Chilean Label Joins U.S. Sustainable Wine Category, Guided by Ethos of Preserving Nature
Mendocino, County, Calif., November 15, 2021 – Concha y Toro Gran Reserva, the #1-selling super premium Chilean wine in the U.S.,1 today announced a total package refresh aimed at elevating its longstanding commitments to preserving nature and reducing environmental impact. Debuting across the U.S. this fall, Gran Reserva’s new look pays homage to the powerful rivers that carry Andean snowmelt throughout Chile, giving rise to biodiversity-rich watersheds where the wines are grown. Offerings include acclaimed, single-vineyard expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Sauvignon Blanc from estate vineyards farmed along the spectacular rivers of Chile’s Colchagua Valley.
On the bottle, Gran Reserva is spotlighting its protected watersheds, biodiversity and conservation efforts with updated certifications, color palette, and the new tagline “Preserving Nature.” Imported to the U.S. by fellow B Corp Fetzer Vineyards, Gran Reserva is aimed at climate-conscious consumers, with some 58% of U.S. consumers saying they worry about climate change, with 40% indicating they will always buy sustainable products where possible.2 Beyond the bottle, Concha y Toro’s pacesetting biodiversity and sustainability initiatives come to life in crafting Gran Reserva, from soil to cellar.
Notably, Gran Reserva is making good on new tagline “Preserving Nature,” building on Viña Concha y Toro’s legacy of sustainability leadership and landmark B Corp certification3 with concerted efforts around water, energy, sustainable sourcing and conservation. Gran Reserva wines are certified sustainable4, produced using 100% renewable energy,5 and crafted with a water footprint 22% below the global wine industry average.6 These green commitments are clearly identified on labels with third party certifications from B Lab, Water Footprint Network, Green-e® Framework for Renewable Energy, and Sustainable Wines of Chile.
In partnership with the Forest Stewardship Council®, Viña Concha y Toro preserves 3,530 acres of protected forest—40% of which call Gran Reserva vineyards their home—as part of the winery’s Mediterranean Forest Conservation Program. The winery also cultivates biological corridorsfor flora and fauna around its vines, and recently announced a collaboration leveraging eDNA technology to contribute genetic information from these vineyards to a global biodiversity map created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and NatureMetrics.
Marcio Ramírez, Gran Reserva winemaker, has observed the success of this nature-first approach to vineyards, particularly where wildlife are concerned. “We are recreating the natural conditions for the basin to become a ‘Great Reserve’ of biodiversity,” he said, of the winery’s initiatives to preserve and protect native forests. “We are seeing wildlife roaming around the vineyard, returning to their original habitat.” These efforts are complemented by impact-reducing initiatives at the winery, with the nature first approach ultimately benefiting wine quality.
Ramírez aims to capture the unique terroir positively influenced by each vineyard’s neighboring river and biodiversity-rich watershed, and noted of the wines: “The riverbanks moderate the temperature and help produce a much slower maturation process, creating aromas, flavors, and colors that are much more concentrated and wine with a great fruity expression and color.” With nearly 50 scores of 90 and above from top wine publications over the past 10 vintages,7 Gran Reserva’s global portfolio is lauded for elegant offerings evocative of their river-adjacent terroirs.
On the waves of +41.4% volume growth for the imported super premium Cabernet Sauvignon category,8 Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP $17) successfully relaunched with the new packaging in October 2021. South American favorite Malbec (SRP $17) will launch this month; both reds are vegan-certified and hail from the Palo Santo Vineyard on the terraced hillsides of the Tinguiririca River.9 Gran Reserva’s Pacific Coast Sauvignon Blanc (SRP $15) is from Ucúquer Vineyard and will debut in January 2022. It is poised to make a splash in the ascendant Sauvignon Blanc category,10 where volume growth of Chilean super premium Sauvignon Blanc is outpacing that of the super premium category overall.11
View the collection and dive into Gran Reserva’s story at granreservawineus.com, and follow Gran Reserva’s journey online at Instagram and Facebook.
About Gran Reserva
Carved over millennia, rivers are the lifeblood of Chile’s terrain, bringing mountain-fresh water to the country’s arid interior and leaving an indelible impression on its world-class winegrowing regions. Expertly crafted from prized estate sites along Chile’s spectacular rivers, Gran Reserva wines deliver vivid expression and balance in the glass, evocative of their riverbank terroirs and rooted in a steadfast commitment to preserving watersheds. Acclaimed Colchagua Valley varietals, sourced entirely from certified sustainable vineyards, include Sauvignon Blanc from estate vines on the southern bank of the Rapel River, and estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec from the terraced hillsides above the Tinguiririca River. In reverence to the vital rivers that shape its vineyards, Gran Reserva protects 3,530 acres of riverside forest, preserves biodiverse habitats, employs stringent water conservation efforts, and uses 100% renewable energy in its vineyards and winery.
