There has been several business delegations from Chile in the past few years, taking the business between the two countries to an all-time high. One of them that comes to mind was organised by ProChile by the then head of ProChile India, Nestor Riveros, which included a dinner at the Taj Mahal Hotel where food including fruits and Chilean Salmon was paired with a host of Chilean wines seeking presence in India at the time, making it a grand affair.

The powerful delegation was led by the External Affairs Minister Alberto van Klaveren and includedtheAgriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela, Director General of ProChile Ignacio Fernandez andrepresentatives from the public and private sectors of 10 Associations. The summit seems to be a preamble to the visit of Chile’s President Gabriel Boric during the first quarter of 2025. Thus, there will be a before and after in trade relations with India”, says Van Klaveren. India has the benefit of Chile being a hub for the lucrative Latin market. Also Read : Iconic Wineries of Chile Wines of Chile

Fernandez said that the wine industry will be promoted through diverse and sustainable Wine Tastings by Wines of Chile. In fact, one of the activities organised at this Summit in Delhi was a wine tasting at the Embassy compound by Wines of Chile, the progressive, result-oriented Association

of Chilean wine producers. Angélica Valenzuela, Commercial Director of Wines of Chile,was present at venue. She eyes Indian market in which Chile sees a key opportunity for the future of international wines,“We want to position ourselves as leaders through image, promotion and education, “while welcoming a selective group of importers, hoteliers, Sommeliers, journalists and other wine professionals. Also Read : Feature: Chile- Valley of the Dolls Sonal Holland MW conducted the Masterclass followed by a Guided Tasting and presented 8 wines from 4 producers who are already present in the Delhi NCR market. Viña Concha y Toro (Frontera Chardonnay,

Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon), Viña Montes (Montes Alpha Chardonnay and Purple Angel), Viu Manent Reserve (Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon) and San Pedro (Sideral and 1865 Cabernet Sauvignon) were showcased. Her Power Point Presentation was lucid and engaging. The presence of Carlos Serrano, Export Director of Montes, whom I had briefly met during my visit to the Montes Winery in 2010 and Angelica added enough garnish to the presentation. But the delicious bouquet of desserts was added, compliments of the Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela who attended the fag end of the Tasting, specially arriving from the venue at the Taj. He seemed to know the Chilean winescape thoroughly well and supplemented the presentation, passionately answering every question, as I watched him dumbfounded, wondering if any Indian Minister of Agriculture or a politician was capable of, or would care to communicate with such an audience. Also Read : Douglas Murray of Montes: Death of a Chilean Wine Statesman

The best compliment was given to him by a denizen who heard me interacting with him on a couple of potentially sensitive points. Really bewildered, he said, ‘are you even aware that you were talking to Chile’s Minister of Agriculture?’ Of course, I knew-I had listened to his Presentation and that of all the Chilean Speakers in the morning – and a couple of Indian senior bureaucrats who also knew their marbles and were keen on joint collaborations and possible exports that could be equally useful to Chile.

It is worth mentioning that H.E. Juan Angulo, Ambassador of Chile who along with his staff had made impeccable arrangements, making it a celebratory affair with serious dialogues. I am not sure if it is in the Ambassadors Handbook, but I could not help noticing that whenever an Indian Guest Speaker got up to leave, His Excellency got up from his seat and quietly accompanied the guest out of the venue. Also Read : Some of the most Expensive Dolls from the Valleys of Chile The Panel discussion that took place during the second part, jointly with their Indian counterparts was interactive and interesting with both sides expressing their candid views. The audience was then treated to a host of Chilean food products to taste, excluding alas, the wines, thanks to the rigid and archaic excise laws in Delhi. One hopes that the department will be more understanding during the Presidential visit next year- at least matching the levels in cities like Mumbai where the members of Chile India Visit have by now visited. Also Read : CARMENERE: HOW CHILE FOUND ITS UNIQUE VARIETAL Chile Summit India 2024 has been organized and coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile and the Chilean Promotion Bureau -ProChile that brings together the public and private sectors to consolidate and expand the commercial relationship between Chile and India. One hopes that they are soon able to sign the second half of the Treaty soon, reducing impoert duties. But one figures, it will happen close to the India EU Treaty. Subhash Arora