Viña Caliterra has become the only winery to be listed in 'Chile Verde’ (Green Chile) a recently published book promoting environmental culture.
Caliterra: ‘sustainable’
The book is part of a larger project entitled Por un Chile Verde: Acciones Para un Mundo Sostenible (For a Green Chile: Actions for a Sustainable World) which supports best environmental practice in the country.
Along with 105 other initiatives from individuals, NGOs, and various public and private organisations, Viña Caliterra was chosen for the July 2012 edition of the National Sustainability Code created in 2008 and which now governs the Chilean wine industry’s sustainability practices.
Viña Caliterra was established in the Colchagua Valley in 1996 as a partnership between the Robert G Mondavi family and Viña Errázuriz (although Errázuriz is now the sole owner).
It covers an area spanning 1,085ha (2,681 acres), 75% of which is untouched land.
Caliterra’s vineyards consist of 210ha of Merlot, Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and smaller lots of Malbec on the valley floor, first planted in 1997.
There are also 78ha of hillside plantings: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Carmenere and Viognier.
Viña Caliterra maintains its sustainable status with a range of practices including efficient water use and recycling projects, reforestation, erosion protection plans, lightweight bottles, and the encouragement of herds of wild horses to reduce the risk of fire.
‘It’s not about making only high quality wine anymore,’ Rodrigo Zamorano, Caliterra’s winemaker said. ‘It’s about making it with a careful awareness to help ensure natural resources for our grandchildren and beyond’.
Written by Christina Pickard
