New Terroir Debate in Chilean Wine: Can Biodiversity Be Transformed into Commercial Value?

In the wine sector, terroir has been described for years through soil, climate, altitude, and human intervention. A research program ongoing in Chile for about 20 years adds another layer to this definition: the forest surrounding the vineyard, birds, insects, natural plants, and microorganisms that are invisible to the naked eye.

Chilean biologist and ecologist Olga Barbosa’s Vino, Cambio Climático y Biodiversidad — VCCB program, established in 2008, operates on the idea that agricultural production and nature conservation do not have to be oppositional. Barbosa is currently the director of the Sustainability Research Center CIS-UNAB at Universidad Andrés Bello and serves as the alternative director of the Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad.

A recent interview by Mariana Martínez at 7Caníbales shows that this research is now being discussed not only in terms of environmental science but also regarding the competitiveness of wine. Barbosa’s main thesis is simple: biodiversity is not a decorative value to be preserved outside the business; it can be part of the production system.

The approach, initially met with skepticism in 2008, has entered the sector standard

According to Barbosa, when VCCB first began working with Chilean wine producers, the belief that natural vegetation competed with vineyards, consumed water, or increased pests was quite strong.

Instead, the program aimed to measure ecosystem services.

Practices such as preserving natural areas around vineyards, creating islands of native plants, nesting sites for birds, perches for raptors, and local cover crops were tested in various businesses. Today, VCCB clearly includes reducing the impact of vineyard design and management on biodiversity, benefiting from ecosystem services, and developing nature-based solutions among its areas of work.

Over time, this approach has also entered the sector's corporate sustainability systems. The sustainability standard of Vinos de Chile includes criteria such as defining areas of high ecological value and using native species. The institution's 2023 activity report also states that the standard has been updated with headings on biodiversity, climate change, and regenerative agriculture.

This change is significant. Because biodiversity thus moves from being merely a voluntary environmental project to being integrated into measurable business practices.

About 80% of vineyard and forest microorganisms are shared

One of the most striking results of VCCB's studies from a wine perspective is on microbial terroir.

Research conducted in vineyards in central Chile found a strong connection between the bacterial and fungal communities of the vineyards and the surrounding natural forest ecosystems. Research results reported by Universidad de Concepción indicate that approximately 80% of the fungi and bacteria found in the vineyards and natural forests are shared.

Another important finding of the research is that as geographical distance increases, microbial communities also differentiate.

Studies conducted on nine vineyards in the Colchagua Valley suggest that this pattern is not merely at the level of "microorganism present or absent"; it indicates that the vineyards can develop their own microbial character. The 2026 assessment by the Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad interprets the same finding, stating that the vineyard and the surrounding natural landscape are not independent systems.

At this point, caution is necessary.

To say, "Microbial terroir has been found, therefore these microorganisms definitively determine the taste of the wine" would be a claim that goes beyond the current findings.

Research demonstrates the existence of the connection and the potential importance of microorganisms in wine production, including fermentation. However, showing how a specific microorganism in the vineyard causes a specific aroma in the bottle requires much more complex work.

This distinction is particularly important from a marketing perspective.

Biodiversity should not just be an animal image on the label

One of Barbosa’s most striking warnings in her 7Caníbales interview is precisely related to marketing.

It is possible for a wine producer to use biodiversity as a commercial value. However, simply drawing a local bird or mammal on the product does not, by itself, constitute proof of sustainability. According to Barbosa, the species described must actually be present around the vineyard, and the business must have practices aimed at preserving them.

For wine businesses, this represents the difference between "green storytelling" and verifiable practices.

A vineyard;

if it can show the natural area it protects,

local plant species,

changes in water usage,

biological control practices,

habitat connections

and how these are measured, biodiversity can become a strong brand story.

Simply saying "in harmony with nature" is becoming increasingly insufficient.

Can it also be applicable for small producers?

It may be thought that conservation investments are only suitable for the budgets of large wine groups.

Barbosa challenges this view.

Some scientific studies — such as comprehensive species inventories or genomic research — can be costly. However, creating islands of native plants, preserving natural cover in suitable areas, or placing simple perches for raptors may require much lower investments.

The biological conservation guide published by VCCB also aims to transfer the approach from academic research to field application and is specifically prepared for vineyard managers and agricultural landscape planners.

This is significant for small producers.

Sustainability does not always mean expensive technological investments. In some practices, the primary requirement is not to eliminate existing natural areas.

Climate change is also altering the geography of Chilean vineyards

Climate change is in the background of the biodiversity debate.

Chile’s traditional wine regions are facing increasing temperatures, drought, fires, and changing rainfall patterns. Therefore, VCCB is researching both the adaptation of existing vineyards and how to develop new areas where production is shifting further south.

In Barbosa’s approach, moving south is not a solution in itself.

New vineyards should not repeat the old intensive agriculture model; the region's soil, natural vegetation, and microbial structure must be considered from the beginning of production design.

This approach is not only a valid discussion for Chile.

Due to climate change, the question will arise in all wine regions where grape growing is shifting to new altitudes, latitudes, or microclimates:

How much of the existing ecosystem is preserved while creating new terroir?

How can the sustainability story of wine be translated into sales language?

The most challenging phase of the research for the sector may be here.

A scientist can say "ecosystem service," "microbial diversity," or "habitat connectivity."

The consumer may not understand these at the moment of purchase.

The wine producer's task is to develop a language that simplifies the scientific result without distorting it.

For example:

"We are protecting our natural forest."

is a weak claim by itself.

In contrast;

"We are preserving the natural vegetation around the vineyard, creating habitat islands with local species, and regularly monitoring these areas"

is much more concrete.

The second statement tells the consumer what is being done.

The same approach can also be applied to the service language of restaurants and wine bars. A sommelier can explain the wine not only by grape, vintage, and barrel but also by how the vineyard is managed.

However, for this, they need to obtain verifiable information from the producer.

Why is it important for wine producers in Turkey?

The most valuable aspect of the Chilean example for Turkey is not to copy a specific sustainability certification.

It is the approach itself.

Turkey’s vineyards are also intertwined with forests, maquis, agricultural land, and local habitats in many regions.

Thrace.

Aegean.

Cappadocia.

Denizli.

Elazığ.

Diyarbakır.

Bozcaada.

In these regions, the narrative of "terroir" is often based on soil, climate, and grape variety.

Measuring biodiversity can add a new layer of data to this narrative.

This needs to be grounded scientifically before it can be communicated commercially. It would not be correct to say, "biodiversity makes our wine of higher quality" without measuring which species are present, how vineyard management affects them, and what ecosystem services are actually provided in production.

Stafflink’s perspective

In our view, the most valuable aspect of Olga Barbosa’s work for the wine sector is that it removes sustainability from the realm of cost or corporate social responsibility files.

When managed correctly, biodiversity can sit at the same table as water, soil, erosion, biological control, climate resilience, and even terroir research.

This allows for a more concrete discussion of the commercial return on sustainability investment.

However, there is an important boundary here:

Biodiversity must first be protected and measured, then marketed.

The bird on the label, the word "natural," or green packaging cannot replace scientific evidence.

For wine businesses, the stronger sustainability story of the future will come not from saying "we love nature" but from showing which habitat is being preserved, what results are being measured, and how this connects to the production system.