Chilean Earthquake Hits Wine Industry Hard

I'm still in Costa Rica, but obviously the news from Chile is dominating right now. I've got many colleagues there that I am waiting to hear from. There is an obvious human element to the story—I understand that. Here in my blog, however, I'm just focusing on the wine industry proper.

I have heard from Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle, who's stuck in Miami as the Santiago airport is closed. I've also heard from Patrick Valette, Sven Bruchfeld and Jorge Goles from within Chile. Initial reports are not good, with many wineries reporting broken tanks and millions of liters of wine lost. I've also heard that the J. Bouchon winery was hit hard, as were many of those located in the southern valleys of Curicó and Maule. Wineries north in Colchagua and Maipo were not spared though.

Power is down as well, which means wineries that were about to begin harvesting their white varieties are now stuck with grapes on the vines. Cellular networks are disrupted as is internet and e-mail, so communication is still difficult.

If you've heard from anyone in the wine industry in Chile and have news to report, I encourage you to post here. I am returning to New York tonight and will be in the office tomorrow working on the story as best I can.

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