“Vinos de la Cordillera” meeting brings experts from Chile and Argentina to the Center of Research and Innovation
This new version ratified the Maule valley as a wine-producing area of excellence and confirmed the union of wine-lovers from both countries. The 11th version of “Vinos de la Cordillera” (wines from the Andes foothills) took place between Thursday 29 and Saturday 31 October. This is an event of comradeship that seeks to provide winemaking news and tighten links between cellar owners, winemakers and sommeliers of Chile and Argentina
The second day of the event was spent at the Center of Extension of the Center of Research and Innovation (C.I.I.) of Viña Concha y Toro, located in Corinto. The 80 guests made blind tastings of a selection of high-quality wines (12 from each country) chosen by the organizers of this meeting, the Argentine wine critic Enrique Chrabolowsky and the journalist and sommelier Mariana Martínez.
The winning wine of the event was Cheval des Andes 2011, from Argentina, a blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon which obtained 92 points in a scale of 0 to 100. In all, ten Argentine wines and eight Chilean wines obtained 90 points or more, showing the great quality of the wines tasted.
“Vinos de la Cordillera” in Talca has been one of the best editions we have had because its people received us most affectionately and Concha y Toro’s Center of Research and Innovation has been an excellent host. The wines tasted were fantastic and we are all going home with the great satisfaction of having tasted in one of the best places in Chile”, said Enrique Chrabolowsky.
The Maule valley had an important participation in the 2015 version of this meeting as 50% of the Chilean wines tasted were prepared in this winemaking zone. News about the Carignan, País and Cinsault varieties from this origin, which are being rescued by producers in recent years, was prominent.
“In the selection of Chilean wines, most came from the Maule. These obtained the highest scores and this fills us with satisfaction. We also presented the VIGNO project during this meeting. This is centered on the Carignan grape, two of these wines obtaining 91 points”, said Mariana Martínez.
Gerard Casaubon, Director of Concha y Toro’s Center of Research and Innovation underlined that “in a long and rewarding day of technical work, the 80 industry experts invited assessed this selection of high-quality innovative wines, which included Concha y Toro’s VIGNO with 90 points. They not only experienced personally the innovation at the level of products from Maule and best from Argentina, but were also able to know in depth the strategy of our company’s research, development and innovation and that of the Chilean industry, represented today by our center”.
As part of the meeting, the delegation traveled on Saturday 31th to the dry coastal area of the Maule where they visited several vineyards and enjoyed an outdoor lunch surrounded by the centenary País vineyards. 
