Chile has long had a reputation for producing good value quality red wine, but now the industry’s leading organization has teamed up with cutting-edge producers for a campaign that could lead to a whole new image for one of the country’s most famous exports.
Just weeks after Wines of Chile launched its new sustainability code – which certifies local vineyards that comply with top level sustainability practices – Viña Emiliana has announced plans to increase premium organic exports by 20 percent in 2012.
“Now that premium wine has seen a major increase in commercial value, with a considerable rise in the price of crates exported, we hope to surpass 400,000 crates of premium wine exports in 2012,” Emiliana General Manager Cristián Rodríguez told Diario Financiero.
A family-run vineyard, Viña Emiliana operates several vineyards around Chile, focusing on organic wines. Its 2011 exports totalled US$26.8 million, representing 15 percent growth from the US$23.3 million exported in 2010.
This steady rise has corresponded to an increased focus on premium organic wines – exports of which are set grow 44 percent from 2010’s vintage, according to Rodríguez.
Known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and red blends – Chile’s best-known international exports – the company also plans on expanding its variety of wines, to include white and lesser-known varietals.
Central to this agenda will be a new Riesling from the BioBío Valley and Malbec wine from the Colchagua Valley.
With its focus on high-end exports, Viña Emiliana’s business model conforms to Wines of Chile’s 2020 Strategic Plan, which aims to build the country’s reputation as a producer of premium quality wine.
