Happy Chilean Wine Day!

This Friday 4 September 2015 has been declared National Chilean Wine Day, which is to become an annual event.  The day was chosen because on 4 September 1545, Pedro de Valdivia, the Governor of Chile, wrote to King Charles V of Spain to ask him to send vines and wines “to evangelize Chile”.  This marked the very beginning of Chilean wine production. Today, 470 years later, Chile is a major wine producer, exporting more than 824 million litres per year.

A whole range of events have been organized right across Chile in honour of this day. Some wineries are offering free tours to the public, including the following (check first for availability):

• Ventisquero
• Migel Torres
• Chocolán
• Indómita
• Matetic
• Lapostolle
• J. Bouchon
• Casa Silva
• Veramonte
• Loma Larga

Whatever you are doing over this weekend, this is the perfect excuse to raise a glass of Chilean wine!