Full name: Jon Ander Usabiaga Aramburu
Role: Chief Winemaker
DOB: Dec 1st, 1965
Birthplace: Santiago de Chile
Twitter Handle: @jusabiaga
Website: http://www.arestichile.cl/en/
Fun Fact: Jon currently lives in a trailer!
Let’s start at the beginning. You left Santiago at age 28 before embarking on what is quite a career in the world of wine! Could you tell us a little about your early years? Were you always interested in food and drink? Did you always know that a career in wine was for you? What’s it been like since then?
To tell the truth, I never imagined I’d make a career in the wine industry. Truth be told, I had wine for the first time at 10 and I swore I’d never drink it again! I never felt particularly interested in food, even though I always cooked at home and my family thought I was a decent cook.
While studying agricultural engineering, I did a summer internship in a winegrowing company owned by an acquaintance of mine. That’s how it all started. My first job was as an apprentice winemaker for Alejandro Hernandez (former President of OIV) for the 1993 harvest. Since that first experience, my career has been both rewarding and challenging and even though this industry is not immune to problems and everything has changed dramatically since I started, it remains dynamic and thrilling.
Leading from above, I think it was Harpers that said you’ve had a front seat for the ascent of Chilean wine. How has it changed since you started, and more importantly, an idea about why/how it become the phenomenon that it is today?
It is certainly an industry that has changed enormously in Chile since the 1990s and I have been a spectator (and a player) this whole time. I believe that the remarkable quality of Chilean wines and their incredibly affordable prices were a true eye opener for consumers around the world.
Much has been done in the business and technical fronts to accommodate the requirements of the different markets, to approach customers, develop campaigns, implement new techniques, explore new valleys, ensure quality, and establish technical and trade credibility, based on which Chile has remained a front-runner and kept world customers interested to this day. And there’s still much more to be said.
I assume you have to drink a lot of wine in your ‘day job’, but what else are you partial to? Are you a beer man, a spirit drinker? Definitely not a spirit drinker. I may have a glass of Cointreau once a year. Beer?
No problem there, if I’m thirsty. I had an Australian advisor (Mike Farmilo, from Penfolds) who once told me: “if you’re thirsty, drink beer. Once you’ve quenched your thirst, then have wine.”
In discussing the microclimates of Chile, you once said ‘…Chile has not been discovered properly yet, neither in quality, nor in diversity!’ – could you elaborate a little? What should your average Mendoza Malbec drinking European know about Chilean wine? Is there something that you are working on that we haven’t seen yet?
The next step for Chilean wine (as an industry) is to encourage customers to explore our wines, to dare and find new bottlings, as well as tastes and aromas not yet known to them. In that sense, Aresti has introduced several innovative techniques, such as macerating Semillon on skins, with amazing results and excellent reception from customers.
What’s a ‘day in your life’ like? Could you give us an insight into life at Aresti?
Oh boy! The first thing that comes to mind is what we are living right now. A time of strong growth and development involving numerous projects. I devote a part of my day to tasting wines and blends with my winemaking team and the rest to working with the commercial, production, or agricultural teams in addressing future challenges. Some other days are very busy for us when we entertain clients and distributors at the winery.
What’s your greatest/most memorable professional moment been, so far?
That’s a tough question… the older I grow, the more I see my whole life as one big memorable moment…
Where do you get your ideas?
Ideas for new techniques and blends or how to address needs usually come to mind as you walk through a vineyard, talk with our visitors, or see other realities. They just pop up. The best ones are those prompted by discussions with the various teams at Aresti.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had, how did you overcome it, and what did you learn from it?
I believe that would be 2010, when we faced the aftermath of the worst earthquake in history and we had to rebuild ourselves from the technical and human point of view to deal with a new harvest. It was very hard, but we succeeded. Destruction was massive but we managed to overcome difficulties of daunting proportions as we did it well. The lesson we learnt was that everything is possible when the team is invested and inspired.
Who’s the person who’s most inspired you in your work – food industry or otherwise? Is there anyone that you draw inspiration or strength from? Do you have any specific culinary influences?
All along my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to have great advisors who were exceedingly generous in sharing their knowledge and expertise with me. It’d be unfair to name just one of them.
There’s Mario Geisse, who taught me many of the basic principles I currently apply; Gilbert Rokvam (Château Lafite) who showed me how to see things from a perspective of years of experience in the French wine industry; Felipe de Solminihac, who instilled in me the principles of his flawless professionalism; Australians Mike Farmilo (Penfolds) and Brian Light (Tapestry) who shared their vision and remarkable experience in making New World wines, and so many others.
What do you enjoy most and least about what you do?
I love tasting wine and making the final blends, especially small productions. And I dislike administrative work!
What advice would you give to aspiring professional winemakers who’d want the kind of results that you’ve had?
Listen to your consumers, be open-minded, persevering, patient, and above all, love wine!
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing instead?
Diving in Easter Island.
If you could get anyone to try your wines (fictional or real, living or dead) who would you pick and which of the wines would you like them to try? Assume that they go on to be your brand ambassador…
Albert Einstein. I’d have him taste our Family Collection 2012 and I’d love to hear him say he knows nothing about wine!
What’s your ultimate aim and goal for Aresti? If you could achieve anything with it, what would you pick? Money and reality are no obstacle, so shoot for the moon…
Viña Aresti was born by the passion that its founder, Don Vicente Aresti Astica, felt for wine. His dream was to proudly show the world that the Curicó valley can produce wines of outstanding quality. And this is my/our driver. My goal is to see Aresti recognized as a world-class wine sourced from the Curicó valley.
Where next for you and Aresti?
Great projects and challenges are in the making, and I’m actively involved. We will grow in capacity, expand our selection of wines from various terroirs in the Curicó valley. This is just the beginning!
And we always ask three customary ridiculous questions…
If you had a day to spend in the life and body of your seven year old self (but with your current experience and mindset), what would the first three things you would do?
1. forget all the worries a 7-year old may have
2. lie on the beach
3. …and lie on the beach
If you could swap lives for the day with any fictional character (and you’d be guaranteed to return to your life after 24 hours), who would you choose, and why?
A mix of Superman +Bill Gates = to have superpowers and for once more money than I can spend…
If you had to become some kind of vegetable related superhero, which would you become, and what would you superpower be?
A bunch of Petite Syrah with the power to make people want to drink your wine and nothing else!