Business as usual for Chile

It’s all systems go for Chile at this year’s LIWF as the Wines of Chile stand (P55) and producers’ agents burst into ExCel armed with a plenthora of seminars, tastings, new vintage releases and visiting Chileans.

On a generic front, the stand, which will include 23 representatives this year, will conduct daily seminars with some of the best known names in Chile’s wine industry.

Tales of the Unexpected with Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and Sebastian De Martino on Tuesday, Carmenère Karma with Irene Paiva (consultant winemaker) and Arnaud Frennet (Viña Casa Silva) on Wednesday, and Organic Growth with Adolfo Hurtado (Cono Sur) and Cristian Rodriguez (Emiliana Organicos) on Thursday. All seminars start at 11.30am and will last 45 minutes.

Also on the Tuesday afternoon, Peter Richards will present a Chilean masterclass entitled Take a Fresh Look at Chile. The event will cover Syrah’s blockbuster potential and the significant advancements in the production of Chardonnay. The event will take place from 3.30 to 4.30pm in the LIWF Masterclass Theatre at the east end of ExCel. Contact Karen Sutton to book a place or for more details.

Santa Carolina, which sets up camp within the Wines of Chile stand, will be showcasing a raft of new wines including entry-level single varietals, a new Specialities range which includes a Limari Chardonnay and Cauquenes Carignan. The producer will also showcase its new “living heritage” global campaign as well as offer up the new 2010 vintage whites to taste.

On the PLB stand (N60), Viña Ventisquero will conduct daily tastings including its range Vertice, which is made up of Carmenère and Syrah from Apalta in Colchagua. Vertice is a joint venture between Ventisquero and its consultant winemaker John Duval.

More Ventisquero ranges available to taste include Grey, the single block wines from VV’s own vineyards; Queulat, a range of single vineyard wines from VV’s own vineyards in key wine producing areas and Herú, fruit for which comes from a one hectare plot in Casablanca.

On the Concha y Toro stand (050), Giancarlo Bianchetti, head of the company’s sustainable development programme, will be on hand to discuss the company’s water footprint measurement, which it announced two weeks ago. Available to taste for the first time will be the 20 Barrels Limited Edition Syrah and Los Gansos, a sparkling wine made from Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chardonnay.

Errázuriz, on the Hatch Mansfield stand (P35), will be celebrating its 140th anniversary at LIWF by showcasing four new wines from Aconcagua as well as a single-vineyard Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, and will be accompanied by he presence of company chairman, Eduardo Chadwick on the Tuesday and Wednesday.

Viña San Pedro (O62) will be showcasing its 35 South range in its new EcoGlass packaging while the Castillo de Molina Carmenère and the new 2008 vintage of the 1865 Limited Edition Syrah from Elqui Valley will be available to taste.

At N22, the Stratford’s Wine Agencies stand, Chile will be represented by Anakena and its new agency Bodegas de Aguirre. Anakena will showcase new vintages of its Indo range as well as new vintages of the Single Vineyard Riesling, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Late Harvest.

Bodegas de Aguirre, which is base in the Maule, will be launching its Santa Loreto brand at the fair. The range comprises a Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah Rosé, Carmenère/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot and Merlot, all retailing in the £5.50-£6.50 bracket.

VC Family Estates will make its presence felt on its new agent’s stand, Bibendum (L30), alongside its existing Chilean agency of Valdivieso.

At the end of Wednesday, MontGras and its UK agents Enotria stand (N52), will host their Kick Off summer party which promises “great food, drinks, music and company” to bolster its offering of Pink Sin Rosé and the new 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, both of which will be available to taste at the fair.

Jane Parkinson, 17.05.2010