Concha y Toro Opens New Center for Research and Innovation

SANTIAGO, Chile, Jan. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In its most ambitious undertaking since the 2011 acquisition of Fetzer Vineyards, Vina Concha y Toro announces the official opening of its new Center for Research and Innovation in Chile's Maule Valley. This latest initiative from South America's principal wine producer, representing an initial investment of approximately U.S. $5 million, is designed to support viti- and vinicultural research and experiment on behalf of the entire Chilean wine industry - one of the most important and vibrant sectors of the Chilean economy.

Research at the Center of Research and Innovation includes alliances with leading worldwide academic institutions, instituted for the greater good of the wine industry in Chile and beyond. One of the facility's first partners is University of California (Davis), which recently dispatched a team to Chile to establish a Life Sciences and Innovation Center in partnership with Concha y Toro. Strategic alliances are critical to research of excellence at the international level, as exemplified by an agreement between Concha y Toro and Mercier-Groupe, France's largest vine producer, which extends to ensuring that the new Center benefits from the finest quality genetic material.

The Concha y Toro Center for Research and Innovation is designed to give back to the community, with long-term benefits projected for the overall advancement and well-being of Chile's wine industry. Concha y Toro, in partnership with independent local growers, universities and the Chilean government, is confident that the diverse array of research and educational resources offered by the Center will give Chilean winemaking an enhanced competitive edge in the worldwide marketplace.

The Concha y Toro Center for Research and Innovation occupies a 16,150 square feet purpose-built modular-design facility adjoining the 2,700-acre Lourdes estate and less than a mile from Concha y Toro's state-of-the-art greenhouse and nursery in Rauquen. Resources include:

• An Extension Center, including an auditorium, tasting and sensory testing facilities.
• A Laboratory for Agricultural Research into experimental vineyard management practices, trellising, pruning practices, molecular biology, leaf and soil analysis, in-vitro culture propagation units, plant production and clonal research,
• An Enological Laboratory equipped for wine analysis, classical and instrumental analysis, HPLC polyphenol profiles, GC/MS for aromas volatiles, profiles of organic acids and research into overall wine health
• An Experimental Wine Cellar, furnished with decanting, fermentation and aging tanks.

Vina Concha y Toro (NYSE: VCO) is an international ambassador for world-class Chilean wines. Founded in 1883 by Don Melchor Concha y Toro, it was among the first Chilean producers to champion wines made from French grape varieties. Today Concha y Toro comprises a collection of individual wineries and brands ranging over multiple estates located throughout the premier wine regions of Chile.

SOURCE Concha y Toro