They are the protagonists, the alchemists and specialist wine makers. A fundamental task in the wine world, and whose role is celebrated today August 10th with the Winemaker’s Day.
We spoke with the viticulture and winemaking professionals who are part of the winemaking team at Viña Concha y Toro. Marcelo Papa, winemaker and Technical Director of Viña Concha y Toro; Isabel Mitarakis, an agronomy engineer specializing in oenology and in charge of the Gravas portfolio; Marcio Ramírez, winemaker of all the carmenères in the vineyard, including Carmín de Peumo; Javier Solari, agronomist and oenologist of Casillero del Diablo wines and part of the team behind Marques de Casa Concha; and Max Weinlaub, also part of the team of winemakers behind Casillero del Diablo and Marques de Casa Concha who told us their best secrets, all those things that a winemaker does not forgive and those beliefs that guide their important role within the vineyard and the winery. These are their 8 commandments.
- Never forget that wine is born in the vineyard
“Always remember that wine comes from the vine, from the grape. More than from the winery. Therefore, as a winemaker we must not lose the sense of belonging of a wine, where and how it comes from”, Marcio Ramírez.
- Dare with all kinds of pairings
“For me as a winemaker it is very important to dare to try wines with different types of food. A food and wine pairing can always surprise us”, Isabel Mitarakis.
- Wine is to be enjoyed
“Wine is for people to enjoy it and we must not lose that direction: it is a drink or a part of our diet that is meant to be enjoyed. So, a wine must be super balanced, entertaining, and drinkable. For me that is very important”, Marcio Ramírez.
- Always look at the origin
“Explore different wines and always look at their origin, denomination of origin (D.O) or appellation, and then choose the ones that each one likes the most”, Marcelo Papa.
- After a long wine tasting, nothing better than a beer
“After an extensive and good day of wine tasting, of work, there is nothing better than a beer to refresh the palate”, Marcelo Papa.
- My best secret to lower the wine temperature
“If you want to lower the temperature of a wine quickly, especially white wines, a tip is to wrap the bottle in kitchen roll paper, wet it and then put it into the freezer”, Isabel Mitarakis.
- Wine should be drunk in a wine glass
“I think this is the point where my most traditional side in the world of wine comes out. The wine has another aroma, flavour and taste if it is drunk in a good wine glass. Investing in a good wine glass makes the experience of drinking wine much better”, Javier Solari.
- Our mantra should be “quality, quality and quality”
“Probably the first bottle of wine is sold thanks to marketing, but the following ones are thanks to Oenology. This is why our goal, almost like a mantra, must be “quality, quality and quality”, Max Weinlaub.
