Chile’s winemakers struggle in quake aftermath
Chile’s winemakers struggle in quake aftermath
Mar 9, 2010 6
Chile’s strongest earthquake in 50 years may bankrupt smaller winemakers after vines collapsed, casks broke apart and millions of liters were spilled, a former Goldman Sachs Group banker-turned-winemaker said.
The O. Fournier winery, located in the south-central Maule Valley region about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the quake’s epicenter, lost 35 feet (10.7 meters) of vines to the Loncomilla River, owner Jose Manuel Ortega said. While O. Fournier is set to recover and the industry “will bounce back quickly,” Ortega said, some wineries are likely to fold as the quake’s damage compounds a slump in sales caused by the global economic crisis.
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