Vinodata

Chile, a winegrowing country

Chile, a winegrowing country

Ramón A. Rada M.

At present, world class fine wines are produced practically in all the winemaking countries in the world, and quality is constantly enhanced by the attitudinal changes of winegrowers to conform to market demands and to technological changes in every production area: a practically full control of the production processes has become a fact with the passage of time. Naturally, there exist differences between the winemaking countries in the world, expressed in quality variation and, particularly, in production costs and commercial strategies.

1. The Advantages of Chile

The country enjoys optimum natural conditions for vitis vinifera to reach its full development potential. This could be considered the uniqueness of the country. So, it is neither subjective nor emotional to say that in Chile the conditions obtain for producing the best wine grapes. It is only a matter of entrepreneurial activity, as has been the case with certain successful plantations, which have been recognised by foreign wine critics when referring to Chilean wines. This situation enables us to say that Chile has a relevant natural advantage in this specific area. In other words Chile exhibits notable comparative advantage due to the harmony existent in the Chilean territory between wine vine development and the proper terroir which conforms its surrounding. Comparative advantages had derive in addition, due to multiple reasons, into competitive advantages that will be difficult to match in other wine producing areas, which are related mainly to wine grapes production cost levels as a consequence of the extraordinary sanitary conditions of the territory.

1.1. Geographic Location and Territorial Structure

Chile is located between latitudes 17° 30’ and 56° 30’ S, and its wine growing soils are located between the Region of Atacama and the Malleco Valley in the Region of Araucanía, between latitudes 26° south and 39° 37’ south. On the other hand, these wine growing areas are protected by natural boundaries: 1000 kilometres of the Atacama desert, one of the driest in the world, to the north, the Andes Mountains to the east, the vast frozen Ice Fields in Patagonia, and finally by the Pacific Ocean to the west. This geographic isolation has always acted as a natural barrier against migrating plant diseases, and has defended against phylloxera, the fiercest of all grapevine diseases.

The country’s territorial structure consists of the Andes Mountains to the east, which in some parts reaches over 5,000 metres above sea level; a long central depression that varies in altitude and morphology; the lower Coastal Range, and finally, the Pacific Ocean to the west. The presence of the Humboldt Current that follows the Chilean coastline and brings cold water from Antarctica collaborates in the generation of a beneficial mountain-ocean interaction. Finally, it is important to point out that the transverse valleys that cross the country from mountain to sea contribute to the formation of a large diversity of microclimates.

1.2. Climate

Chile’s wine growing valleys have a temperate Mediterranean climate, with a long dry season and a rainy winter. The mean annual temperature is 14°C, while the warmest month in the year is January, with an average temperature of 22°C, and the coldest is July with an average temperature of 8°C. Precipitation levels are moderate with annual averages of approximately 400 mm in central Chile. Precipitation levels decrease from the coast to the intermediate depression, and then rise again in the Andes Mountains, thus originating the general bioclimatic lines of Central Chile.

The night breezes that course down the Andean slopes blow from east to west, from mountain to sea, while in the daytime breezes blow from sea to mountain along the watercourses refreshing the fields, producing a beneficial change between day and night-time temperatures, which results in an optimum thermal range. Thus, the high day-time temperatures and low night-time readings contribute to yielding grapes with a greater concentration of aromas and flavours. The land located on the Andean foothills, which tends to have even lower night-time temperatures owing to its closeness to the origin of the winds can reach a thermal range of over 20°C. Low night-time temperatures result in freshness levels that are notable when compared to those of other wine grape growers in the world. This freshness index is based on the number of hours that the plants, in this case grapevines, are exposed to night-time temperatures ranging from 5°C to 10°C, which are essential for fruit quality.

Freshness indices in Chile are headed by the Maule Valley (Chile) with an index of 1.0 which equals the one of Napa Valley in California followed by the Cauquenes Valley (Chile) with 0.99, Colchagua Valley (Chile), 0.98, Maipo Valley (Chile), 0.93, Casablanca Valley (Chile), 0.92, Limarí Valley (Chile), 0.90, Rapel Valley (Chile), 0.89. Other wine production areas show lower indices like Tours (France), 0.87, Bordeaux (France), 0.85, Cote du Rhône (France), 0.82, Mendoza (Argentina), 0.73, Provence (France), 0.63, Cape Town (South Africa), 0.71, Adelaide (Australia), 0.59, Tuscany (Italy), 0.58, Milan (Italy), 0.42, Barrosa (Port Augusta, Australia), 0.37, Barcelona (Spain), 0.22. Lower indices do not prevent necessarily the production of good grapes for wines they limit the reach of the maximum potential of viticulture as well as increase costs.

On the other hand, lack of precipitation during the grapevine’s active growth period results in a very rare incidence of other diseases such as oidium and other minor ailments, so that the grape reaches its final winemaking process free from toxic waste. The dry summer season is an additional reason for saying that Chilean grapevines are the healthiest in the world, because there is no rainfall during the grapevine’s active growth period that goes from November to April. Furthermore, the variety of climates present in the country and the enormous water reserves contained in the Andean range, as well as the entire ecosystem, favour the successful growing of vitis vinifera, making this country a paradise for wine growing and production of fine wines.

1.3. Solar Radiation

Solar radiation in Chile stands out when compared with other wine growing areas in the world and is probably the most relevant differential advantage of the country, especially in the case of plants adapted to high radiation levels as is the case of vitis vinifera. Diverse studies have shown that in quantitative and qualitative terms and in terms of the number of light-days and atmospheric clarity, light conditions in Chile are such that they have led to the installation of multinational astronomic facilities in the country. This quality of light favours plant photosynthesis, which is more efficient and efficacious than in other wine growing areas. This gives clear advantages to the qualitative production of wine grapes and, in turn, facilitates the development of elements favourable to human health in a striking proportion, as established in numerous studies .

Solar radiation has wave and particle properties. This means we can describe it as a wavelength (l) measured in nanometers (nm) or as discrete units called photons. On the other hand, the radiation that reaches crops can be divided into short wave radiation (between 300 and 3000 nm) and long wave or heat radiation (above 3000 nm). Within short wave radiation we find the photobiological spectrum than ranges from 300 to 800 nm. Its name is due to the fact that these wavelengths are responsible for most organic photobiological phenomena.

Photosynthesis is not limited to the production of glucose to be transformed into ethanol during fermentation. While the berries are growing, the carbon from the same photosynthetic glucose is used and practically all the other bio molecules included in the chemical composition of the berries are synthesised. On the other hand, the induction of the synthesis of several of these compounds as well as the velocity of the processes is controlled by solar radiation. Thus, the induction of this synthesis is controlled by the quality of radiation, whereas its velocity is controlled by thermal action, which controls the temperature of the grapes.

Plants have photoreceptor molecules in their leaves, their young shoots and in the epidermis of their fruits, and these are activated by the action of certain given wavelengths, originating photochemical processes that differ from the bioenergetics’ processes described above. These processes lead to the synthesis of an ample variety of components and to the production of morphological phenomena that control plant development and growth.

An intensity of 2000 µmol PAR m-2 s-1, a solar radiation that is normal for the Central Zone of Chile, which has an R660/IR730 proportion of approximately 1.2, is beneficial not only because of its effect on the control of quantity of sugar and temperature of those organs. The active phytochrome of red radiation (R660) also controls the amount of antocians and phenols in the berry. Antocianine content grows with an increase in the proportion of active phytochrome, which improves the colour of the berries and the phenol content of seeds and epidermis.

To synthesise the 12 NDPH+ and 18ATP required to produce one glucose molecule in the leaf of a grapevine, the plant requires its light collecting antennae to absorb approximately 130 photons of active photosynthetic radiation, at wavelengths between 400 and 700 nm. Energy of three moles of photons is required to accumulate 1 gram of glucose during the period that goes from the véraison to the maturity of the berries (23° Brix).

For the production of a 750 cc bottle of good Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5° GL (Gay-Lussac) 122 grams of glucose are required, and the Sun will have provided about 516 moles of photons. The energy of the rest of the 506 moles of photons captured is dissipated through diverse energy transforming processes and elements for wine grapes. A mere 10 moles of photons of the best radiation really remain to be savoured in the wine. When we drink a glass of wine (250 cc) it can be said that we take 3 moles of drops of Sun.

To measure the integration of solar radiation, maximum and minimum temperatures in wine grape areas and to determine the potential development of grapevines Photothermal indices have been designed. At the same time, they also enable us to compare different production zones and their ability to provide the parameters required for the growth of grapes from vitis vinifera. These indices also favour the extraordinaire natural conditions of Chile for the production of grapes for wine making.

Photothermal Indices for different production regions in the world are headed for Napa Valley (California) and the Maipo Valley (Chile) both with an index of 140, followed by the Colchagua Valley (Chile) with an index of 135, the Cauquenes Valley (Chile), 133, Maule Valley (Chile), 131, Limarí Valley (Chile), 127, Rapel Valley (Chile), 123, Casablanca Valley (Chile), 121, and Mendoza (Argentina) with 110. The group that follows in Photothermal indices range is headed by Cotes du Rhône (France), 105, Bordeaux (France), 104, Tours (France), 101. Under an index of 100 it can be found Provence (France), 90, Cape Town (South Africa), 85, Tuscany (Italy), 81, Adelaide (Australia), 80, Milan (Italy), 58, Barrosa (Port Augusta, Australia), 50 and Barcelona (Spain) with an index of 31.

2. Quality Viticulture

As has been stated on many occasions, quality of the end products is the domain that concentrates the hopes of the international winemaking industry, and it would seem that the concept has been fully comprehended by the Chilean industry. Quality begins, and is nurtured and forged in the vineyard, and we are well aware of the fact that vineyards have exceptional environmental conditions in Chile. Precision viticulture is nowadays the most adequate tool to ensure quality of wine grape, in addition to being a privileged channel for the integration of new technologies at all levels.

In effect, the production of quality wines depends directly on the quality of the raw material (the grape) and of the subsequent processes. It is important to point out that a deficient raw material will not generate excellent wines, even though the best processing technologies might be on hand. In addition, processing technologies will be equalled throughout the world, and this differentiation will tend to disappear. The production of a wine of outstanding quality requires that grapes ripen at the right stage in their physiological development, neither too early nor too late.

The scientific and technological developments of the last decades reached such magnitude that it has pared the selection process of optimum vine-growing land from generations down to a few years. The state-of-the-art of current technological development allows for a methodology that no longer requires decades before it is put in practice, which at the same time allows for the vineyards to be divided according to the quality of their berries, identifying homogenous areas for grapes of a given wine quality. One of the ways of carrying this out is to use information recovered from remote multispectral sensors. This makes it possible to design methodologies to draw a map of plant quality in a vineyard, over a period of days and not of years, because the data thus obtained is related to in situ data.

The new combined technologies applied in modern vineyards establish a relationship between fruit vigour and ripening in terms of areas of a given vigour and areas with similar ripening values. In this way, it is possible to work out a harvest calendar, according to zones of equal ripening conditions, which have been previously defined by the correlation with field samples in each of the zones classified in terms of vigour. A harvesting sequence can then be established, giving overdue sectors further opportunity to ripen, and thus protecting the best grapes and preventing their dilution into an indiscriminate mass.

3. The future of Chilean vineyards

Chile’s advantages for the production of wine grapes become more evident every day, and the international wine industry and wine business have not remained indifferent to this fact. Foreign and especially European investment in the Chilean wine industry will increase in the coming years.

In effect, European winemaking countries increase their costs, eliminate their subsidies and see the strong growth of alternative costs for the use of the land. This situation is especially complicated for small and medium French vintners, who for many years had enjoyed the favour of the international markets, especially that of the United Kingdom, where French wines reigned for centuries. In the 16th century, Elizabethan and Shakespearean England already had four grand cru from Bordeaux: Haut-Brion, Lafite, Latour and Margaux, which are still among the best known wines in the world. This situation has changed radically, as French wines no longer reign alone in the United Kingdom and the world, and French wine exports decrease steadily along with the proverbial domestic wine consumption levels of the French, creating important social problems and forcing the French government to go in aid of winegrowers, although it really wishes to put an end to this aid. This aid will stop and the French winegrowing sector will face uncertain times, and is looking for long-term solutions to this problem as they have understood that the industry is suffering structural changes that are there to stay.

In European wines, the difference between cost and sales price tends to become smaller and smaller so that profit margins also fall. Additionally, European farmers are constantly troubled by world climate changes, but as they own a greater part of the market they are reacting to the onslaught of wines coming from the “New World” of wine. Part of this reaction is the increasing interest of the French in acquiring distribution chains. The natural reaction to this is to take production to the places that keep up quality conditions of the product and use marketing and distribution strategies to maintain the market. This has already happened to many winegrowers, and to other industrial activities, as is the case of the textile industry, electronics and automotive industries among others.

The Southern Hemisphere is expecting important investments in the wine industry which in time will undoubtedly affect land and labour prices, and which will result in an increase of planted areas and of wine exports from the Southern Hemisphere. Chilean vineyards should grow and increase their use of technology to limits as yet unheard of, hand in hand with local and foreign investment.