Chimenti Globe, the new Chilean table grape variety

Due to a spontaneous mutation, a new variety of table grape will be available in the national and international fruit industry. It's the Chimenti Globe and is expected to have a high demand, specially in the Asian market, due to its characteristics.

Chimenti Globe was discovered some years ago in the vineyard of Alfredo Chimenti Agri, in Talagante, who cultivated it for five years.

After four years of work with a team and the Service of Agriculture and Live-Stock (SAG), in March 2011, Chimenti Globe was registered in the protected varieties registry.

This new variety is characterized by it's red colour - different from the violet of the Red Globe (mother variety) - big size and white pulp. Other characteristics are more sweetness and having non-astringent seeds.

Regarding profitability, the project coordinator, Alfredo Chimenti Silva, highlights that the production by hectare should be around 4,000 boxes of 8.2kg each, with a percentage of exportable fruit to the Chinese market above the 90%.

Chile exports about 28 million boxes of Red Globe per year, from which 8 million are for the Asian markets. For the Chimenti Globe they expect to get 20% of market share, something like 6 million boxes.

Business Plan

Presently the variety is being evaluated in several orchards between Copiapó and Teno, with 12 producers adding up to a total of 25 hectares (grafts and new grapevines). 14 hectares also already exist in Talagante.

Chimenti Silva says that the strong part of production will happen in the 2013/2014 season, but that there will be a considerable amount of grapes during the 2012/2013 season for export.

Source: Fia