Comments on: Chile, upmarket, downmarket, SF, yellow cards – sipped and spit http://www.drvino.com/2010/02/24/chile-cheap-wine-california/ wine talk that goes down easy Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:49:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Charlie Olken http://www.drvino.com/2010/02/24/chile-cheap-wine-california/#comment-296424 Charlie Olken Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:01:59 +0000 http://www.drvino.com/?p=6199#comment-296424 Chilean quake now said to be 8.8, still very big, and much bigger than the 1989 quake here that destroyed or badly damaged wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Chilean quake now said to be 8.8, still very big, and much bigger than the 1989 quake here that destroyed or badly damaged wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

]]> By: Charlie Olken http://www.drvino.com/2010/02/24/chile-cheap-wine-california/#comment-296422 Charlie Olken Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:34:00 +0000 http://www.drvino.com/?p=6199#comment-296422 An enormous earthquake hit Chile today. Its epicenter was 200 miles south of Santiago, but it apparently caused damage in Santiago. A good deal of Chile's wine production is in the area or near to those area covered. When a much smaller earthquake, but still on of size (7.0 versus today's 9.5), barrel stacks in affected wineries were tossed around like the way kids toss around Legos. Obviously, the human costs of this quake are the first concern and the destroyed infrastructure the second, but there will almost certainly be tales of wine and wineries that have been very greatly affected. One example, when a 5.4 quake hit near wineries in the Livermore Valley, some of the stainless steel tanks were damaged because their support structures twisted. Stay tuned. This story will have specific interest for the wine community. An enormous earthquake hit Chile today. Its epicenter was 200 miles south of Santiago, but it apparently caused damage in Santiago. A good deal of Chile’s wine production is in the area or near to those area covered. When a much smaller earthquake, but still on of size (7.0 versus today’s 9.5), barrel stacks in affected wineries were tossed around like the way kids toss around Legos. Obviously, the human costs of this quake are the first concern and the destroyed infrastructure the second, but there will almost certainly be tales of wine and wineries that have been very greatly affected.

One example, when a 5.4 quake hit near wineries in the Livermore Valley, some of the stainless steel tanks were damaged because their support structures twisted. Stay tuned. This story will have specific interest for the wine community.

]]> By: Todd Trzaskos http://www.drvino.com/2010/02/24/chile-cheap-wine-california/#comment-296386 Todd Trzaskos Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:58:16 +0000 http://www.drvino.com/?p=6199#comment-296386 Yes, the current global economy and currency issues pose a challange to Chile, but the potential there is still quite large, and the benefit to the US consumer is still great. Inexpensive Chilean table wines may be harder hit by incremental price increases, but the "Upmarket" Chilean wines are still an extremely good value, as compared to similarly prices wines from Europe and California...and that sector of Chilean wine production is just getting going. Viva Chile! Yes, the current global economy and currency issues pose a challange to Chile, but the potential there is still quite large, and the benefit to the US consumer is still great. Inexpensive Chilean table wines may be harder hit by incremental price increases, but the “Upmarket” Chilean wines are still an extremely good value, as compared to similarly prices wines from Europe and California…and that sector of Chilean wine production is just getting going. Viva Chile!

]]> By: Dr. Vino http://www.drvino.com/2010/02/24/chile-cheap-wine-california/#comment-296357 Dr. Vino Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:00:40 +0000 http://www.drvino.com/?p=6199#comment-296357 Lori Tieszen, executive director of Wines of Chile USA writes in. She wants to elaborate on comments that Rene Merino, President of Vinos de Chile, made to the LA Times: <blockquote>Rene’s comments were specifically addressing Chilean exports globally, and were not specific to the United States. In fact, Chilean bottled wine exports to the United States were up 8% in terms of volume and 7% in value for 2009 -- more than twice that of 2008 (which was +3% and +5% in volume and value, respectively). For purposes of comparison, it should be noted that total bottle wine imports into the U.S., through November 2009 were -2% (via Gomberg-Fredrikson, which monitors wine imports by country). We are justifiably pleased that Chile is one of the few countries to have increased its bottled wines sales in the U.S. in 2009, given the economic picture.</blockquote> Lori Tieszen, executive director of Wines of Chile USA writes in. She wants to elaborate on comments that Rene Merino, President of Vinos de Chile, made to the LA Times:

Rene’s comments were specifically addressing Chilean exports globally, and were not specific to the United States. In fact, Chilean bottled wine exports to the United States were up 8% in terms of volume and 7% in value for 2009 — more than twice that of 2008 (which was +3% and +5% in volume and value, respectively). For purposes of comparison, it should be noted that total bottle wine imports into the U.S., through November 2009 were -2% (via Gomberg-Fredrikson, which monitors wine imports by country). We are justifiably pleased that Chile is one of the few countries to have increased its bottled wines sales in the U.S. in 2009, given the economic picture.

]]> By: Laurie http://www.drvino.com/2010/02/24/chile-cheap-wine-california/#comment-296337 Laurie Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:57:33 +0000 http://www.drvino.com/?p=6199#comment-296337 As if PA's wine laws were not absurd enough.... As if PA’s wine laws were not absurd enough….

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