ProChile Hosts New York Food And Beverage Event

ProChile brought journalists, influencers and industry professionals together in New York City on October 20 for a curated Chilean lunch and wine and pisco masterclass. The export promotion agency presented Chilean wine, pisco, seafood and culinary traditions through an afternoon focused on the people and products behind them. The event explored the heritage grape varieties and terroir of Chile’s Itata Valley, alongside the traditions of Chilean pisco, the country’s signature grape-based spirit.

Chilean Flavors At Lunch

The lunch menu was created by Ignacia Valdés, whose experience includes Michelin-starred kitchens in Paris and New York. Drawing on her Chilean roots, Valdés used caviar, cochayuyo, merkén, salmon, mussels and lúcuma to introduce guests to Chilean flavors through a contemporary culinary perspective.

Wine And Pisco Masterclass

The masterclass featured Jonathan Charnay, Chilean sommelier and partner at Nuyores, and Andrea Martínez Sandoval, Chilean sommelier and wine buyer at Astoria Wines & Spirits and Underground Wines & Spirits. Charnay presented Chilean wines from the Itata Valley, while Martínez Sandoval explored pisco’s origins, styles and production traditions.

Andrea Sapag, Chile’s Trade Commissioner in New York, said:

“Connecting Chilean products with the media and industry professionals who influence how consumers discover food and beverages is an important part of our work in the U.S. market. This experience allowed us to share the diversity of Chile's offerings, celebrate the people and traditions behind them, and build relationships that can bring Chilean products to wider audiences.”

Exports And Regional Heritage

Chile’s wine regions span more than 1,500 kilometers, from high-altitude vineyards to coastal sites. Approximately 350 wineries export to 140 markets worldwide, including premium, small-production, organic, biodynamic and natural wines. The Itata Valley has more than four centuries of winemaking history and renewed interest in País, Cinsault and Carignan.

Chilean pisco is produced primarily in the Atacama and Coquimbo regions and holds the oldest Denomination of Origin in the Americas. In 2025, Chilean pisco exports reached US$3.9 million, up 27.6% year over year, with shipments to 40 markets and more than 110 international buyers.

Building Market Connections

Chile’s Pacific seafood portfolio includes salmon, mussels, southern hake, jack mackerel and farmed sturgeon caviar. In 2025, Chilean seafood exports totaled US 2.918 billion, or 31.7% of shipments, making it Chile’s leading seafood export destination. Through the New York event, ProChile sought to strengthen awareness of Chilean food and beverage offerings among U.S. market audiences.