Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/148134
MILESTONES DEPARTMENT HEADER Global Vision AS it COntinUeS tO eXPAnd, Chile'S CONCHA Y TORO CeleBrAteS 13O YeArS OF eXCellenCe by Elizabeth Kate PHOTO: COURTESY OF CONCHA Y TORO PHOTO: COURTESY OF CONCHA Y TORO Concha y Toro vineyard in Puento Alto, Chile. PHOTO: COURTESY OF CONCHA Y TORO Isabel Guilisasti, Marketing Manager for Concha y Toro. T his year marks the 130th anniversary of Chilean wine industry leader Concha y Toro. Remarkable for its deep commitment to both quality and value, Concha y Toro is poised for even greater achievement as the decade unfolds. We recently spoke with Isabel Guilisasti, Marketing Manager for Concha y Toro, to talk about Concha y Toro's impressive history and the secret to its continued success. The Tasting Panel: Can you tell us a little about the history of Concha y Toro? Isabel Guilisasti: Concha y Toro was founded by Don Melchor de Concha y Toro in 1883 in Chile's Maipo Valley. My father, Eduardo Guilisasti, took over the management of Concha y Toro in 1957 with an eye on exports and a global vision. He believed the company had the potential to soar, and because of Concha y Toro's strong commitment to quality, it has. TP: The Don Melchor brand was launched in 1987. What effect did that have on Concha y Toro as a world player? IG: Don Melchor was the first premium wine to come out of Chile. TP: And it made the world sit up and take notice! IG: (laughs) Yes it did! We like to think of it as our ambassador brand to the world. Don Melchor established Concha y Toro as a producer of premium quality wine and that reputation aided us in the export and promotion of all our brands. TP: Recently you acquired vineyards in Argentina and California, and you have just opened new offices in South Africa and Canada. IG: Yes, and we will be opening one in China as well. Our goal Concha y Toro's is to get closer to our consumers to better understand them and Terrunyo label fealearn their needs. The business is not just about producing wine tures fruit selected anymore, it's about reaching the global consumer. from specific blocks TP: To what do you attribute Concha y Toro's continued success? of the winery's best IG: Although we are a large company, we specialize in microvineyards. management. We are attentive to every detail of production from the vineyard to the bottle. Each of our brands has its own winemaker who ensures the quality of that wine. This attention to detail ensures that we never lose focus. We continually strive to create world-class expressions of each individual terroir. TP: I understand Concha y Toro offers scholarships to the children of their employees? IG: Yes, we do. After my father passed away in 1998, my brothers and I started a foundation in his name to provide higher education to the children of our employees. It is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the people who make this company great. 42 / the tasting panel / august 2013 TP0813_034-65.indd 42 7/24/13 9:47 PM