Chilean president Sebastián Piñera is to visit Britain later this month to celebrate the growing success of Chile’s wines in the UK market.

He is attending a reception at Vintners’ Hall in London on October 18, where the Trophy and Gold Medal winners from all major wine competitions will be available to guests.

At the show there will be a range of old vine Carignans will also be on show.

Chile’s off-trade volumes in 2006 stood at 6 million cases and had a retail value of £273 million. The figures for the year to July, according to Nielsen, value take-home sales of Chilean wine at £451 million and report volumes of 9 million cases. A remarkable increase in any case.

The president is sure that the personal visit will help to build relations and continue the good will and success of the relationship betweeen  Britain and Chile and is sure it will continue to grow as time goes on.