Emiliana expands with new Maule acquisition

Chile’s largest organic wine producer, Emiliana, is set to expand following the acquisition of a new property in Maule.

The company has acquired a 292 hectare estate called El Trigal, which is located near the city of Constitución, between San Javier and the coast. Currently uncultivated, the company plans to start planting the land Cabernet Sauvignon next October and November as part of the first phase in three year planting scheme that will also see Syrah and Carmene planted on the site. The first harvest is slated to be in 2023, with grapes grown at El Trigal intended for the Adobe wine range which this year was revealed as the best-selling organic wine in Chile, with a 59.9% market share.

“Emiliana is currently in a growth period, thanks to the success we’ve had with our organic wines”, CEO Cristián Rodríguez said as he announced the acquisition. “The project will be a continuation of our innovativepractices that we’ve been developing over the years, using the organic and biodynamic agriculture we are known for.”

“El Trigal must be a model property, where we can apply everything we’ve learned over the years. The agricultural team is very excited and has high expectations for the
property.”

The company has around 800 hectares of certified vineyards including 600 hectares that have been certified as biodynamic and want s

According to Rodríguez, the new  estate has very good water capacity, good soils, low risk for frost, and a production capacity for very good quality red grapes, especially Cabernet Sauvignon.

Speaking to Spanish-speaking Chilean publication El Merucio Economia y Negocias Sabado earlier this month, Rodriguez said the move came on the back of positive sales for the company’s wines. ”We thought about it a lot and saw how the markets were reacting to our wines,” he told the paper, noting that sales in September rose 16% due the increased demand for organic wine and the exchagne rate. “We intend to grow a little more at the end of the year, in any case in double digits,” he is reported as saying.

Speaking to the drinks business in September, Emiliana’s winemaker Noelia Orts, who makes its well-known Coyam and Gê wines, said demand for organic wines had grown this year despite the global pandemic, with sales of biodynamic and organic brand Coyam up 5% this year.

However she argued that Chile needed to do more to embrace sustainability and green practises, and producers needed “a change of mentality” in order to take advantage of Chile’s natural resources and the various initiatives availble through Wines of Chile and its Sustainability Code, and the government’s CORFO agency which provides governement backed research funding.

The team is set to release three new wines in the Spring, a Provencal-style elegant premium rosé from a coastal vineyard in Casablanca, a Pinot Noir from Limarí and an “exciting” red blend from Maule, close to Cauquenes, Orts said.

The wines produced in the Adobe range include a Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, rosé (made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Gewürztraminer and a Pinot Noir.