The news has been full of the devastation caused by the large earthquake which struck in Chile this past weekend. While our hearts go out to those who are still reeling from this event it is not hard to stop and think about the industries the country depends on and how they will fare. One of the leading segments of the ecomony in the country is the wine industry in the hills and valleys especially in the Maule Valley.
While the news coming from the rural areas is scarce many vineyards seemed to report no lose of life at their facilities. But many are reporting of massive breakage in not only cases but barrels that were aging as well. Many are also reporting lots of equipment and wine accessories damage which will affect their ability to process the upcoming harvest for this years wines.
While the short term effects seem to have many wineries at least partially disabled the long term does not look too bad since many will have no problems recovering. For wine lovers this will mean a overall shortage in wines from Chile for awhile but in the long run this important part of Chilean economy will make it past this devastating event.