SANDRO Boscaini, DE MASI AGRICULTURAL
The Italian investor, owns one of the largest wine companies in Italy, praised the Argentine wine culture and emphasized that this is not necessary to copy styles, since the full potential is to create the new identity.
In 2006, the Confederation of Italian associations in Argentina, FEDEITALIA reported that between 15 and 20 million people living in Argentina have some degree of Italian descent. This thing is so awesome, that an investor can only understand when your plane lands in Mendoza. Area attended Vinitaly Wine and interviewed this character, such as the early immigrants, lowered the boat full of hope. Before his eyes a land that seems to show the world back its huge agricultural potential, land where traditional Italian firm founded Vigneti The Grove, in the heart of Tupungato. – Why did you choose Argentina for their first investment abroad – Actually our project was not directed to Argentina from the start. The goal was to find an area where we could develop our grapes outside the Valpolicella region and to apply our ecological heritage that appassimento method. Tried in Australia, USA, New Zealand and were not satisfied. Dr. Baronetto, Masi Technical Group Manager, after an exhausting search I suggested Mendoza. Just got Tupungato I fell in love the place. The soil and climate were what I had been looking for, but I especially fell in the social environment, people are very receptive. – When the project began – In 1996 the Venetian started planting varieties, I must say that not all were successful, but the Corvina left us very satisfied. Just found some problems with appearance, due to the strong sun, which burns some components that give color to the wine. But the taste of cherry, morbidity and elegance were excellent. We also tried some grapes in southern Italy, but did not work. These grapes are accustomed to a more uniform Mediterranean climate in Mendoza the wide temperature range does not help its great development. – How is the side project of cultural compatibility live in a country with so much Italian influence – In clear words 50% are Italian, and many of them North. How to interpret the wine is very similar to ours and the project is more viable than anywhere else if we look from that point of view. The great cultural similarity is also found in systems sometimes too bureaucrats. – What was your first Argentine product – Our first wine was the Paso Doble, 50% Malbec re – fermented slightly more appassita Corvina (Amarone grapes veneta representative). Then, without him on our program, we did the White Pass, 50% Torrontés, maintaining its strong aromas, with Pinot Grigio, giving it a freshness and acidity. Still under study but already in the market, we created the Corvec, 70% Corvina and 30% Malbec, both subject to the appassimento method. I think we favored to Argentina, giving greater biodiversity, in the same way we did with the Veneto, making our colleagues understand our ecological heritage may be elsewhere. – Where and how these wines are sold – mainly in USA, Japan, Canada, the Nordic countries, Italy, Brazil, Venezuela. Now we start at some restaurants in Argentina, with a price of around $ 50, just for the steps online. The business side is handled from Italy. Regarding logistics, in a first time we did the bottleneck in Italy, we are gradually transferring all calculated in two years to have all the logistics in Mendoza. The wines will be shipped to the Americas from Argentina, the rest passes through Italy. – How’s the project – In Argentina we continue to invest in our winery, and are open to continue with investments to achieve higher quality. What ever do is go out and produce wines with grapes to follow international market trends. Our values and projects are based on wine culture Veneta. This project is called Natura Argentina Style Veneto. It is a direct message that Argentina is open to receive other wine styles and not repeat what the majority does, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet. – How do you see the future of viticulture Argentina – Argentina is well differentiated. It has its own wine to a more demanding world identity. While Chilean wine is a copy of the Californian and Australian wine has a superfluous originality, but the style is French background. So humbly advise not always fall on the same international grapes competing. – With the continuing frauds reported in recent years, Italy is going through the worst time in terms of Appellations of Origins it is, do you think Argentina is ready to begin creating a similar system to the Europeans – I do not think this able to deliver an opinion on the subject, I just want to clarify two things. The diversity of land in Argentina is remarkable, but should be very careful and look at the mistakes we made in Italy, where we have 400 appellations of origin, and many are on the market. – What relationship has Masi, the offspring of the creator of the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri
– It is very simple, in 1970, agreed with the family of the creator of the DivinaComedia, produce and market wines on the property in 1353, was purchased by the son of the poet, Pietro Alighieri. The property is located 20 Km. Verona, over Lake Garda and has 130 hectares. Today we also work together in a venture in Tuscany. Source: This article was published in the Supplement Farms, Journal of Los Andes. By Gabriela Malizia and Roberto Actis. Area Wine Editec SRL
