Chile: Trade Talk 1

WE ASKED:: “Is it too soon for a Chilean regional message?”

“There is no doubt that Chile can offer diversity. But really, consumers don’t know that much about Chile, let alone its finer wine-producing areas. The majority of Chile’s plantations are in the big Central Valley areas, and perhaps that’s why no one identifies Chile with regionality – the Central Valley is too vast. Plantation is now happening on slopes and in marginal terroirs, and that is where our future for quality wine lies.”
Aníbal Ariztía, managing director, Santa Rita

“The category still needs to promote itself to increase the average price. That’s what consumers are focused on, they are not looking for specific regions. The only way a regional message will survive is by really focusing on the top end. Regions will become more important, but in my opinion it is too early. As a category, we have other issues  to solve first.”
Cristobal Duke, regional director, Viña Carmen

“I don’t seriously believe that regions are going to be that important for the consumer in the mid term, or perhaps even the long term, at the popular level. Chile is a wine category the reputation of which is based on brands. I mean, look at how far ahead Spain is in terms of consumer recognition and knowledge – and still most consumers think only of Rioja. What does that mean for Chile? What we need to do is reinforce Chile. In my opinion it is good that Chile has strong brands – that’s really where the broader markets are going.”
Jordi Vinyals, general manager, Torres Chile SA

“It’s important to communicate regionality and it is never too soon to implement a strategy to spread this message. You shouldn’t try to run before you can walk, so it must be a steady process. But it takes a long time to build consumer understanding of a region, so we need a long-term strategy. There is so much that consumers can learn about Chilean wines, to understand the richness and the depth of the category. We are still at step one.”
Cristián López, managing director, Concha y Toro UK

“No, it is not! Chile offers diversity based on different areas and valleys. The wines are different, characters of the grapes are different. Nevertheless, we must be careful not to give a message that will not be understood. For most consumers who only know Chile as a whole region, it’s important that the bottle also gives the information they need: ‘Wine of Chile’.”
Carlos Serrano, export manager, Montes Wines

“When it comes to the different Chilean regions, people in the trade understand the distinction, but getting that message to the consumers is the next step. What the promotion of the regions will do is allow some of the smaller niche wineries to be exposed, and that’s what the category needs: more niche wines and not more industrial brands. A regional message will give more personality to Chile, and that’s what we need to be able to stand out.”
Adolfo Hurtado,general manager and winemaker, Cono Sur

© db September 2006