(ANS - Lima) - "Fr Richard Lach was born in Poland. He has been working in Peru since the 1980s. He walks serenely between the barrels for the fermentation and decantation of 'Salesian Vinicola'. From one of them he pours a glass of sweet red wine. 'Try this,' he says. We try it and nod. 'It's good', we say.. Then he goes to another container and makes us try another wine, a lighter one called Torontel (...). This is one of his award-winning wines, of which he is very proud ... ". So it is reported in an article in the newspaper "La República", of 2 December last.

By Raúl Mendoza

As we walk to the cellar, which has always been located in the large basement of the Salesian complex in Brena, near the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, we can see in different places the history of the ‘Vinicola’ since it was founded in 1930. They have gone from the huge old wooden barrels and the crushing of the grapes by hand to modern automated equipment, where nine types of wine are now produced and five of "pisco" (a typical liqueur).

"The grapes of different varieties arrive in Lima and here we select the best," says Walter Navarro, the engineer responsible for the winemaking.

On one of the walls of the basement there is a framed picture. It is the portrait of the Salesian Brother Leonardo Franzero, an Italian winemaker who came here in 1939. He was the real driving force behind Salesian Vinicola. He was responsible for the production of wine from 1939 to 1985. He was given the job of adapting the equipment for pressing the grapes, and also the barrels and stills. For decades peple have been saying, "Bro. Franzero’s wines have nothing to envy of Italian, Spanish or French wines."

At first they produced mass wine only for the Salesian Congregation but later, with Bro. Franzero, they supplied also other congregations in Lima. They began to produce for the general public only after the year 2000.

Proceeds from the sale of products go to support the "Fundación Don Bosco" of Peru. In the Salesian complex at Brena there is also a family home that houses young people from around the country, sent by Salesian parishes and missions. "Here we give them an opportunity to study and progress, and prepare for life," says Marcos Calderonof the Fundación Don Bosco.

In 2014, as many as three Salesian wines were awarded prizes in the global competition "Vinus", in Argentina. The Torontel won a gold medal, the aperitif won a double gold medal in the category of compound wines  and the Malbec won a silver medal.

The full article is available on the website of the Salesians of Peru.

Published 16/12/2014