The Perito Moreno glacier serves as a powerful metaphor for the contemporary wine industry. By observing its unique ability to advance despite constant internal collapses, the sector can learn to view market crises not as failures, but as necessary movements toward growth. This perspective emphasizes resilience, the importance of environmental dialogue, and the power of effective communication.
Every trip I take is, first and foremost, an exercise in listening rather than just a geographical discovery. In our Wine Tours around the world, I often draw inspiration from animals to understand what the wine world can learn from their behaviors: from the dogs of Kathmandu to the cats of Mumbai, and even Australian kangaroos. In Argentina, however, the inspiration did not come from an animal, but from something seemingly motionless and silent: the Perito Moreno glacier.
In reality, this glacier has very little silence about it. It creaks, thunders, and collapses every single day. Yet, despite these continuous collapses, it advances and grows by about two meters a day. It is one of the few glaciers in the world that does not retreat, appearing unfazed by climate change, living instead in a dynamic and powerful equilibrium. It represents an impressive lesson in natural resilience that we should all observe closely.
The first great metaphor for the wine world is precisely this: the Perito Moreno collapses daily, but it does not regress. It breaks, shatters, and loses enormous pieces, yet it continues to move forward. In the wine industry, we often experience moments of crisis as failures, such as changes in consumption patterns, new generations, or transforming markets. The glacier teaches us that collapse is not necessarily a defeat; it can be part of the movement and the growth process.
The Perito Moreno lives in a precarious and fascinating balance. It blocks Lake Argentino, creating a natural dam, allowing the water to rise to impressive levels until the pressure becomes unsustainable and everything gives way in the famous ruptura. Even wine lives on unstable balances: tradition and innovation, territory and market, identity and adaptation. Success lies in knowing how to manage pressure and accepting that eventually something must break to allow energy to flow once again.
The Perito Moreno does not exist in isolation. Its success is linked to the extraordinary Patagonia and, above all, to its intimate relationship with Lake Argentino. It is the water, that invisible cushion at its base, that allows it to move, advance, and transform. A wine only lives and grows if it engages in dialogue with its human, cultural, and social habitat, including both today’s and tomorrow’s consumers. Ignoring the outside world means losing the ability to move.
There is another often overlooked truth: the Perito Moreno is also a great spectacle. It is accessible, visible, and deeply shareable. The walkways allow people to observe it, listen to it, and remain fascinated by its presence. Its greatness is not only natural but also communicative. In the wine world, quality is fundamental, but it is not enough: one must know how to tell its story and make it understandable, exciting, and truly memorable.
That intense blue of the ice, born from compression and time, is perhaps the most poetic metaphor. It is not surface; it is depth. It is the result of constant pressure and a long wait. Great wines do not shout or seek shortcuts; they build value over time by transforming market pressure and history into a unique identity. They accept the weight of time to create something that is both beautiful and enduring for the future.
The Perito Moreno glacier teaches us that it is possible to advance even in difficult times and that change should not be feared but governed. Dialogue with the external environment is vital, and communication is an integral part of success. If the wine world can learn from this lesson of ice and movement, it will continue to grow, even when something inevitably collapses along the way. It is through this dynamic movement that we find our future.
Key points
- Viewing market crises as movement rather than failure allows the wine industry to maintain a steady growth trajectory.
- Success requires balancing tradition and innovation, accepting that structural changes are necessary to release new energy and potential.
- Sustainable growth depends on a proactive dialogue with the surrounding cultural, social, and human habitat of modern consumers.
- Strategic communication and visibility are essential to transform high-quality wine into a memorable and emotionally resonant experience.
