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The biggest challenge is to establish the brand Chile

Close to launch in Chile its more recent creation, Bicentenario de Chile, Casa Donoso Wines seeks to offer across this must the most representative of our country. To it there adds an organic wine, a blend, which soon will go out to the market. This way Álvaro Arriagada, general manager and winemaker of the vineyard. www.vendimia.cl

How was it the vintage 2008 Casa Donoso?

It has been one of few harvest in which there has been no rain, no rotting, therefore it was possible to wait calmly for the maturity of the vineyards and surprisingly up to ends of April, the grape was healthy enough, firm; there were no losses for shelling, it was easy to wait for the maturity of the tannins. 

However, in the whites it was a strange season because we were waiting more for explosion of aromas initially, but they came at the end. In general it was a healthy enough harvest, without problems, the only thing that it might mention is a bit of attack of little spiders to the beginning of season.

As for volume, did you totalize how much this year? Is it inside of your expectations?

Some vineyards went down, but we were hoping that it was like that. In the fields that we turn in organic (from the year 2007; this one is the second year and 2009 there is certified) the fort of the fall of performance it was last year, but this year became stable. What was not in budget and that we have been learning, is how an organic grape behaves, because one thinks that it is healthier, but its behavior is different. As the only product that it is possible to apply it is sulphur, suddenly the wines diminish more. This year we take the precautions of the case. 

How much it is the production that you expect to have of organic wine?

They are 50 hectares of the field The Oriental, more 90has. of the field Las Casas de Vaquería, that we want to transform in full organically with major value. The Oriental one we do not transform it complete in organically because there are certain undergrowths that are not easy to treat. The idea is not that the whole production of both places is organic, but to differentiate both fields. What we look is that they are wines of terroir.

 We estimate that of here to some years it will be a production from 30 to 40 thousand cases of organic wine.

 What wines are they going to launch soon?

We have an organic wine. It is a blend. In one month it will go out Bicentenario de Chile and also we have a few blends ultra Premium, of which already it is quite sold. It is a wine of high place price, about $90.000clp per bottle; it is principally for the Asian market.

In case of Bicentenario de Chile, which it is the projection of production and to what markets do you want to come?

Bicentenario de Chile speaks what is our country and in the first stage it was orientated towards this market. Our idea is to turn it into an icon of what is happening in Chile. We estimate approximately 100.000 cases on the national market, not less. We do not know how the market is going to react, but we do not believe that it is going to be a minor that this amount.

Have you thought to do new investments, to acquire areas, for example?

Always we are investing, but not in areas. Our investments are directed to give value to the products. This year we want to consolidate the topic of the Guest House. 

Which are the challenges that appear to the vineyard and to the industry in general?

The biggest challenge of the industry is to establish the brand Chile. Our first brand that sells is Chile and it has created principally the industry, without many support of the State. Newly now we have had something of help of the Government.

Our strategy was always to produce a good wine to good price. But Chile does not have a good marketing of wines of high value, that one is our challenge.

It is a topic of long term. To produce jewels delays less than five years. But it has to be a coordinated strategy.

With reference to the situation of loss of profitability of the industry, how is it affecting you?

The industry is receiving less and especially when the strategy has been to sell to prices with small margins. If one takes the loss of competitiveness of one year, it is 20 %, more the IPC that raised an 8 %, it means that the costs raised almost 30 % and it is very difficult to change one year for other one. We have a long-term strategy and we had our line Bicentenario on the national market already walking.

How do they see the stage of increase of costs of workforce and others?

Almost all the costs have been rising. Always it is necessary to go looking for strategies. It is difficult to raise the prices just because. If the wines are already placed to certain level, we have to put them again but in other way.

Now, it seems to me strange for example that, of one year for other one, things are asked to the industry that they are not compound. For example, that in full vintage there avenges people of the National Service of Health. Why to attack to the industry rightly in the moment in which this more complicated? It might be in another moment, a work of long term. There I believe that there is a lack of coordination in the Government.