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Costa Rica: wine’s new frontier?
The global winemaking map may soon be due for another expansion, as plans are being laid to build the first winery in Costa Rica.
Kerry Damskey, Napa Valley winemaker and consultant to Sula Vineyards in India, has revealed that he is currently assessing the suitability of a particular site in Costa Rica for viticulture, confident that the altitude of 6,000ft will present good growing conditions.
Explaining his motivation to produce wine in a country with no viticultural heritage, Kerry told the drinks business, “Costa Rica has a large international presence and subsequently a niche market for domestic premium wines. If the project is successful, we are looking to produce 15,000 cases a year.”
“With my experience in tropical and mountain wine growing, this project seemed the ideal extension of what we have done at Sula. At 6,000ft, temperatures will be possibly two low to fully ripen our red varieties, so we are planning to produce amarone-style desiccated reds.”
Working with an Israeli flavour manufacturer based in Costa Rica, Kerry intends to use his land to plant Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Grenache, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon in December 2011.
Rajeev Samant, CEO of Sula Wines in Nashik and business partner of Kerry has been producing wine in West India for 10 years despite being warned it was an impossible task.
“People thought it was ridiculous to plant vines in Nashik and produce wine. But when you look at heat accumulation during the growing season, you find that Nashik is actually pretty cool when you would expect it to be hot, being in India.”
“Costa Rica will present a challenge but you can always adapt to local conditions and the high altitude site shows great promise for grape growing”, he added.
Ending with a strong note of optimism, Kerry said, “The growing conditions are not dissimilar to my vineyards in Napa Valley, albeit higher.”
“We now produce premium wine in India, why not Costa Rica?”
Construction of the winery will begin in spring 2012 with a projected initial output of 1,000 cases after two years.
James Lawrence, 23.03.2011