Some of the biggest names in the Chilean wine industry gathered for a sunset event in Las Terrazas de la Reina – high in the foothills of the Andes overlooking Santiago – where the trophy winners were announced.

The night’s greatest honor went to Viña Errazuriz as they were presented Best in the Show for their icon wine Don Maximiamo Founder’s Reserve 2010: a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Carmenere and Cabernet Franc.

Owner Eduardo Chadwick was on hand to collect the esteemed prize with his colleagues: “It’s really a great honor,” he said on receiving the award. “We are trying to show finesse and quality from Chile and our winemaker and team are key in doing that. Thank you for recognizing our efforts.”

The same wine also took away one of this year’s most coveted new trophies, Best Super Premium Red Wine. Meanwhile, the Best Super Premium White Wine went to Casa Marín’s Cipreses Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2011.

Two wines were awarded Best Value Trophies: Oveja Negra Cabernet Franc-Carmenere 2011 for Best Value Red, and Santa Carolina Reserva Moscato 2012 for Best Value White.

A further 15 trophies were awarded to the best wines in each category. Winery Cono Sur struck gold three times during the awards ceremony as it took away the Best Pinot Noir medal for its 20 Barrels 2010 and in an unlikely turn of events the winery also won two medals for the Best Syrah as both its 20 Barrels Syrah 2010 and Single Vineyard Syrah 2011 produced a tie in the blind tasting.

This year saw a record number of entries at 615 wines and also the highest number of medals in the Awards’ history: 10% receiving Gold medals, 28% receiving Silver and 41% receiving Bronze, resulting in an astonishing 79% of entrants receiving a medal. “The caliber was of a significantly higher quality,” said Mario Pablo Silva, Vice President of Wines of Chile, speaking at the event. “Our message of diversity is an accurate description of what Chile has to offer.”

For the tenth year of the Awards, a specialist panel of wine experts was selected from Japan, China, Korea and Chile were selected to blind taste the wines that entered the competition. Wines of Chile chose this landmark year of the Awards to focus on one of the country’s most important growing consumer markets – Asia.

“The tenth Annual Wines of Chile Awards is a symbol,” says Claudio Cilveti, Managing Director of Wines of Chile. “We need to give a bigger focus to Asia now. These judges are now our ambassadors in the market.”

Commenting on the record number of wines entered into this year’s contest, with a great diversity of varieties and regions. “This year has been a great show of wines,” added Cilveti. “The level of the wines has been much higher.”

The Trophy Winners in AWOCA 2013 are:

Best in Category Blend – Sideral 2009, Viña Altair S.A

Best in Category Cabernet Sauvignon – Arboleda 2010, Viña Arboleda

Best in Category Carmenere – Marchigue Private Collection 2011, Viñedos Marchigue

Best in Category Chardonnay – Aconcagua Costa 2011, Viña Errazuriz

Best in Category Late Harvest – Erasmo 2008, Viña la Reserva de Caliboro

Best in Category Pinot Noir – Cono Sur 20 Barrels 2010, Viña Cono Sur

Best in Category Sauvignon Blanc – Outer Limits 2011, Montes S.A.

Best in Category Syrah – Single Vineyard 2011, Viña Cono Sur

Best in Category Syrah – 20 Barrels 2010, Viña Cono Sur

Best in Category Other Red – Vigno Garcia Schwaderer 2009, Garcia & Schwaderer

Best in Category Other White – Reserva Moscato 2012, Santa Carolina

Best in Category Rose – Litoral Rosé of Pinot Noir 2012, Viña Ventolera S.A.

Best in Category Sparkling – Santa Digna Estelado 2012, Miguel Torres Chile

Best in Category Premium Red – Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve 2010, Viña Errazuriz

Best in Category Premium White – Cipreses Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Viña Casa Marín

Best Value Red – Oveja Negra Cabernet Franc – Carmenere 2011, VIA Wines

Best Value White – Santa Carolina Reserva Moscato 2012, Santa Carolina

Best in the Show – Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve 2010, Viña Errazuriz

Wines of Chile was featured on the Times Square jumbotron as part of the “Foods from Chile” campaign

The “Foods from Chile” campaign was launched in five US cities on November 15, introducing consumers in the northern hemisphere to Chilean luxuries such as merkén – an indigenous Mapuche spice made from dried and ground “cacho de cabra” peppers – avocados, and salmon, among many other luscious products exported by Chile.
Meanwhile, entrepreneurs like Mauricio Banchieri of Puro Chile in New York City are importing and selling luxury Chilean goods, expressing Chile’s culture through its commercial and agricultural products – including wine.

According to Newsweek Magazine, Banchieri and other Chilean importers are engaging in “retail diplomacy,” attracting United States consumers through Chile’s distinct and appealing cultural nuances, and providing a sensory opportunity to journey across hemispheres without leaving the United States.

“Diplomacy lives or dies by human contact, of course,” writes Newsweek author Amy Finnerty, “and Puro Chile has hosted more than 80 events in the past two years.

“On a given evening there, one might encounter Chilean diplomats sipping sparkling rosé with American journalists; a Chilean entrepreneur selling her fruit-based cosmeceuticals; or a scale replica of the rescue cylinder that lifted the Chilean miners to sunlight in 2010.”

Offering one of the best selections of Chilean wines in United States, Puro Chile is a marketing asset for Wines of Chile, especially throughout the busy December shopping season, when wine spreads holiday cheer and makes an ideal gift.

The same concept is driving ProChile’s new “Foods from Chile” campaign.

A press release for the program explains, “The U.S. enjoys literally tons of Chilean foods. The campaign highlights the nutritious food that’s already on fruit stands, at the seafood counter, on shelves, in wine stores, in homes and on America’s plates.

“The objective of the campaign is to let Americans in on this secret—that it’s Chile’s pristine land, waters, rich soil and extraordinary climate that bring forth these bountiful, healthful foods.”

"Foods from Chile"

And Chilean food clearly pairs best with Chilean wine.

Together with campaign partner Fundación Chile, ProChile provided hosts and venues with all of the Chilean ingredients and wine to prepare and throw amazing gourmet dinner parties prepared by top chefs for guests and bloggers in the five cities – New York, Washington DC, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Wines of Chile was present to educate attendees at the campaign launches in New York and Washington DC about Chilean wine, and the following wines were served at the various dinners, paired according to featured menus:

Veramonte Ritual Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Emiliana Novas Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Ventisquero Quelat Pinot Noir 2011
MontGras Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Ventisquero Quelat Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Kingston Family Tobiano Pinot Noir 2009

“See, South America is the supermarket of the world,” Matias Palomo, a Chilean chef who participated in the program, told VOXXI’s Fernanda Beccaglia. “And not only that, but we think green, we care about how we grow our food and the environment.”

“Foods From Chile” is spreading cultural, agricultural and nutritional awareness about Chile through a variety of social networking platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and the campaign’s website, which highlights mouthwatering recipes and retail outlets for Chilean food and wine, along with a food calendar showing Chile’s prime months of production and export.

The ultimate goal of the program is to inspire consumers to form an emotional connection to Chilean food and wine, and to understand the nutritional benefits of purchasing Chilean agricultural products, which complement United States’ own food production with an opposite growing season.

Emphasizing a healthy Mediterranean diet of fruits, vegetables, seafood, red wine, nuts and olive oil, “Foods From Chile” expresses the country’s national identity and culture as a gastronomic emissary through experiential tastings, shows, live streaming video from Chile’s vineyards, blogger outreach, and colorful social media inspiration.

So far, the program has recorded a significant media impact, generating 63,537,151 media impressions with press releases, newspaper and blog articles and Tweets, as of December 18, 2012.

“We are a power in the quality and variety of what we produce and this campaign is made to stress these attributes,” says Fundación Chile’s Executive Director Blas Tomic, according to FreshFruitPortal.com.

Retailers and promoters bring a taste of Chile to United States

The terroir that is evident in Chilean wine also nurtures Chile’s other delicious products, and Chile’s rich heritage and natural resources are being disseminated in a mouthwatering message by “Foods From Chile” and retailers like Puro Chile, where – as Newsweek says – “shopkeepers are unofficial ambassadors and border-crossing requires no passport, just a credit card.”

For more information about the “Foods From Chile” campaign, follow your taste buds to the program’s website, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter (@foodsfromchile, hashtag #NowInSeason).

Bon appétit!

Rex Pickett’s novel Sideways was not even attached to a publisher when it was first laid on the desk of director Alexander Payne. Whatsmore, the story of Miles and Jack – two fortysomething wine enthusiasts tackling personal anguish in California’s picturesque wine country – hardly met a formula that satisfied those Hollywood production houses keen on sure-things over authenticity.

So when the movie grossed over US$100 million worldwide and brought in 350 awards including an Oscar for best screenplay, Pickett was more surprised than anyone.

“It was something I was completely unprepared for,” Pickett told ProChile. “And its influence was not limited to the movie industry. Sideways made wine hip again. Beer was no longer people’s adult drink of choice – for the first time in more than a decade, wine was topping preference polls.”

The movie caused a direct rise in wine sales in the U.S. and the U.K., with Pinot Noir experiencing a huge 16 percent increase in sales. Chile could be next in line to experience the “Sideways Effect,” as Pickett is unleashing his characters across Chilean wine country in the series’ latest book.

“After Vertical (the second book in the series), I felt like Miles had sucked the marrow out of the U.S. Pacific Coast,” Pickett said. “He and I needed somewhere new to explore, so when Mario Velasco (of Chilean production company Magallanica) contacted me about coming to Chile, it seemed like the perfect fit.”

Pickett is in his first weeks of a four month research trip, sponsored by Wines of Chile, that will see him sipping and writing his way through Chilean wine country, or “Wine’s last frontier” as he calls it.

“I’m so excited to really get going. I’ve already met so many interesting people who are doing such creative things in winemaking, stuff I’ve never seen before,” Pickett said.

“I can’t wait to get out to Maipo Valley, as well as Casablanca, Elqui and Maule Valley, and Colchagua. The diverse microclimates, the rich volcanic soils, and the creativity of the winemakers here all contribute to the outstanding level and number of quality wines there are in this country.”

To follow Rex on his journey, visit the blog he will be regularly updating, Rex in Chile.

An engaged audience at "Vinos de Terroir"

Chile’s exemplary terroirs have inspired tremendous online discussion following Wines of Chile’s “Vinos de Terroir” seminar, which was held at chic restaurant Colicchio & Sons in New York City’s Meatpacking District on November 13.

As described in our recent press release, the seminar – delivered by Chilean terroir specialist Dr. Pedro Parra – educated an audience of journalists, sommeliers, and other trade professionals about Chile’s unique geographic and geologic properties, showcasing the country’s terroir diversity.

Pedro Parra (center) speaking in NYC, with Sandy Block (left) and Mark Oldman (right)

With an overall objective to showcase the Chilean wine industry’s skill in producing high-quality wines that impeccably communicate Chile’s unique environmental features and winemaking artistry, “Vinos de Terroir” successfully provided a powerful taste of terroir through the following 10 expressive icon wines:

• Cipreses Vineyard 2011 | Casa Marín
• Casa Real 2009 | Santa Rita
• Don Melchor 2008 | Concha y Toro
• Carmín de Peumo 2008 | Concha y Toro
• Altaïr 2007 | Altaïr
• Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve 2007 | Errázuriz
• Seña 2007 | Seña
• Montes Alpha M 2010 | Montes
• Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2009 | Lapostolle
• Montes Folly 2009 | Montes

Sampling terroir

Tasted wines met various criteria for quality including price, critical acclaim and top ratings by wine experts, viticultural heritage, and terroir characteristics, taking the New York audience on a sensory journey to Chile.

“The tasting was very informative and well organized,” said Nathan Wesley of Wine Spectator. “I feel like I could spend a week with Pedro [Parra] and still only scratch the surface of terroirs in Chile. He’s a wealth of knowledge.”

Master of Wine Sandy Block led the tasting while author and TV personality Mark Oldman moderated the overall event. Master Sommelier and Wines of Chile Educator Fred Dexheimer organized wine service.

Mark Oldman

Fifty-eight attendees participated, including 36 VIP guests consisting of prominent members of the press, and key on- and off-premise personalities.

Impeccable food service

A marvelous lunch buffet followed, providing a relaxed opportunity for guests to again taste wines while enjoying a meal of superb cuisine.

“Vinos de Terroir” was a relatively small and intimate occasion, but the event has generated a significant online impact through Twitter posts, Facebook photos, and multimedia discussions.

Using the #TerroirChile hashtag for Twitter, the seminar’s effective media output resulted in 245,093 views, 1,061 “likes”, 147 shares, and 68 comments (as of December 7, 2012).

Further promoting “Vinos de Terroir,” four entertaining and informative videos about the event were created and published on Wines of Chile’s Youtube channel, contributing to the web chatter:

Part 1 – Speakers from the Vinos de Terroir Tasting in New York City discuss Chile’s wines and terroir.
Part 2 – Sandy Block and Pedro Parra speak about how terroir is interpreted in different ways.
Part 3 – Mark Oldman and Pedro Parra focus on pushing the limits of terroir.
Part 4 – Sandy Block, Pedro Parra and Mark Oldman share their perspectives on the wines tasted.

Online reviews of “Vinos de Terroir” by well-known journalists and bloggers include posts by 1 Wine Dude, Gabe’s View, Terroirist, and Cheers.

Chilean wine creates a buzz

“Excellent tasting … glad I could be there,” Gabe Sasso of Gabe’s View told Wines of Chile after the event. “I was really knocked out by a lot of the wines.”

“It was very well done and a good tasting,” agreed Michael Schachner of Wine Enthusiast. “Great lunch, too.”

Left to right: Sandy Block, Pedro Parra, Wines of Chile USA Director Lori Tieszen, and Mark Oldman

"Gracias New York" for a fantastic event

Eighty-six wines from 30 vineyards were presented to an audience of 24 prominent representatives from various areas of the Irish media and wine trade.

View of wines

Journalist and wine blogger Kevin Ecoc, who published a very enthusiastic account of the event, noted, “what impressed me is that regardless of its ability to churn out fruity inexpensive numbers the country continues to push forward with ever increasing ranges of high quality wines. They have widened their quality varietal offerings and are now putting some fine blends together. They now have an offering for the future. When Ireland begins to trade up again it will find a treasure trove of exciting wines waiting for them on the far side of the Andes.”

The successful Irish Press Tasting showcased Chile’s wine regions and styles, focusing on mid-priced wines in the categories of white, rosé, red, and sparkling.

The overall objective of the event was to introduce Chilean wine to the Irish audience at the beginning of the Christmas trading season, taking advantage of the opportunity for additional publicity and exposure to boost Chile’s profile in Ireland.

Tasting room at Radisson Blu Royal Hotel

As a “silent tasting,” each attendee enjoyed a pleasant and personal tasting experience.

Event organizer and wine journalist Jean Smullen – Wines of Chile’s representative in Ireland – writes, “The format of a “silent tasting” was well received by those attending. I noted that the press seemed to be tasting on a themed basis. [For example], John Wilson [of The Irish Times] indicated that he wished to focus on regions.

“The layout by region was helpful for this as the wines were presented by region, which emphasized the regionality of the grape varieties and highlighted the various styles. [Point-of-sale] material including maps and leaflets were also available to those attending.”

Maps and leaflets

Irish journalists in attendance included:

• Liam Campbell of Irish Independent and Easyfood
• Aoife Carrigy of Irish Mail on Sunday
• Tomas Clancy of Sunday Business Post
• Maureen O’Hara of Irish Daily Star
• Ernie Whalley of Sunday Times (Irish Edition)
• Leslie Williams of The Examiner
• John Wilson of The Irish Times
• Caroline Byrne of Irish Gardening Magazine
• Corinna Hardgrave of Irish Tatler Magazine
• Paul O’Doherty of The Advertiser (regional newspaper for Mayo, Mullingar and Athlone)
• John Brophy of Drinks Industry Ireland
• Kevin Ecock of Checkout Magazine
• Rob Gilmore & Shane McNally from Empty Glass wine blog

Tomas Clancy – Sunday Business Post

Paul O’Doherty tasting

Sommeliers and on-trade customers, as well as independent off-trade buyers were also present, including:

• Kevin Towey of the Towey Group
• Rene Vignolles of L’Ecrivain
• Thomy Suffe of Pearl Brasseries
• Julie Dupony, Irish representative at the 2013 World Sommelier Competition
• Margaret Breski of La Cave Wine Bar
• David Cope of Cope of Castledermot (Londis)
• Julie Dupony of Laurance Caubet Wine Importer
• Máirín Uí Mhurchú of Dromcain Guest House
• Guiseppe Peruzzi of Kapriol Catering

Chilean Ambassador H.E. Leonel Searle and Commercial Consul Cristian Oschilewski Lucares rounded out the high-profile guest list.

Additional media publicity about the tasting has been very positive so far, and Smullen anticipates ongoing reviews and media reactions for up to six months into the future, ensuring that Wines of Chile’s cogent message is disseminated to a broad European audience.

H.E. Leonel Searle, Chilean Ambassador to Ireland and Jean Smullen

The following Chilean wineries participated in the Ireland Press Tasting:

Aresti; Aviary (Casas del Toqui & Alto Los Romeros); Botalcura; Vina Carmen; Vina Casablanca; Casa Marin; Casa Silva; Chocalan; Concha y Toro; Cono Sur; Cousino Macul; De Martino; Emiliana; Errazuriz; Estampa; Vina Leyda; Loma Larga; Luis Felipe Edwards (Auroritas & Marea); Vina Maipo; Mont Gras; Nativa Eco Wines; Odfjell; San Pedro (Castillo del Molina); Santa Carolina; Santa Rita; Miguel Torres (Santa Digna); Undurraga; and Viu Manent.

A memorable experience for all

Gala del Vino 2012 inaugural ceremony

On the evening of Thursday, November 22, the Gala’s inaugural ceremony opened the festivities with a series of important declarations, followed by the presentation of three annual awards acknowledging superior achievements throughout various sectors of Chilean wine: Industry Person of the Year, Public Person of the Year and Winery of the Year.

A group of Chile’s top government officials initiated the ceremony by formalizing an important agreement with Wines of Chile, creating a new Skills Council in wine.

Minister of Agriculture Luis Mayol, Minister of Work Evelyn Matthei, Secretary of Education Harald Beyer, and Subsecretary of the Economy Tomás Flores signed the agreement along with Wines of Chile to establish the new Council, which will boost the industry’s collective skill set through enhanced employment and educational opportunities.

The primary goal of the accord is to support and nurture Chilean agriculture, one of the country’s key industries.

René Araneda, president of Vinos de Chile, explained to the Gala audience, “We know that the principal resource of Chile is copper, but we believe that our country has the conditions to be much more than a monoexporter of this product and the development of its agricultural export industry should be protected.”

Wines of Chile also recognized Chile’s only Master Sommelier Héctor Vergara as Industry Person of the Year, while Pablo Urria, chief of Direcon Latin America, was named Public Person of the Year for his efforts to discourage Brazil’s proposed safeguard against imported wine.

The highly-anticipated Winery of the Year award went to Viña Undurraga, The award was graciously and proudly accepted by Undurraga president Maricio Picciotto, along with Executive Vice President José Yuraszeck and General Manager Ernesto Müller.

“This achievement is due to our focus on making quality wines, our constant innovation and the important contribution we have made to the sparkling wine category,” Müller tells The Drinks Business. “The work we have put in over recent years has led to an exponential increase in the quality of our wines and in the international recognition they have received.”

In delivering this award, Wines of Chile commended Undurraga for “its labor in the development of viti-viniculture, its role in the market of sparkling wine in Chile and its achievements in rejuvenating the category through the ‘Sparkling People’ campaign.”

Chile’s government ministers and Araneda then officially kicked off the 20th annual Gala del Vino with a public toast to the applauding audience.

A grand toast to inaugurate the Gala

More than 50 vineyards and culinary representatives were present at the Gala, creating a delectable tasting experience for attendees throughout the 3-night event.

Check out these snapshots below (photos by Gretchen Stahlman):

Friendly service at every tasting table

Chile’s sparkling wines on display

A perfect opportunity to taste Chile’s diversity

Casas de Lo Matta - a beautiful venue and ambiance

Sideways author Rex Pickett was presented to the Gala audience

Chilean wine on stage

A lovely evening in Santiago for a 20th anniversary celebration

Creativity in each bottle

Mariana Martinez (photo courtesy of Mariana Martinez)

For wine journalist and Planetavino editor Mariana Martinez, certain exquisite experiences in life are priceless.

Like savoring shellfish with Sauvignon Blanc by the seashore in her adopted country, Chile.

“There is not a culinary pleasure bigger than that. Just go to a fish market at the beach, buy your fresh seafood, take it home, cook it by yourself, prepare it as you please, and uncork Chilean wine and enjoy … And if you are in front of the beach, it’s just fantastic.”

Argentinean-born Martinez was raised in Uruguay, earned a Communications degree in Caracas, Venezuela, and worked as a model in Europe for one year, before settling in Chile, where she studied for a wine diploma at Santiago’s Andrés Bello University and then became a professional Sommelier.

Taking a simple wine class to guide tours in the Maule Valley inspired Martinez to learn about wine – a harmonious progression, given her prior interest in agronomy, photography and nature. A subsequent job as an assistant for a Chilean sommelier led to a position as webmaster for Planetavino, paving the way for a successful career communicating her passion for wine.

“It was this movement of life that you cannot see,” she reflects, “but it’s all very well planned … You don’t know what it means in the moment, but then … you see backwards and you see why things happened.”

In Martinez’s case, she sees clearly now that it was this movement of life that brought her to a natural paradise in Chile, where she happily enjoys every opportunity to immerse herself in beautiful landscapes, from the country’s northern deserts to southern glacial lakes:

“I love the sea, all the seacoast … I just love the nature. I love the north, San Pedro de Atacama. I love the south, the lakes, it’s so beautiful. La Cordillera, I love La Cordillera, it’s just amazing. All the dry farming – “secano” – from the south, everywhere you see, it’s just so unique.”

Continues Martinez, “I prefer to take my own pictures and I love to travel, so those were the things I liked to do, and life gave me a way to have all of them in my work. I wanted to work in the nature, I love plants, and that’s what I do now. I love to visit the vineyards, talk with the people, take pictures, learn about what they are doing.”

In addition to perpetually learning on the job, Martinez adores working as a wine educator and familiarizing her students with the intricacies of wine. As Chief of Education for Chilean wine superstore Mundo del Vino, she hosts classes for company employees and consumers, along with a variety of tastings and events.

Due to her Argentinean heritage, Martinez occasionally finds herself in the midst of the friendly rivalry between two prominent South American wine industries. Each year she organizes a blind tasting of Chilean and Argentinean wines with a friend from Argentina, selecting the Chilean wines for the tastings and always cheering for Chile.

“I just want Chile to win,” she enthuses. “I’ve been here in the industry for twelve years now, so I really want Chile to succeed!”

And Chile is well on the way to success, both in the industry and in the vineyards, according to Martinez.

As a sommelier, she is especially pleased about the increasing popularity of the country’s sparkling wines as an aperitif over the previously-favored sugar- and alcohol-laden pisco sour. She also hopes to see more restaurants offering by-the-glass wine pairing with each course at meals.

Furthermore, Martinez compares the evolution of Chilean winemaking to Europe’s longstanding viticulture, pointing out that the recent generations of Chile’s vintners were born and raised among the family vines, giving them a distinct passion for winemaking, innovation and quality that is evident in the bottle.

“I think that’s great because that’s what you see in Europe – 10 generations, 5 generations ahead,” she notes. “For [European winemakers] there is no other way to live. So they really have to protect the land. It’s something that they do for the next generation.

“When they plant, they plant for the next generation, not for them,” Martinez continues. “That’s something that we have to learn [in Chile], and I think that’s very interesting, that it’s happening, because it’s moving and it’s making people think different, take more care, and be more passionate at the same time.”

As an ardent nature-lover, Martinez commends the Chilean wine industry’s initiatives towards responsible agriculture and sustainability.

“The most delicate resource that Chile has is the nature,” she says.

And since nature produces Chile’s inimitable terroirs, the land is an especially precious resource for the country’s wineries.

“The nature gives the uniqueness to the wines,” urges Martinez. “When you really want wines to express place, you need time, you need passion … we have done a lot; we have progressed a lot in 30 years …

“Because we have done so much, [I know] we are going to do much more. We are just learning. We are in a progress, a work in progress, that’s why it’s so exciting – it’s moving, it’s alive, very alive, and you can say that it’s a little baby, it’s doing great things, but once it will [be an adult] and balanced, be prepared, because it’s going to be great. I think it’s fantastic!”

Like Martinez’s meaningful life path – which pulled her to a central position from which to observe and experience Chile’s growth in this exciting period of transition – the Chilean wine industry is building a history and a worldwide legacy that will one day be recorded, recognized and understood with a backward gaze.

Mariana Martinez is participating in this legacy by telling Chile’s story as it happens, through her ongoing work as a wine journalist with a singular voice and zealous appetite for her job.

In addition to communicating through Planetavino and other media outlets and tasting venues, Martinez plans to return to radio broadcasting next year with a new show about Chilean wine. She also hopes to produce a second edition of her popular wine dictionary, “El Vino de la A a la Z.”

Keep track of Martinez’s activities and work by following her on Twitter – @MyMentrecopas.

2011 was gold-medal year for Chile

2011 was a triumphant year for Chile, with Chilean wineries earning a record total of 206 gold medals in ten prominent wine competitions, according to Vitis Magazine.

Viñas Casa Silva and Casas del Bosque topped the list of medalists, accompanied by Sol del Chile.

Other leading vineyards mentioned by Vitis include Emiliana, Luis Felipe Edwards, Terranoble, Casas Patronales, Los Boldos, Carmen, and Viu Manent.

Compared to 2010’s gold medal awards, red wines – especially Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Carignan – gained popularity, receiving 86% of the prizes, compared to 75% the previous year.

“This phenomenon proves that styles have greatly diversified and that winemakers are increasingly focused on producing terroir wines, not only monovarietals,” writes Vitis author and editor Eduardo Brethauer R.

“In addition, non-traditional varieties like Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot,
and Carignan made quite an entrance. Merlot and Chardonnay, two very strong players in the past, closed the year with a warning: they urgently need a fashion emergency intervention to help them find their identity once and for all.”

International wine competitions considered by Vitis in these statistics are Catad’or, Mondial de Bruxelles, Japan Wine Challenge, Chardonnay du Monde, Citadelles du Vin, Challenge International du Vin, Vinalies International, Vinitaly, International Wine & Spirit, and International Wine Challenge.

A significant improvement over 2010 was especially evident in Catad’or, where the number of medals rose to 116 from 58. In Mondial de Bruxelles, however, the number of gold medals fell to 45 from 76.

Overall, earning an unprecedented 206 medals represents great success and progress for Chile, showing that Chilean wine increasingly shines on the international stage.

“In 2010, we broke the psychological 200-medal barrier just as we were celebrating our 200 years of independence,” writes Brethauer. “This year we exceeded ourselves. Chilean wines are strengthening their presence at the most important international world competitions with proven variety and consistency.”

For a complete list of gold medals and statistics, visit Vitis.

Congratulations to all Chilean medalists!

NEW YORK, NY (November 14, 2012)—A select group of high-ranking members of the New York wine industry gathered yesterday at an educational seminar hosted by Wines of Chile to explore a portfolio of remarkable wines representative of Chile’s diverse terroir. The aptly named Vinos de Terroir provided an in-depth perspective of the country’s environmental conditions and the impact of the region’s unique and complex geographic features on Chile’s wine production.

"Vinos de Terroir" on display in New York City

The audience, which included press members, buyers and sommeliers, was introduced to the remarkable wines by soil specialist Pedro Parra at the acclaimed Colicchio and Sons restaurant: the terroir expert discussed Chile’s geographic components, explaining how morphology, geology, geomorphology and soil composition affect the characteristics of each vine. Chilean-born Parra, who holds a PhD from the prestigious Institut Natiónal Agronomique de Paris-Grignon, has conducted more than 20,000 soil-roots observations and knows the terrain of Chile intimately.

Seminar audience

Parra was joined by Boston-based Sandy Block, one of the few Americans to hold the distinguished title of Master of Wine. Block led the tasting which featured some of the country’s most prestigious offerings, while Parra provided descriptions of the specific terroirs of each.

Mark Oldman, wine personality and noted author moderated the event, which was the first time a tasting of this kind has been conducted in the U.S. “The Vinos de Terrior event offers us an opportunity, on an international scale, to highlight the diversity and quality of Chilean wines,” says Lori Tieszen, Executive Director of Wines of Chile USA. “Our winemakers have an intimate relationship with each region’s idiosyncratic climate and terrain and they were able to demonstrate to our esteemed audience that terroir-driven wines are no longer reserved only for Old-World production.”

Elegant wine service

The wine service was coordinated by Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer and included: Casa Marín Cipreses Vineyard 2011 Sauvignon Blanc; Santa Rita Casa Real 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon; Concha y Toro Don Melchor 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon; Concha y Toro Carmín de Peumo 2008 Carmenere; Altaïr 2007; Errázuriz Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve 2007; Seña 2007; Montes Alpha M 2010; Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2009; and Montes Folly 2009 Syrah.

For more information on the event or on Wines of Chile, please visit www.winesofchile.org or the company’s Facebook and Twitter pages at http://www.facebook.com/WinesOfChile and http://twitter.com/DrinkChile.

Enjoying delicious food and wine

About Wines of Chile


Wines of Chile is an organization committed to promoting the quality and image of Chilean wine throughout the world. It has offices in Santiago, London and New York, as well as representatives in Canada, Ireland and Denmark. Wines of Chile also works closely with ProChile to develop and offer promotional and educational programs in Asia, Latin America and Europe. Wines of Chile’s 95 member wineries belong to Vinos de Chile and represent 88% of Chile’s bottled wine exports.

CONTACT: The Thomas Collective
Amber Gallaty (agallaty@thethomascollective.com)
Emily Denton (edenton@thethomascollective.com)
212-229-2294

Between October 2011 and September 2012, Chile’s Japanese exports increased by more than 900,000 cases over the same time period in the previous year, indicating a steadily growing penchant for Chilean wine by selective consumers in Japan.

The majority of Japan’s target audience is located in massive, hip urban centers like Kyoto and Tokyo, where wine lovers increasingly enjoy the experience of purchasing wine in restaurants. As a result, sommelier recommendations and restaurant wine lists are an ideal resource for promoting Chile.

Hoping to persuade Japanese restaurants to serve more Chilean wine – especially premium wines – in the future, Wines of Chile recently held successful sommelier tastings in the two key cities.

Kyoto

Hotel Okura in Kyoto – one of Japan’s most traditional cities – hosted a Sommelier Tasting on October 22. Of the more than 100 attendees, 70% were restaurant owners, 20% were wine selectors and purchasers, and 10% were wine aficionados.

More than 100 wine professionals attended the event

Serving Chilean wine in Kyoto

Renowned Chef-Sommelier Mr. Toshifumi Nakamoto of Tokyo’s “Michelin 3-stars” restaurant L’Osier Ginza delivered a fascinating wine tasting lecture to the attentive audience of industry professionals.

Seminar attendees

Wines tasted in Kyoto

Tokyo

The following day, October 23, Wines of Chile headed to Tokyo for a Sommelier Seminar at Grand Prince Hotel Shin-Takanawa.

Grand Prince Hotel Shin-Takanawa in Tokyo

The event was inaugurated by Patricio Torres, Chile’s ambassador to Japan. 200 members of the Japan Sommelier Association attended, and Mr. Nakamoto delivered a lecture about Chilean wine and food pairings, while tasting 12 impressive wines.

Sr. Patricio Torres, Chile’s ambassador to Japan

Chef-sommelier Mr. Nakamoto educating sommeliers about Chile

Attendees in Tokyo

Through this direct interaction with Japanese sommeliers, Wines of Chile preserves goodwill between the Japan and Chile while innovatively promoting Chilean wine to one of Asia’s largest consumer audiences.