Chile is preparing to introduce a new category of lower-alcohol wine as the industry faces a sustained decline in consumption and changing drinking habits among younger generations. File Photo by Mario Ruiz/EPA
SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Chile, the world's fourth-largest wine exporter, is preparing to introduce a new category of lower-alcohol wine as the industry faces a sustained decline in consumption and changing drinking habits among younger generations.
President José Antonio Kast's government signed a decree creating a low-alcohol wine category that will include products with an alcohol content starting at 8.5%. The decree is under review by the Comptroller General's Office before it can take effect.
The change does not lower the minimum alcohol content for traditional Chilean wine, which remains at 11.5%. Instead, it creates a separate category for products made using authorized winemaking practices with a minimum actual alcohol content of 8.5%.
Chile exported 188 million gallons of wine in 2025 to more than 140 countries, with key markets including the United States, Brazil, China, Britain and Canada.
