Wine, women and oenophiles
Are women better at the business of winemaking than men? While men are the traditional winemakers, some studies claim that females have the physiological advantage because they have more taste buds. We live in a time of equal opportunity, and the ranks of women winemakers are growing—a good number of them producing top quality, award-winning vintages. So, are the heightened senses of females really a distinct advantage in the profession?
We persisted in asking Cecilia Torres, award-winning winemaker. As one of the most highly regarded experts in Chile, with winemaking and viticulture credentials from the Universidad de Chile, Cecilia would prefer to skip the gender issues. Instead, she prefers to emphasize the importance of grape quality as the key element in determining the outcome of a vintage. “For winemakers, grape supply is a vital factor to consider,” Torres says. “Owning land means that you can control yield and ensure quality.” She explains that while irrigating vineyards results in greater yield, the quality of fruit for winemaking is adversely affected by too much water. Cecilia Torres has been the sole winemaker of Casa Real since its first harvest in 1989. Starting with Casa Real’s debut vintage, her goal was “to craft a rich, supple, full-bodied Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon of exemplary quality and finesse, with enduring tannins and commanding ripe fruit.” In just 20 years, she has succeeded spectacularly, earning accolades and international awards. In 2006 her expertise earned her the “Winemaker of the Year” award by Guia de Vinos de Chile. But then again, perhaps her proficiency in winemaking is not surprising since she was exposed to it at a young age. “Children had wine with water and sugar, and when I was about 10 years old was allowed thimblefuls of wine.” Grapes for Casa Real’s wines are grown in Alto Jahuel in the Maipo Valley, in vineyards owned by parent wine estate Vina Santa Rita that was established in 1880. Vina Santa Rita controls over 3,800 hectares of vineyards.
“It is inevitable that those who love wine become acquainted with its terroir,” says Cecilia. “Part of the magic is learning about where the wine is coming from.” Terroir refers “to vineyards located in the same region that share the same type of soil, and weather conditions. “ Understandably, grapes grown in the same terroir are of similar quality, influencing the specific personality or type of wine produced in that region. ”Wine is a culture,” she adds. “It is a product that promotes social interaction so everyone should have access to it.”
Casa Real wines are distributed in the Philippines by Future Trade International, and we asked senior marketing manager Eric G. Kahn, “Worldwide trends have shown that while men used to dominate the wine market in past years, more women (about 60 percent) drink wine now. Is this the same true in the Philippines?
“The Philippines is a very different market from the rest of the world,” says Eric. “A few years ago it was the females who drank more wine while the males stuck to the hard liquor. The trend is changing, though, with more men drinking wines now and the reason they are shifting is because of the healthier perception of wines.” The Filipino palate is attuned to strong flavors so there is an affinity to strong-flavored wines; the consumption in the Philippines is 80 percent red versus 20 percent white. He continues, “Casa Real is the icon wine for Santa Rita. It is a young wine only dating back about 20 years.” The pioneer 1989 vintage will retail over P7,000.
On winemaking in the Philippines, Kahn has this to say, ”Technically wine is an alcoholic drink that is made from the juice of fruits or berries. That is why we can make duhat wine, mango wine, apple wine, etc. And as long as you have a good fruit you can make wine. That being said, how about wine made from grapes? Again the answer is yes. We can make wine but what we cannot do is grow the grapes that make wine. Wine grapes need ugly soil, calculated rainfall and winter. All of which we do not have in the Philippines. We have very rich soil, too much rain and obviously no winter. Wine, though, can be made anywhere in the world. All you need is to ship the juice over. But to do such a thing in the Philippines is too expensive and quality is not guaranteed.”
Clearly, aspiring winemakers in the Philippines—whether female or male—have more challenges to hurdle.
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Future Trade International is at 8014 Km 18 West Service Road, Marcelo Green Village, Sucat, Paranaque City. Trunk lines are 556-8724 and 556-8726 to 28. Or log on to www.futuretradeinc.com
