Chilean Wine Going Strong
The love for Chilean wines in India seems to be growing as this South American country has now become the third largest exporter of wines to India after France and Australia. However, wine producers and ProChile officials understand that a huge country like India offers opportunities as well as challenges.
Former President of Chile and Ambassador on Special Mission for Asia Pacific Region, H.E Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle recently came to India with a large delegation. He expressed his happiness on the growth of Chilean wines in India and whole Asia.
Talking at a Master Class of Chilean wines at The Leela, New Delhi, he said, “In most Asian countries, the first association of their people with Chile is through our wines.” He views that India is a great destination for Chilean wines and hoped that soon Indians would start appreciating Chilean wines in bigger numbers.
Aurelio Montes B, the President of Vinos de Chile and the Owner of Montes Winery, shared the growth of Chilean wines in the world. He said that winemaking was first introduced to Chile by Spanish settlers in the 1500s, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that much of the world had their first sips of Chilean wine. In 1984, Chile’s total wine exports was 2 percent. Currently, the country is exporting 70 percent of their wines.
The Master Class was conducted by Certified Sommelier & Wine Educator Gagan Sharma who introduced total seven wines from Chile to the gathered guests. Before the wine tasting began, Gagan shared that Chile was dominated by red wines; accounting for almost three quarters of their total wine production. The most prominent red wine from Chile is Cabernet Sauvignon followed by Merlot and, finally, Carmenere, the ‘lost grape of Bordeaux.’ He said that Chile had also received high praise for the production of wines made from Pinot Noir despite the fact the plantings of this grape are relatively small.
