Join us on the Stories From The Field Chile stage for talks that dig deeper into the world of wine by the people that make them, plus an expert viticulturist, cellar master, terroir consultant and a couple of soil microbiologists. Learn about the history of Chilean natural wine over the centuries, how the country’s ancient vines have been experiencing a renaissance and discover the central role of soil and rocks in making beautiful wine. Find out more below and watch talks on demand by buying a ticket.
Sunday, December 5, 2021
Welcome
Alan Grudsky
A short welcome from Alan Grudsky at the beginning of the first talk
The Chilean Vineyard - A Historical Perspective (ENG)
Professor Pablo Lacoste Renata Moreti Pinheiro
(Simultaneous interpretation - English). Chilean Natural Wine over the centuries with historian Pablo Lacoste: a historical overview of wine in Chile through its development and its main wine-growing valleys.
The Chilean Vineyard - A Historical Perspective (ESP)
Professor Pablo Lacoste Renata Moreti Pinheiro
(Original language - Spanish) Chilean Natural Wine over the centuries with historian Pablo Lacoste: a historical overview of wine in Chile through its development and its main wine-growing valleys.
Alessio Zenato (Hacienda San Juan) José Miguel Sotomayor (Wildmakers) Luiz Antonio de Gracia Allegretti (Clos Santa Ana)
An overview of Chilean wine’s recent past with a particular focus on the birth of the Chilean natural wine movement and the creation of the Asociación de Vinos Ecológicos Chilenudo.
Luca Hodgkinson (Wildmakers) Claude Bourguignon Lydia Gabucci Bourguignon
Claude and Lydia Bourguignon are soil microbiologists in high demand. The couple work with some of the world’s leading vineyards – digging deep to investigate the soil fauna and root systems of the vines. It’s impossible to produce a wine of terroir without a healthy soil, they say, and reject the trend for investing heavily in the cellar with scant regard for these complex ecosystems. “It’s stupidity to have a fantastic winery and dead soil - for us it’s totally ridiculous.”
Pedro Parra, a consultant on terroir, says rocks matter most. In fact, 90% of the world’s best wines are grown on rocky soils. But you need imagination to understand how the vines and rocks interact. The roots probe deep into fractures in the mother rock to feed – each fissure imparting a unique set of favours in the wine. “One restaurant can be Asian, another can be Italian, another can be French. That is what makes every site special,” he says.
Macarena del Río (Macatho) Louis-Antoine Luyt (Agricola Luyt)
The renaissance of Chile’s heritage grapes. An overview of the work to recover these grape varieties, including traditional wines, and the "new wave" of producers who are attaching importance to their vineyards and their products in a very difficult local economy. The importance of rediscovering old vineyards and the preservation of these vineyards by stopping the use of glyphosate and other harmful products.
Our mission is to contribute to the country's sustainable development, through the Chilean companies' internationalization and the promotion of goods and services, to support the diversification of exports, the attraction of foreign investment and tourism, as well as the strengthening of the country's image, through a national and international network of specialized and committed people.
Permaculture is a contraction of “Permanent Sustainable Agriculture”, a concept, formalised by two Australians – Bill Mollison and David Holmgren – in the 1970s.
It encapsulates an idea shared by many cultures and peoples around the world, namely that we should farm in such a way that we enrich our environments both
