Behind the Label: No es Pituko - ‘It ain’t fancy’
Behind the Label: No es Pituko - ‘It ain’t fancy’
How did a successful, established bulk winery in Chile go from selling wine to Harrods in London to pivoting to a boutique winery focused on sustainability with a natural wine series called 'No es Pituko' ('it ain't fancy')?
Viña Echeverría's agricultural heritage dates back to the 1700s. The Echeverria family started the winery in 1930 and experienced a plot twist in the 1990s when Robert Echeverria Jr. returned home to work alongside his much-loved and critically acclaimed winemaking father. This transition included switching to sustainable methods in the vineyard and cellar. Today they are one of the most exciting boutique wine projects in Chile. It painstakingly took 20 years, but the wines remarkably speak for themselves to tell the story.
The vineyards are in Molina, a town in the Curico Valley. Here, they grow grapes from French pre-phylloxera rootstocks on 80 ha. The Echeverría family's French heritage is behind the focus on producing wines from French varietals in a distinctive style blending New World innovation and Old World elegance.
Wild Wines started with a few wines from the No Es Pituko (slang for 'it ain't fancy') series, and it's looking like we are soon to carry just about every varietal available. The comical name illustrates the point that this wine was vinified naturally, without any additions at any stage. It ain't fancy, but it seriously will spoil your tastebuds.
New on our list is another natural charmer from Viño Echeverria - Romi Orange Sauvignon Blanc!
ROMI ORANGE SAUVIGNON BLANC
The label states, "Contains no oranges", but you could have fooled us with the honeyed aromas of orange blossom and distinctive orange hue. This skin contact wine has a subtle effervescence and the malolactic fermentation lends a beautiful yeasty and creamy texture with stewed apple and orange marmalade on the palate. There are also quite well defined tannins and racy acidity with this mouthwatering gem. (91 Points in Tim Atkins 2022 Chile Report).
BEHIND THE LABEL
Everything from the irreverent packaging to the colourful wax seals and animated labels leads us to believe the No es Pituko series is a fun, approachable and delicious wine -- and it does exactly what it says on the tin!
The Romi Orange label is designed by illustrator and wine label designer Julia Soward. She is also responsible for the delightfully entertaining 'WineZine' available for download on the No es Pituko website. The 'WineZine' is a clever little tutorial on natural wine, the winery and even a "how to" on opening wax seals -- complete with paper plane-like instructions on how to fold the printout into a booklet.
The original, eye-catching artwork on the No es Pituko labels were designed by Roberto Jr's wife, Julia.
