Terroir consulting

History

I am a fortunate person—truly fortunate. I am one of only three terroir consultants in the world today. Thanks to this rare path, over the past 24 years I’ve had the privilege of working closely with some of the finest wine producers on the planet, in extraordinary places and alongside remarkable people.

Many of my clients often ask how I found my way into this profession. The answer is actually quite simple: I was very lucky in my professional life, and when opportunities appeared, I knew how to seize them. My first job was as a GIS model developer for precision agriculture studies. That experience allowed me to apply for, and win, a scholarship from the French government to pursue a master’s degree in Precision Agriculture, taught at the Institut Agro de Montpellier and the prestigious Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon.

That was a turning point in my life. It was 1997, and there I not only learned to create better maps using advanced technologies, but I also had the opportunity to complete my thesis in Paris, at the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon. The project focused on viticulture and introduced me to a word I had never heard before: “terroir.” It was a fascinating experience, where I was able to apply everything I had learned to the development of terroir maps. It was also with that group, in Paris, that I tasted wine for the very first time. And that is how, quite unexpectedly, I entered the world of wine.

I returned to Chile at the end of 1998, full of motivation to work on terroir. However, at that time, Chilean viticulture was mainly focused on productivity, and the word terroir was virtually nonexistent. The initiatives I tried to develop all failed, mostly due to a lack of funding.

A few years went by until, in 2001, a new opportunity opened up for me: another scholarship from the French government, which allowed me to return to Paris—once again to the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon—to begin doctoral studies on the concept of terroir. Those were four incredible years, during which I had to immerse myself deeply in the French vision of the word, and in particular, the Burgundian perspective, where I spent most of my time. Without a doubt, that experience would later help me open many doors and gradually build a career as a consultant.

I am a fortunate person—truly, a very fortunate individual.