Chilean quake wrecks vineyards and wine stocks

By Graciela Almendras, in Santiago for AFP Published: 12:03PM GMT 04 March 2010

Comments 3 |

A vineyard in the Maipo hollow with the Andes in the background. Photo: Alamy

Growers hold that around 12.5 per cent of Chile"s stream production, that is usually entrance in to the autumn early collect in this republic in teh southern hemisphere, was broken by Saturday"s 8.8-magnitude quake.

Around 70 per cent of the country"s vineyards are in the area struck by the upheaval - that was one of the largest ever recorded. The area was dealt a stand in whammy when it was subsequently swamped by a tsunami.

Chile earthquake: officials underneath glow over tsunami warnings Chile looters lapse �1.3m Top booze deals this week G8 summit: puncture plan Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall foster organic wines in Chile Year of Discovery competition: icy play in Chilean Patagonia

But growers are confident that notwithstanding the waste and the repairs to grape vines and wineries they will still be means to encounter made at home and trade targets.

Chile"s largest booze growers association, Vinos de Chile, that includes around 92 per cent of the country"s vineyards, pronounced in a matter that the repairs was disproportionate and still being assessed.

"We"ve managed to magnitude the loss at 125 million litres... value a small 250 million dollars," pronounced the association"s boss Rene Merino.

"However, compared to the abounding collect of 2009 the loss usually represents 12.5 per cent of the total," he added.

The 2009 collect was a quite developed one for this South American nation producing around one billion litres of wine.

Five days after the upheaval that killed some-more than 800 people, the grape collect is at the back of in full pitch at multiform vineyards, whilst others are dynamic to get at the back of on their feet fast.

"The collect has started and the volume will not be influenced by the trembler or the aftermath," vowed Merino, adding that the "bottling factories are in all unimpaired and up and running."

While inlet played a vicious pretence on these unapproachable vintners, they are anticipating the continue will sojourn in their favour.

"Grapes are sappy a small after this year in a small valleys, definition that if we do things scrupulously we"ll have a normal harvest," pronounced Eduardo Silva, clamp boss of the the Corporation Chilena del Vino.

Antonio Larrain, the ubiquitous physical education instructor of the corporation, ruled out any shortfalls in Chilean booze exports, that should reach 600 million litres this year.

Merino denied reports of a 40-million-litre prolongation loss by Chile"s and Latin America"s greatest booze exporter, Concha y Toro.

"The waste postulated by Concha y Toro are most reduce than that, but patently all waste are proportionate to the distance of each company."

Juan Sutil, from the Vina Sutil company, told the Financial News every day that he had "lost most of the accomplished products and fifteen per cent of those we had in batch or booze cellar".

But there was improved headlines from the plantation physical education instructor of Vina Emiliana, Jose Guilisasti, who pronounced that "of the 4 wineries we have, usually one had any problems."

According to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, Chile, with an normal each year prolongation of 8.8 million hectolitres, is the world"s ninth heading booze producer.

It ranks at the back of France, Spain, the United States, Germany, Portugal, Argentina, Australia and South Africa.

In 2007 Chile exported one billion dollars" value of wine, with Europe shopping 52 per cent of it, followed by the United States and Canada.