In late July, Chile's Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, announced the establishment of two new wine regions and the approval of 41 new grape varieties for official cultivation. One of the new wine regions is Easter Island, located approximately 2,200 miles/3,500 km off the coast of Valparaíso in the Chile-Polynesia region. This area will be recognized under the indigenous name "Rapa Nui DO," referring to the island and its inhabitants. Another region receiving its own Denominación de Origen (DO) is Chiloé, also known as the "Seagull Islands," located in southern Patagonia. These developments are seen as a response to the impacts of climate change, as noted by Alfonso Undurraga, President of Wines of Chile, in an interview with the regional industry magazine "Wine Independent Press."
A historical development
The first grapevines on Easter Island were planted by French sailors from Tahiti inside the Rano Kau volcano. According to the British wine magazine Decanter, a research team discovered wild-growing vines there a few years ago, which are currently undergoing ampelographic study. In 2021, a group of entrepreneurs led by agricultural engineer and winemaker Álvaro Arriagada planted a vineyard spanning 2ha/5 acres with 3,500 Chardonnay and 3,500 Pinot Noir vines. Arriagada notes that Rapa Nui's climate, heavily influenced by the cold Humboldt Current, sets it apart from the islands of French Polynesia, making viticulture in this region promising.
Additionally, with the amendment of Decree 464 by Chile's Minister of Agriculture, 41 more grape varieties have been officially recognized. These include the white varieties Greco di Tufo, Grenache Blanc, and Sylvaner, as well as the red varieties Dolcetto, Gamay, and Teroldego. This brings the total number of authorized grape varieties in Chile to 88. SP
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