WINES OF CHILE: TAPESTRY OF TERROIR 2012
Grand Tasting Celebrated Chile’s Incredible Diversity
NEW YORK, NY (June 13, 2012)—More than 50 premium Chilean wineries poured over 300 wines yesterday at New York’s Metropolitan Pavilion during the 2012 Wines of Chile Grand Tasting. The guest list for the afternoon portion included 400 trade representatives and members of the press. In the evening, hundreds of wine lovers came to experience the Chilean terroir through the broad range of wines and grape varieties presented during the event. Tickets for the evening tasting were made available to the general public, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Attendees were invited to sample wines at individual winery tables and to visit four tasting lounges: Mountain Reds, featuring Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet blends from regions near the Andes; Coastal Whites, showcasing Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay; Cool Climate Reds, featuring Pinot Noir and Syrah; and Valley Reds, highlighting Carmenere and Carmenere blends cultivated from several valleys. Each of the rooms showcased an aspect of Chile’s distinctive landscape and provided guests with the opportunity to experience the quality of wines that thrive in the country’s myriad of growing regions.
“The theme of our event, Tapestry of Terroir, allowed us to showcase Chile’s extraordinary diversity,” says Lori Tieszen, Executive Director of Wines of Chile USA. “The country’s unique geography—which is as varied in climate and terrain from east to west as it is north to south—creates unlimited opportunities for the exploration of wines that truly reflect the land from which they are cultivated. The tasting lounges allowed us to bring the various terroirs of Chile to life.”
The event featured an array of authentic Chilean cuisine, and the evening portion featured a DJ. Guests received personal tasting books containing detailed winery information, including contacts for importers and distributors. Invitees were encouraged to have their photograph taken in front of a cellar room backdrop for instantaneous uploads to Facebook using Reflectr technology.
Two trade seminars were also integrated into the event. The first, “Practical Ideas to Drive More Traffic & Sell More Wine,” featured a panel of industry experts including Ian Griffith of Beverage Media Group, Ben Wood of 67 Wines, Steve Solomon of Hearth and Terroir, and moderator Jack Robertiello. The second seminar was a Chilean Terroir Master Class led by Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer, who provided attendees with an in-depth look at Chile’s diverse regions and their unique terroirs.
For more information on the event or on Wines of Chile, please visit www.winesofchile.org or the company’s Facebook and Twitter pages at http://www.facebook.com/WinesOfChile and http://twitter.com/DrinkChile.
CONTACT: The Thomas Collective
Amber Gallaty (agallaty@thethomascollective.com)
212-229-2294
About Wines of Chile
Wines of Chile is an organization committed to promoting the quality and image of Chilean wine throughout the world. It has offices in Santiago, London, and New York, as well as representatives in Canada, Ireland and Denmark. Wines of Chile also works closely with ProChile to develop and offer promotional and educational programs in Asia, Latin America and Europe. Wines of Chile’s 93 member wineries belong to Vinos de Chile and represent 93% of Chile’s bottled wine exports.
Wines of Chile is not affiliated in any manner with the Natural Resources Defense Council or any of its programs, projects or websites.