I interviewed Maria Luz Marin, winemaker owner of one of the best wineries in Chile, Casa Marin, in the region of Lo Abarca, recently recognized as a denomination of origin. The winery is the producer of the best white wine in Chile by the Descorchados Guide.
Talita: Could you tell us a little bit about your education and professional experience? Why did you think Lo Abarca was a special region?
Maria: I am a winemaker, I studied at the “Universdad de Chile” and worked for several other wineries in Chile, as a winemaker and also in the commercial side of the business.
I believe it is a winemaker’s dream to produce your own wine, especially if it is sourced from a uniqiue and unknown place in the world. Also to be different and show a sense of place, specially because at the time all the wines in Chile were boaring, most of the vineyards were located in the central valley and without showing major differences between them.
The idea was to show something different and distinctive, that the wines came from Lo abarca: near the ocean, very cool climate, foggy mornings, steep topography, etc … The idea was to produce a style of wine with identity and personality, totally different to what was produced. To me, that was Lo Abarca: extreme conditions for wine production.
Talita: Could you tell us the story of when you started to make wine in Lo Abarca and people said you were making a mistake?
Maria: Yes, all people were saying I was crazy to plant a vineyard in this place, the people in the town, the lady that sold me the land and especially my coleagues. They were questioning why I was risking so much and would loose money,effort, time, credibility, etc. Unless you can produce some fantastic wine, sold at a high price and that – of course – is impossible because it is from Chile (Chilean wines are known to be good but inexpensive wines). Therefore, I was not supposed to be successfull.
Talita: When was your first wine prize?
Maria: In Decanter World Wine Awards 2003 with our Sauvignon Blanc, getting the International Trophy
Talita I have recently tasted the Casa Marin Lo Abarca Pinot Noir and I was very surprised… Would you say it is similar to burgundy wines?
Maria: We do not try to copy or be similar to Burgundy ones, just find our own personality and characteristics, but I could say our Pinot Noir can stand at the same level as their best wines.
Talita: What are your best wines today?
Maria: All the wines we produce, but I could say that our wines are better when they are older, the whites and the reds. And of course we have better vintages, some of them are 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013
Talita: You have been fighting for years to turn Lo Abarca into a denomination of origin and you finally succeeded! Can you explain what that means?
Maria: This D.O. Lo Abarca is a novelty in Chile, because in relation to the old ones, this one, correspond to a specific site without a specific delimitation,which is a novelty. This is the result of a new reality in the Chilean wine, it is the effort of Casa Marin behind this new place with particular soils, climate and the work of our people. We have developed a place that yields a wine with its own identity. It is what in other latitudes they call Terroir.
Talita: What makes wines from Lo Abarca different from the rest of the world? What characteristics of aromas and flavors can you find in the wines of Lo Abarca that are a reference of this region?
Maria: Our wines are some of those wines that have the greatest character in the world. The influence of Lo Abarca is such that the flavors we obtain go far beyond a varietal character. The deepth ,of salinity, the voluptuosity blend and the sharp acidity can be traced in our Riesling, Gewurstraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris They all have the same character.
