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OMGD Finland Tasting

Bailliage of Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki, August 1, 2016

Finns love Chilean wines
" Viña Undurraga (est. 1885) is the leading sparkling wine producer and overall one of the biggest wineries in Chile "

A Chilean wine tasting in Helsinki might first seem an odd choice however Finland is the only country in the world, outside of Chile of course, where the first country on the list of most sold wines is Chile.

Actually every third litre of wine sold for private consumption in Finland’s alcoholic beverage monopoly originates from Chile. Chile also holds the sixth position among the world’s top ten wine countries with an annual production approaching 13 million hectolitres.

Accordingly, on the first day of August, the Ordre Mondial group within the Bailliage of Helsinki had the pleasure of welcoming Eugenio Ponce from the well-known Undurraga winery for a tasting of their wines.

Viña Undurraga (est. 1885) is the leading sparkling wine producer and overall one of the biggest wineries in Chile with a production of a whopping 20 million litres per year.

Whilst the company is based in the Maipo Valley, 34 kms south-west of Chile’s capital, Santiago, Undurraga’s vineyards are located in many parts of the country which enables the growing of different grapes on varied types of terrain and under different micro-climates.

The variety is huge but still distinctively Chilean. This is one of the reasons why the Finns love the wines so much. Furthermore, the price range is attractive and most wines are at their best when accompanied with food. Thanks to the popularity of Chilean wines in Finland, even Undurraga makes wines for sale solely on the Finnish market!

We started with Undurraga sparkling then Eugenio gave us an overview on Chile and Viña Undurraga in particular followed by a tasting of four whites and six reds:
- Undurraga Brut Royal
- ‘Santiago 1541’ Sauvignon Blanc 2015
- ‘Aliwen’ Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2015
- ‘U by Undurraga’ Gewurztraminer
- ‘T.H.’* Riesling 2012
- ‘Santiago 1541’ Syrah Cabernet Malbec 2014
- ‘U by Undurraga’ Carmenere
- ‘Aliwen’ Pinot Noir 2014
- ‘Aliwen’ Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah 2014
- ‘Santiago 1541’ Gran Reserva Cabernet-Sauvignon Syrah Malbec 2015
- ‘T.H.’* Carmenere 2014

The event was a great success. Naturally, we were delighted to have the opportunity to sample such an extensive selection. Each wine was tasted, reviewed and later re-tasted with South American food. We highly recommend you do the same!

Report and photos by Stana Porvali, Vice-Chargée de Presse

* ‘T.H.’ stands for Terroir Hunter, an innovative project in Chilean winemaking – watch the video to learn more

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