Chile, A History Of Re-Invention In A Bottle

Ever since the Spanish Conquistadores landed in South America, they brought with them their Vitis Vinifera, and the lands they conquered accepted the plant, allowing it to morph into new variations, with time and the richness of its different soils.

In Chile, with the incoming of French and German immigrants, some new forms of cultivation were ingrained in the production standards established by the Spanish.  It must be stressed that before the 1980’s, Chilean wine was considered to be of low quality.  Therefore, although the production quality was not rich -nor considered appetizing- for long periods of time, outside the borders of Chile, a radical change happened around the mid 1980’s.

The main Chilean wine producers started to invite more French experts and even well-established wineries to partner with them, in order to improve the quality of their output as well as the amount.  Following California’s lead, new techniques, such as the use of Oak Barrels and stainless steel tanks for aging were implemented.

Slowly, what used to be mainly a domestic industry started to cross borders and gain international respect and interest.  More foreign investors and wineries decided to finance and back the local Chilean wineries.  The gates were opened and the Government saw an opportunity.  The Chilean government, following the insistence of the local wine producers, re-aligned national regulations and eliminated bureaucratic red-tape to favor the now growing industry.  Thus, wine exports have become a solid secondary industry to the Copper giant.

With a common vision and a shared effort from different sectors, both governmental as well as private, the Chilean Wine Industry has become a success story.  Today, Chilean wines are the fourth import into the US wine market, following closely behind the French, Italian and Australian wines.

We, at Export Portal believe that the Chilean wine industry is a perfect example to follow when talking about new products and industries, which are looking to break into the International Trade world, because it encompasses planning, cooperation, drive, quality improvement, use of technology, and the creation of a vision.