, etc. Alexandre Schmitt works as well with the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto and the Catholic University in Porto.

Eighteen years ago, Schmitt met the Château Pétrus Technical Director- one of the most prestigious in the world- Jean-Claude Berrouet, who motivated him to specialize in the wine world. He recently said in an interview: “For the past fifteen years Alexandre has regularly enlightened me with his knowledge of the world of olfaction. First I became conscious of the discovery of the invisible, and then I learned how to develop my sense of smell in order to improve my enjoyment of everyday life. The ability to precisely identify certain aromatic components allows me to improve my assessments on a professional level, and, therefore, to feel self-assured and perform better in analytical wine tastings ……it’s a real pleasure!”

The Olfaction Seminar will be completely organized and coordinated by Andes Wines and Wine & Olfaction Consulting, and is aimed to Winemakers, Vine-Growers, Agronomists, Sommeliers, Vineyards owners and businessman who are actively participating in the wine world. The smelling sessions have a dual purpose: to structure our smelling universe and to teach us to describe smells with an accurate use of the rich vocabulary at our disposal. To memorize aromas is first and foremost to learn how to describe them.

It is clear that through a constant, stubborn and guided smelling practice we can acquire a sound knowledge of the aromatic descriptors of wine. It is surprising to see that wine professionals and amateurs taste wine without having ever received olfactory training. The best musicians spend years studying music theory and practicing scales on a daily basis. Why should it be different for wine professionals who use their sense of smell every day?

The First Level course will last four sessions of four hours each. On this introduction of what olfaction is in the wine field, all aromatic describers which are used in wine tasting and all smell families presented in wine will be analyzed.

GENERAL BACKGROUND

Schmitt is the only perfumer working with the wine world. He was born in Bordeaux in 1967. Firstly, he studied Chemistry at the University of Science of Bordeaux where he had an entrance examination on olfaction, and he trained himself in an autodidact way, smelling everything he could. Then, at 23 he began a creator of perfumes, thanks to his studies made in International Superior Institute of Perfumery, Cosmetics Food Aromas in Versailles.

Throughout the years, Alexandre Schmitt has been able to identify about 1500 different smells or aromas. Within the Seminar about 150 references are analyzed, as it is a matter of practice and a lot of perseverance.

If we compare a winemaker with a perfumer, both use the sense of smell in a very different way. Their two worlds are actually very different. It is why Alexandre Schmitt has been needed 10 years to adapt and to adjust his knowledge from the perfumery into the wine field. Regarding this point, Alexandre Schmitt says: “Perfume makers and winemakers are not used to smelling in the same concentration of alcohol. Ethanol plays an important role, because it spreads the smell. In perfume, ethanol concentration is around 90°, whereas in wine it usually varies between 12º and 18°. Besides this point, the concentration of aromatic components in perfume usually is around a few grams/litre whereas in wine we can perceive molecules in concentrations of around a microgram/ litre, a million times less concentrated.

More, the compounds are not the same in perfumes and wines. There are molecules in the wine that nobody will ever find in the perfume and vice versa… On the other hand, what is interesting is the fact that perfumers and winemakers, both use their sense of smell and try to identify, analyse, describe and, finally, to memorize smells. Concerning this last point, the advantage goes to the perfume makers, who usually get to know thousands of smells, while winemakers are only able to identify about one hundred different aromas.”

Although the perception and memory of each person is unique and different, everybody has more or less the same sense of smell and we feel the same way, and through an olfactory education, a universal vocabulary to describe aromas can be established.

Before learning to appreciate aromas in wine, original aromas must be recognized through an isolated reference used to give an intense and exact mark on mind. This way, wine professionals can practice in a better way. The idea is to structure their smelling universe and there is no other way to do it.

The reason why influential winemakers of France, United States and other countries trust his consultancy is because it gives them an opportunity to go in depth and specialize in the olfaction world, and at the same time, practice it. Generally, enologists are concentrated in knowing very well the defective molecule and forget that wine is a pleasure.

Andes Wines
andes@andeswines.com
(56) 9-9-219 7117

Translated by Paulina Rojas R.

NEW PLATFORM IS CREATED TO ATTRACT FOREIGN CAPITAL FOR WINE AND TOURISM

AndesWines.com and Metroprop.cl Property Management have seal an strategic alliance to create a platform for contact and business that wants to give a solution to the need of placement of new capital in Chile and to act as a consultant for the investors during the whole process of implementation. The main goal of this alliance is to seek and process informationfrom all lands, properties and actives related to the viticultural and touristic area so that they will have a national register of available and ready to be sold properties. More information in andes@andeswines.com

These international networks of both companies will offer business opportunities through a selective search of potential national and international investors that are interested in developing a business in Chile.

According to Sebastián Salazar B., commercial manager and real state agent partner of Metroprop.cl: “We are now managing an important amount of lands in different regions suitable for developing projects of real state, tourism and forest, and thanks to this alliance with AndesWines we will expand the spectrum of business by adding the viticultural area.

Another area that will be develop thanks to this union is the promotion if touristic places for the construction of lodges and elite hotels due to the growing foreign interest in Chile and its natural beauty. This will be achieve by searching for the best lands close to areas of high foreign touristic flow, such as sky centers, San Pedro de Atacama and Patagonia. These places will be internationally available for foreign and national investors that are interested in developing elite projects in tourism of special interest.

The importance of some people or companies, as well as their nationality, makes them require highly specialized and efficient services, therefore, commercial and legal analysis of the properties is basic in order to develop projects that are profitable and sustainable in time so that they guarantee the investment of our customers.

Regarding the viticultural industry, the objective is to professionalize the first viticultural real state agency, which is now at days trilingual (German, English and Spanish). This specialization will be performed through the wine market place at http://www.andeswines.com that will make available a varied offer of information, such as vineyard and wineries for rent or sale, public or confidential at the web page, as well as lands that are suitable for developing viticultural projects aiming at attracting investors interested in inverting in Chile.

Andes Wines Communications ™
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117 / (56) 41-221 6106
andes@andeswines.com

Translated by Paulina Figueroa Spaudo

NEW TRILINGUAL WINE BROKER OF LANDS AND CELLARS OPENING

After six years of collecting databases from the wine industry and also from private investors such as the finance, oil, forest, mining and fishing industry, AndesWines.com announces the opening of the first specialized and trilingual (German, English and Spanish) wine broker through its wine market place where a varied offer of vineyards and cellars for sale or rent will be presented confidentially or published on the web site. Lands which are suitable for the development of new wine projects to attract capitalists to invest in Spain, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, which are countries that have great growth projections.
Thus, winegrowers and investors from different parts of the world will have access to a confidential search strategy of capitalists or joint ventures that begins since the potential client gets in touch with the company through the web site or the following e-mail address andes@andeswines.com. Afterwards, the client will be assisted by an executive of the company to receive the official request for a specific and personalized search.

GENERAL BACKGROUND:

The wine crisis, caused by the fall in dollar prices and other factors such as the high competitiveness of countries like Australia and Spain, is causing significant buying and selling of vineyards and wine cellars in Chile and Argentina. This constitutes a business opportunity that was predicted several years ago by financial specialists and the wine industry itself.

The wine marketing company AndesWines.com points out that in Chile, more than fifteen vineyards and cellars have been put up for sale confidentially in different wine lands such as Colchagua, Casablanca, Maule, Curico and Itata. The reason for this has been specific circumstances such as the fall in dollar prices and bad financial handling, but new solutions like the selling of these assets and products or the establishment of joint ventures between foreign and national capitals are being considered to provide new resources for their expansion.

Many Chilean cellars specialize in vinifying wine for other countries like Australia or Spain that have businesses in Chile with the purpose to generate resources and survive in the competitive world of bottled wine.
Other companies specialize in the production and export of wine in bulk, which in large volume (millions of liters) is a profitable business that unfortunately affects in a direct way the image and opinion that foreign people have of Chilean wine, due to this kind of wine has been exported in flexitanks and bottled in Germany or China to be sold at lower prices than those produced in the original vineyards. Furthermore, those countries destroy all the effort of the few private and state Chilean wine campaigns, in which the image of bottled wine with designation of origin has been improved.

SEARCH FOR WINE INVESTORS

In the last three years, AndesWines.com has contact more than 2.500 vineyards and cellars in twelve different countries, as well as with more than 350 private investors, investment banks, entrepreneurs from different industries and angel investors that follow and monitor the Spanish, Argentinen, Chilean and Uruguayan market, due to the great strengths that they have in key factors such as climate and ground variety, economic skilled labor, and the most important; an exceptional quality of wine that holds several representative vines such as Malbec, Carmenere, Tannat or Tempranillo as differentiating factors.

AndesWines.com is trying to attract investors from Argentina, Germany, United States and Australia because it can not be forgotten that many Argentinean cellars are handled by international investment banks unlike in Chile, country that maintains different free trade agreements with other countries and has more opportunities to generate businesses if wine marketing and global positioning strategies are developed.

Andes Wines Communications ™
(56) 9 – 9-219 7117 / (56) 41-221 6106
andes@andeswines.com

Translated: Carolina Fuenzalida

TOURISM IS NECESSARY AS A WINE MARKETING STRATEGY

Business and convention tourism, as well as adventure tourism have become a very effective tendency to promote Chilean wine, if we consider the great flow of visitors that the different tourist destinations welcome. Tastings and presentations on luxory or expedition cruise ships or in far away regions such as Futaleufú and San Pedro de Atacama are the most recurrent activities for hotels, lodges or tourist companies for moments of leisure and relaxation when tourists are eager to taste wines in thematic tastings.

According to the informations gathered by the viticultural marketing company Andes Wines during the last two years, Chile has learned to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the massive arrival of foreigners in the country. Nevertheless, the vineyards have not understood the real impact of having thousands of potential consumers tasting the products and that when they return to their countries they could continue buying wines.

An example of innovation that has been developed over the last two years, is the wine tastings on the National Geographic Endeavour Cruise Ship where the presence of several national brands is coordinated to carry out wine tastings to more than one hundred passengers that own huge purchasing power.

What is important in these types of inititives is that the vineyards work in coordination with the export and national sales areas because in most of the cases where national wines are included in the activities, the integration must be achieved in order to capitalize on the benefits of promoting the brand to foreign consumers in the country.

That is why fidelization strategies among clients are important after the development of very segmented marketing actions. In the case of these tastings on the cruise ships and after the voyage is finished, the passengers may request information about the wines tasted by email or the informative newsletter that was developed by AndesWines.com in English as an effective marketing tool that currently reaches more than 75,000 contacts in twelve countries classified as consumers, retailers, distributors and wine importers.

On the other hand, there is another problem that can be seen in most of the wine list of hotels, lodges, and restaurants: they do not have the wine variety that a tourist usually finds in his home town. There is thus, an obvious lack of coordination between producers, distribution and advertising that has to be included by the organized campaigns.

Andes Wines Communications
andes@andeswines.com
(56) 9-9-219 7117 / (56) 41-221 6106

Grapes are good…wine even better!!!

Translated by Valentina Ljubetic N.

MICHEL ROLLAND: CHILEAN WINES HAVE PROGRESS THE LAST 15 YEARS

Michel Rolland gave an exclusive interview to AndesWines.com where he radically changed his vision of Chilean Wines- in fact – now, few days ago confirmed that “Chile has progressed very much during the last 15 years and numerous wines, today, show the enormous potential of this country.

The history is only beginning and Chile will confirm the leadership in the major producing wine countries in the world.” He also refers to new wine regions in Argentina since it is an interesting part of his profession. “Rio Negro, due to the latitude and the South of Buenos Aires are new wine areas that need to be explored and where the viticulture is recent. I have always liked to work for new projects. Rio Negro is a land that has possibilities to produce real quality wines”

Rolland, during the last thirty years as wine consultant has worked with over 200 wineries in 17 countries and now, he thinks, he would work with another Chilean winery if Casa Lapostolle authorizes him to do it, which is not the occasion now.

On the other side of the Andes- Argentina- Rolland started to work with several wine regions like Neuquén, Mendoza and South of Buenos Aires, besides the wines he is consulting for Clos de los Siete Wine Investment Group with French partners.

In Chile, a few days ago, the Argentine wines of Rolland participated in a Tasting for the “Circulo del Vino de Andes Wines” – Val de Flores (2004), Cuvelier Los Andes (Collection 2005), Grand Vin (2005), Monteviejo 2005, Linda Flor (Petite Fleur), besides Clos Apalta of Casa Lapostolle from Colchagua Valley in Chile. The wines were tasted by journalists, enologists and sommeliers in the Club Union el Golf, reaffirming that the favourite of all the tasted wines was the Chilean wine, another sign that Chile has started to work the upscale wine since the last 15 years.

AndesWines.com asked Rolland about the emblematic vine-stock of Argentina – The Malbec- and he said “The Malbec found a special place in Argentina. We could think that in other areas you can get very good wines, but will take a lot of time to discover the best sites and to understand the best conditions for winemaking. Argentina and Cahors’s region in France already have a history with Malbec’s very old vineyards.”

What do you think about the evolution of the Chilean wines lately? Some day we will see Michel Rolland in other wine valleys of Chile advising in the future?

Chile has progressed very much during the last 15 years and numerous wines, today, show the enormous potential of this country. The history is only beginning and Chile will confirm the leadership in the major producing countries in the world.

When I started working for Casa Lapostolle Lapostolle, he granted exclusivity at that time and there are little chances that I would take another consulting in Chile, except if Casa Lapostolle authorizes me to, but it is not the case today.

Can you tell us which other vine-stocks- non traditional- according to you have potential to be developed?

Great part of my work is, certainly, based on traditional vine-stocks. But in Portugal and Brazil, we work with the vine-stocks called Tourriga. This vine-stock shows very interesting characteristics.

In all the countries where I travel, if national vine-stocks exist, I try to see if it is possible to work them and do interesting wines. It will take a lot of time to obtain the adapted vineyard and to understand these vine-stocks in order to get the maximum quality wines.

Any message for new winemakers who are beginning to work and are unmotivated for this complex and competitive industry?

Always there is competition in all the fields. The enologists must do the best possible wines in the regions where they are. Because of it, a lot of work, curiosity and enthusiasm is needed. It is the secret of the success and is what allows to take a fantastic life as I have.

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CARMENERE BLIND TASTING IN “CIRCULO DEL VINO IN CHILE – WINE CIRCLE OF ANDES WINES”

This past Saturday, “El Círculo del Vino de Andes Wines – Wine Circle of Andes Wines” organized the first Blind Tasting of Carmenere in Concepción incharge of consulting winemaker Francois Massoc. The event had an excellent attendence and was sponsored by Club de Lectores del Mercurio Newspaper. The group of 25 guests tasted eight wines of six wine valleys from Chile and the best evaluated were 1810 from Casa Donoso Winery and Cavas Submarinas from Casanueva Winery in Itata Valley.

ESTIMATED 9,000 PEOPLE ATTEND ZAP’S 16TH ANNUAL TASTING

San Francisco, Calif—An estimated 9,000 people attended the 16th Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) Tasting on Jan. 27 at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. Attendance figures were up significantly from the 2006 tasting, which drew just over 8,000 people. Thirty-six new wineries poured at this year’s event, bringing the total number of participating producers to 273. Nearly 550 different Zinfandel wines were available for sampling.

The ZAP tasting is touted as the world’s largest single-varietal wine event, and the lines of Zinfandel fans spanning the parking lot left little room for doubt. Approximately 2,000 people lined up outside the event’s two pavilions before the tasting began, and mounted police officers stood by to monitor the crowd. Once inside, tasters sampled an array of Zinfandel wines, many with tongue-in-cheek names like VineAgra (which, at 17% alcohol, probably has the opposite effect of its namesake pharmaceutical) and Z52.

“The festival was a smashing success and overall, ZAP was able to show the diversity of Zinfandels being made today,” said Justin Boeger of Boeger Winery, president of the ZAP board of directors. “There is such a diversity of Zinfandel winemaking styles that it keeps people curious and enthusiastic in returning every year to the festival.”

The festival also offers benefits for participating wineries, Boeger added. “ZAP offers something unique—a chance to develop personal relationships between consumers and producers.”

This year’s ZAP Festival encompassed a total of four events, including the Tasting, Flights, Good Eats and An Evening With the Winemakers. Held on Jan. 24, Flights featured an afternoon of panel discussions, tastings and seminars led by Zinfandel winemakers and experts. On Jan. 25, Good Eats & Zinfandel attracted 1,100 people to Fort Mason Center for a walk-around food and wine tasting in which wineries were paired with restaurants. An Evening With the Winemakers Benefit Auction and Dinner, held at the Fairmont Hotel on Jan. 26, drew 200 people and raised more than $80,000 for the Heritage Vineyard Pro