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Easter Island Among New Chilean DOs

By September 26, 2024Top News

Easter Island and Patagonia’s Chiloé Archipelago received Denominación de Origen (DO) designations as part of a major reform of Chilean wine. Introduced in 1994, Decree 464 had been the subject of three rounds of amends to add new wine regions and grape varieties to the labels of Chilean wine, with the most recent reforms being introduced in July 2024. Among the new DOs is Rapa Nui, more commonly known as Easter Island. Sitting more than 3,500 kilometers west of Chile’s Pacific coast, Easter Island has been Chilean territory since 1888. Viticulture has been practiced there since the 19th century, with recent genetic research uncovering that six grape varieties, including País and Moscatel de Alejandría, are grown on the island. Chiloé Archipelago—reachable from Santiago by a 14-hour drive plus a ferry crossing southward—consists of the large island of Chiloé and a series of smaller islands. Montes, which has a 2-hectare vineyard planted on the remote island of Añihué at a latitude of 42° south, is among producers growing in the defined region.

 

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