21 Aug 2014 - Today's Throwback Thursday article is the following piece originally published nearly 10 years ago in response to my complaint that Chile was not taking full advantage of the country's suitability for organic viticulture. It seems particularly appropriate in the light of the claims published this week by The Drinks Business that 'Chile should go 100% organic'. It also announced that the country's biggest wine producer Concha y Toro has just launched a wine made from old País and Cinsault vines in Maule, the long-neglected southern wine region whose potential we have been singing about for some years. Just put Maule in our general search box and you will find a wide array of articles, including a post-earthquake report with many a haunting image, such as this one.
19 Sep 2004 – Monty Waldin, British wine writer who specialises in organic subjects (and author of a past and forthcoming book on the subject), thinks that in Organic viticulture sweeps Chile, not, I may be being unduly pessimistic about Chile's lackadaisical attitude to its capability for organic viticulture. He has kindly supplied the following list of all the organic Chilean vineyards known to him last year. Certainly once all of these vineyards are fully on stream and their produce in the bottle, Chile will become much more fertile hunting ground for those seeking organic wine.
- Aguatierra: 31.56 hectares in Limarí Valley certified organic by IMO* since March 8 2001.
- Alempue: 50 hectares wine grapes in Curicó Valley (?) due to be fully certified organic by IMO in 2003.
- Antiyal: 0.5 hectares in Huelquen, near Paine, Maipo Valley certified organic by IMO since May 2002. Alvaro Espinoza.
- Canepa: 19 hectares at Trinidad near Marchihue, Colchagua Valley certified organic by BCS**.
- Carmen: 25 hectares were fully certified organic in Alto Jahuel, with a further 100 hectares in transition by IMO.
- Casa Lapostolle: 66.6 ha in Apalta Valley certified organic by BCS.
- Chacarero: unknown. IMO
- Chequen Wines: 18 hectares. IMO.
- Concha y Toro: 33.36 hectares roughly. El Triángulo Vineyard, Casablanca Valley, BCS, Chardonnay (5.73ha). Lo Ovalle Vineyard, Casablanca Valley. PN organic (4.74ha); Lourdes Vineyard, Maule Valley, Carmenere (16.27ha) and CS (11.36ha) is organic (from 2002); San Clemente Vineyard, Quebrada de Agua, and Mariposas, San Clemente Organic: did have PN organic from Quebrada del Agua but Marcello says here they have problems with the management. Will try it one more time in 2002-2003 to see if it works.
- Cono Sur: 40 hectares at Santa Elisa, Chimbarongo. BCS
- Errázuriz: 35.3 hectares. Could be BCS.
- Huelquen: same as Antiyal?
- La Fortuna: 46.09 hectares, El Semillero, Curicó Valley. IMO
- Las Lomas: 151.43 hectares. IMO
- Matetic: 32 hectares, IMO since 2001.
- Miguel Torres Chile: 13 + 32 hectares. IMO.
- Montes: 16 hectares in Apalta and 12 hectares in Marchigue. BCS.
- MontGras: 80 hectares. BCS, ready 2004.
- Pargua: Unknown hectareage. IMO
- San Lorenzo: 17 hectares, Isal de Maipo. IMO.
- San Rafael: Chilcas. See VIA Group.
- Santa Inés: 50 hectares. BCS.
- TerraMater: wine only
- Ventisquero: 66.6 ha. BCS. Tantehue Vineyard, Maipo Valley.
- VIA Group: 38 hectares at Chilcas (PROA – discussions with IMO).
- VOE: 189.5 hectares. IMO. Maipo, Casablanca and Colchagua Valleys.
*IMO – Institut für Markökologie, Kontroll- und Zertifizierungsstelle im Ökologischen Landbau inspection and certification body for organic produce
**BCS – Oeko Garantie GmbH