The recently completed Wines of Chile 5th Annual Tasting in London was a tremendous success again this year. Things are looking quite bright on the Chilean front and spirits were high (no pun intended) as thousands of guests visited the show’s 94 stands.

Drinks Business TV was there to check out the action and interviewed a number of key parties related to the Chilean wine trade. An enthusiastic Peter Darbyshire of PLB referred to Chile’s “optimistic scenarios and fantastic quality,” and Colin Cameron (Percy, Fox & Co.) remarked that “Chile is on the cusp of something very special, with loads more to reveal and for consumers to discover.”

Chile has long been known for its “tremendous value for money,” says Fiona Barlow of Bottle Green, and that “things have never been as good for Chile as they are today,” commenting that the UK consumer appreciates Chilean wine because “the tannins, the fruit, and the acidity are just right… it is a lovely glass of wine.”

Several of the people interviewed made reference to the direction in which the country is moving in terms of regional exploration, terroir development, incorporating new varietals and brands, growing into higher price points with more premium and ultra-premium wines, and greater presence in the on-trade.

Chile certainly seems to be in the right place at the right time… more than one person made the inevitable comparison with Australia, which not only seems to have reached a plateau in the UK market, but which will have far fewer wines to offer in 2008 due to poor harvests, and so it appears that Australia’s misfortune will allow Chile to gain a stronger foothold in the growing global market.

Ricardo Letelier, General Manager of Wines of Chile wraps up the series of interviews with some exciting statistics. Exports have increased by 30%, with price growing faster than volume. Very good news indeed.

Watch the interviews:

http://www.drinksbusinesstv.com/index.php?option=com_drinkstvarchive&id=6753&Itemid=301