green cork
By Sylvia Jansen, Sommelier( ISG, CMS), CSW
Growing conditions for Chile’ s grape vines are ideal compared to many other wine regions. Stretching a thin line along the western edge of South America, Chile basks in variations on the Mediterranean climate. Warm, dry summers, long growing seasons, and rain that falls mainly, and conveniently, in winter all help produce good grape harvests. Water from the rush of snow melting in the Andes in spring is systematically directed into irrigation channels for added moisture when needed. On top of all these benefits( in some cases, because of them), Chile enjoys an ecosystem with relatively few vineyard pests, blights, and problems.
Even with these advantages, organic practices are not the norm. The international market for cheap and cheerful wines from the country has not encouraged the development of sustainable grape growing, organic practices, or even biodynamics. Grape growers battle mildews and blights like others around the world. Using regular doses of fertilizers, fungicides, and pesticides can give consistent, if not exciting wine.
Led by producers who are aiming at high quality wines with low intervention in the vineyard, Chile is getting greener, and getting better. A number of Chilean producers have been willing to invest in organic grape-growing as well as winery facilities with low environmental impact.
Viña Ventisquero has taken an approach that focuses on uncompromising quality based on sustainable viticulture. They believe in a balanced environment for grape growing: conserving soils, recycling wastewater, diversifying crops, and preserving habitats. Ventisquero’ s wines have risen to the top quickly: within only a few years of production, they are regarded as one of Chile’ s top ten quality producers. Viña Pérez Cruz takes a similar approach. Pérez Cruz uses a minimal intervention strategy in the vineyard, a remarkable standard of care in harvest, and an ultra-modern winery facility that sees low energy consumption and a focus on quality. Their wines are characterdriven and memorable.
In the San Antonio Valley, Matetic Vineyards is also doing impressive work. The producer describes itself as“ the future of Chilean wine” with good reason: they are combining a brilliantly modern winery with all-organic grape production. A flagship line is named EQ, short for equilibrio, the Spanish word for balance. Matetic has a strong commitment to maintaining balance and harmony among soil, climate, and their vines. Starting from the 2004 harvest, Matetic has produced certified organic grapes, and is embracing biodynamic principles. Matetic’ s wines receive high praise from critics and consumers alike.
Among small Chilean producers, Viña Casa Marin is the boldest and most daring. Owner Maria Luz Marín produces great wines using sustainable viticultural techniques. In her quest to produce attention-getting wines, Marín has also helped inject economic prosperity into a previously overlooked region, quietly bringing a sense of social equity to her work.
Backing away from the cafeteria of chemicals available to grape growers is not always easy, and it is not always the least expensive way of making wine. Those who are doing it well are grabbing the headlines for quality wine. They are showing the rest of the pack that a green Chile is a world force.
GREEN GUIDE Three degrees of going green in wine production:
Sustainable Viticulture: Avoiding chemical interventions as much as possible, using them only when necessary.
Organic: Avoiding industrial synthesized compounds and using only natural fertilizers.“ Certified organic” indicates formal certification; some organic growers do not take the formal steps for certification but follow organic practices.
Biodynamics: Organic farming’ s extreme sport, biodynamics goes beyond eliminating chemicals and seeks a balance among soil, vines, planet, and cosmos. Techniques include using herbal, organic, and mineral preparations.
GREEN CORK tags on Banville & Jones wine shelves indicate wines from around the globe that are produced under these three categories. Ask our wine experts to tell you their stories! � www. banvilleandjones. com 53