Chile "missing a trick" by not exploiting its volcanic wines
Chile should be doing more to exploit the potential of its volcanic wines, according to an industry expert.
Ben Gordon, managing director of Bodegas Volcanes de Chile, told Drinks Business that the South American country is missing out on a big opportunity to tap into the potential for more premium and higher priced volcanic wines. He argues that unlike terroir, volcanoes are a concept, that consumers can readily get to grips with.
“The biggest potential lies in its accessibility to everyday consumers,” he said. “If you talk terroir to 95% of consumers, it is not seen as a sexy idea, but people understand volcanoes, it is easier for them to have an image of them.”
He thinks that Chile needs to educate consumers about what is special about volcanic wine.
“The volcanic influence puts it in a different price level as it is more terroir driven. And Chile is starting to make inroads in those categories – it was very conservative and tended to push more brands, but now the premium side is growing.”
There are around 2,900 volcanoes across Chile, around 90 of which are still active and require monitoring, with volcanic material dispersed by the rivers flowing from the Andes towards the Coastal Mountain Range, taking in the Aconcagua valley Maipo, Rapel, Curicó, Maule, Bío Bío and the Araucanía region in the south.
Gordon said that he wants to produce wines with typical fruity Chilean characteristics, but with added minerality acquired from volcanic soils, which add more structure and intensity to wines.
Bodegas Volcanes de Chile’s biggest markets currently include Brazil, China, Canada, and Colombia, but Gordon has a five-year plan to build the UK into its biggest market by more than doubling its market share to around 10% of overall production.