by Ana Maria Barahona
Confirming its commitment to opening new markets for its wine producers, Chile has just finalised two important international agreements. With the European Union it
finally closed the long procedure to enable wineries to add "Gran Reserva" as a designation for use on labels. This complement quality terms such as "Reserva", which were already anchored in the initial agreement. In the case of the Free Trade Agreement with Japan, Chilean bulk wine exports will no longer be subject to excise taxes or duties, and in three years more than 50% of the bottled wine shipments will pay only a 10% of tariff. Analyst expect Chile's market share in Japan to rise sharply once more advantageously priced wines appear on the shelf.
