With a commitment to innovation, the Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) consolidates this 2022 Keóken as the southernmost wine in the world, which is produced since 2017 in the town of Chile Chico, Province of General Carrera, Aysén Region, and which is produced thanks to research initiated in 2012.
This is how the Institute will present next Wednesday, January 12, its latest generation of bottles, in order to publicize the result of several stages of research and demonstrate submitting to a panel of experts the 2021 vintage of these extreme climate wines, which become the new southern frontier of national viticulture.
Why is it the southernmost wine in the world?
Keóken, a concept that comes from the Tehuelche language and that means “dawn”, was born with an innovation objective of INIA to promote the development of vineyards in Patagonia with a wine that shines and positions itself as the southernmost in the world, being elaborated and bottled at latitude 46°32′ South.
“Its uniqueness is due to the fact that the geographical place where it is made presents an extreme climate, which implies great management challenges for researchers; the production season is very short, it is flanked by frost and with intense wind permanently. To this is added the pressure of the fauna of the region, which can generate great losses, “says Diego Arribillaga, RESEARCHER AT INIA and director of this project.
Although the production of wines in Chile is mostly located in the south and north center, INIA, together with its researchers, opted for the elaboration of a specimen in less favorable climatic conditions than other latitudes of the country.
“The production of the southernmost wines in the world is an input for future wine research in terms of efficiency of vineyard management and use of innovation technologies,” adds Arribillaga.
The work team of the REGIONAL CENTER INIA Tamel Aike is the first to produce wines in Chilean Patagonia, under conditions of high windiness and low temperatures, but with the advantage of having cold nights and long sunny days in summer plus the moderation delivered by the turquoise waters of Lake General Carrera, which has allowed to generate an unparalleled and high quality product.
This has led to the production of wines of different strains, of which the most promising are presented: Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, which had been previously packaged, and to which Chardonnay is added today.
The origin of Keóken
During 2014, INIA began with research to extend the offer of national viticulture to the southern south. Later in 2016, the winemaker and researcher of INIA Marisol Reyes and together with other researchers of the entity, planted eight varieties in La Araucanía and Chile Chico, the latter being the locality where Keóken was created, produced and bottled in origin by INIA Tamel Aike.
“This vineyard has a great symbolic value, since it is the first wine production in the region of Aysén, Chilean Patagonia and that comes to add productive diversification to the regional fruit growing. Keóken is a guide for local producers interested in innovation projects and we hope to continue contributing to the generation of the technological package necessary to produce quality grapes, which allows culminating in wines and other quality oenological products, “said the Winemaker of INIA.
In the future, INIA researchers hope to advance vineyard management and winemaking, which each year presents a new challenge. Together, it is budgeted to transfer the technologies generated and support local producers who want to join this challenge of producing the southernmost wines in the world.
