CHILEAN WINE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

History of Chilean wine regions

Wines from Chile’s diverse flavored regions have long been underappreciated. But there is something special about the beautiful wines of Chilean Wine Country. Something with a large wine market – like China, for example – desires something fresh and complex.

It may be a while before the whole world gets to know Chile’s wine regions and their offerings – but when the world starts to realize that they don’t need to pay more than $15 for a great bottle of wine, Chile will become more famous and become a leading country in the field of wine.

Chile is considered the wine-producing region of the New World, as it was not until the 16th century that the Spaniards brought with them a variety of vines when they began to colonize the region. More recently, a variety of French grape varieties have been introduced to many Chilean wine appellations – as it was discovered that they could easily thrive here.

Since the 19th century, indigenous Chileans have had a rich wine market in the country. Much of the world did not know the quality and value of Chilean wines until the 1980s when export markets around the world, especially within the United States, began to know about this wonderful place.

Chilean wine region geography

The majority of Chile’s vineyards are located in the center of the country. That’s because much of the Central Valley – which makes up nearly all of the individual wine appellations (subregions) – is bounded by both the Andes Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

To the north, the sprawling Atacama Desert provides a natural border, while the glaciers and frigid temperatures of Patagonia protect the southern end of the country.

The unique geographical conditions of Central Chile not only allow for the creation of a microclimate ideal for viticulture, but also provide natural protection and more predictable weather patterns within each sub-region. (I just mean the winemakers here can anticipate varying degrees of weather.)

North to South, the climate and weather are very different. In individual zones, the Vintners have begun to master the art of winemaking in their own unique quarters.

Altogether, from north to south, Chile spans more than 2,600 miles and is only 177 miles from east to west. This sprawling landscape traverses undulating hills, snow-capped peaks, verdant valleys, and long stretches of sand.

Chilean wine country Terroir

Chile’s wine regions experience a Mediterranean climate. In general, this type of climate brings long warm sunny days followed by completely cool evenings during the growing season. This climate is ideal for growing a wide variety of wine grapes, as it helps to develop some of the juicy, fresh fruit flavors supported by the tough tannins found in many Southern New World wines. America.

While a coastal mountain range spans a good portion of Chile’s Pacific Coast, sheltering much of the hinterland from the ocean’s cool winds – a very strong current – known as the Humboldt Current, flows north from Antarctica along the coast of Chile. Without the Humboldt Current, cool sea breezes would have no way of penetrating inland through the various river systems that traverse the subregional valleys and coastal mountains.

• Wine grapes grown in Chile
  Chilean red wine:
  Cabernet Sauvignon
  Merlot
  Syrah
  Carmenère
  Mission
  Carignan
  Chilean white wine:
  Sauvignon Blanc
  Chardonnay
  Sauvignon Gris
  Gewürztraminer
  Muscat de Alexandria

Famous Chilean brands and wineries

Some of the famous winemakers of the last 5 years include Concha y Toro, Viña Maipo, Casa Silva, Matetic Vineyards, Viña Miguel Torres, Altair and Viña Errázuriz, San Pedro and Santa Rita.

While Concha y Toro and Santa Rita may be better known domestically for their consistent production of good-value table wines – some of Chile’s smaller and lesser-known wineries actually offer wines are more delicate, complex and balanced on some grape varieties. We’ll discuss some of our top picks in a separate post.

What is your opinion on Chilean wine? Although it has been underrated since the 1980s, progressive winemakers are making serious strides towards creating wines of exceptional quality. Markets in Japan, Korea and China are now viewing New World’s Chilean wines as a serious competitor to even Old World Bordeaux’s most famous wines. People are even considering some of the Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon to be superior to the elegant Cab from the Napa Valley.

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DISCOVER THE BORDEAUX WINE REGION WITH 4 TIPS