Earlier this year, Wines of Chile unveiled a new association for certified organic wine producers. Chilean Organic Winegrowers (COW) was founded by an innovative group of wineries and is dedicated to raising the profile of their country’s organic wines.
The Chilean Organic Winegrowers (COW) was officially launched at ProWein in May 2022. Its eight founding members are all well-established names in their own right: Viña Conosur, Viña Emiliana, Viña Koyle, Viña Matetic, Viña Miguel Torres, Viña de Martino, Viña Veramonte and Viña Odfjell.
“Some of the founding wineries started with the first conversations and interest in forming a single entity where we would all collaborate and work towards the same goal,” says Jaime Valderrama, managing director of Viña Miguel Torres Chile and president of the association.
As the idea spread, more wineries bought into the concept.
To qualify for COW membership, a winery must belong to Wines of Chile and be involved in planting, winemaking, production, and commercialisation of certified Chilean Organic Wines. Three more wineries have since applied for membership, namely Haras de Pirque, Garcés Silva and Los Vascos.
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- Viña de Martino
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- Wines from Viña Emiliana
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- Emiliana Los Robles
Local aims
COW aims to promote and increase the consumption of organic wines in Chile and abroad, collaboratively by strengthening technical areas, approving organic standards, and committing to actions that will help to build the category. Success will in turn reinforce recognition for the association.
The collaboration arose out a mutual conviction that establishing common ground provided the best platform for future action. “To achieve results, it’s essential that all of the partner members have participated in the founding rules, for there to be respect from the members, and for us to all work together towards the goal.”
“As an entity that brings us together under the same goal, the association enables us to speak with one voice to build and position Chilean organic wines worldwide,” says Jaime. “We believe it’s easier to work on this challenge collaboratively, supporting one another with everything from technical aspects to commercial actions.”
International ambition
It was also necessary to investigate international best practices, to see whether such organisations have been successful in other parts of the world. “One inspiring example has been Organic Winegrowers New Zealand (OWNZ), which has attained significant achievements as an association.”
The organisation is already in contact with government agencies and other organic associations across the world to foster international cooperation and collaboration.
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- Miguel Torres Vineyards
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- Matetic Vineyards
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- Odfjell Vineyards
Chile’s organic core
COW has received significant support from Wines of Chile, which plays a supporting role through its R&D department, legal team, human capital, broadcast platforms, and experience with promotion abroad, according to Jaime.
This new association is framed within the strategic pillar of sustainability, which has been a major theme for the Chilean wine industry over the past 10 years and is the motivation for Wines of Chile’s promotion of Chilean organic wines abroad.
Global demand for organic wines has increased significantly over the past few years, with the pandemic accelerating a trend already noted in many developed markets.
“There has been growing awareness about caring for the planet and healthy eating during this pandemic,” Jaime says. “Consequently, sales of organic wines increased by more than 20% in 2021 for our founding wineries, with Canada, the USA, Nordic countries, and Japan as the main destinations.”
“According to the latest global report Wine Intelligence on SOLA (sustainable, organic, and low alcohol) wines, organic wines reach the highest rate of development opportunity among the wines in this category, which is also reflected in the growing number of wineries that have joined in the production and commercialisation of certified organic wines in Chile.”
With this collaborative effort, Chile intends to pull ahead of the pack in the global race to capture emerging organic wine market share.
Watch: Emiliana Organic Vineyards
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