Revolutionizing Chile's Wine Industry: Casa Silva's Groundbreaking Micro-Terroir and Genome Research Projects

The wine industry has always been fascinated by the concept of terroir – the idea that the environment in which grapes are grown can significantly impact the flavor and aroma characteristics of the resulting wine. In recent years, winemakers have become increasingly interested in exploring the concept of micro-terroir – the idea that even tiny differences in soil composition, sunlight exposure, and other environmental factors can profoundly impact the final product.

?THE MICRO-TERROIR PROJECT

In 2005, Casa Silva, one of Chile's leading wine producers, decided to take its understanding of micro-terroir to the next level by launching a groundbreaking research project in conjunction with the University of Talca. The aim of the three-year project was to explore why vines grown under apparently identical conditions in tiny plots within one vineyard could produce wines with different characteristics.

?The Micro-Terroir research project was the first in Latin America and the second in the world. The research involved pinpointing the optimum elements required for a micro-terroir plot to produce the best quality Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Viognier, and Petit Verdot grapes. The results of the research enabled Casa Silva to re-map its vineyards more precisely and separate the different quality potential of micro-terroir plots as small as 0.1 hectares.

?Using micro-vinification, the winemaking team optimized quality and selected precise mini-parcels of each variety for their best wines. The quality improvements were clear, and the learning was shared with the Chilean wine industry.

However, the Micro-Terroir research project also highlighted unexplained variations in the quality and characteristics of Carmenere in up to 25% of the micro plots studied, suggesting that clonal differences might be at play. In response, Casa Silva run further in-depth research to identify and select the best clones of Carmenere, and the Genome Project began.

THE GENOME RESEARCH PROJECT

The goal was to unravel the DNA of the most emblematic strain of Chile to continue improving its development nationally and globally. It studied 72 different phenotypes of Carmenere from different valleys in the country, planted in a special experimental vineyard at Casa Silva's Los Lingues estate in the foothill of the Andes. Experts from the University of Talca, the University Federico Santa Maria, and the Max Planck Institute of Germany worked under the direction of Mario Geisse, technical director at Casa Silva, to identify the Carmenere clone or clones that enhance the best characteristics of the grape variety.

The study was carried out with the most modern research technologies in the area, forming part of an investigation project related to the functional genomics of grapevines. This aimed in part to determine, through molecular genetics techniques, metabolic analysis, and phenomic analysis, the real genetic diversity of the Carmenere cultivar in Chile.

The team found an optimal balance between vegetal and herbaceous characters; more homogeneous fruit flavors, good structure, and better-perceived acidity. They also aimed to minimize the problems of millerandage that can lead to significant vintage variations in Carmenere wines.

Also, the team discovered that of all the number of accessions or possible clones of Carmenere that were thought to be in Chile, there are only two clearly identified groups or clones, genetically, phenotypically, and metabolically.

Consequently, a detailed metabolomic analysis (molecular study) yielded similar results, confirming the existence in Chile of these two groups and authenticating the low genetic diversity of this strain in Chile, especially when compared to that of the other cultivars present in our country.

?Probably the above would result from a limited diversity of materials originally introduced to the country in the previous century. Everything seems to indicate that most of the Carmenere selections available in the country can be classified into these two genetic groups, which in practice limits clonal availability to two groups or simply two clones.

Casa Silva's Micro-Terroir and Genome Research projects are groundbreaking examples of how science can be applied to improve the quality of wine. The research represents a significant milestone for the Chilean wine industry, placing it firmly on the map as a source of high-quality wines with unique and distinctive characteristics. The investigation has allowed Casa Silva to gain a deeper understanding of the terroir of their vineyards and to produce more consistent and higher-quality wines, like Microterroir Carmenere, a direct result of the studies.