Chilean Wine Regions
In a sense, you could call Chile a grape variety hero. The country's
signature grape variety is Carmenère..This variety, one of the noble
grapes of France, has all but disappeared from its home country
but today it is grown in abundance in Chile.
In a sense, you could call Chile a grape variety hero. The country's
signature grape variety is Carmenère..This variety, one of the noble
grapes of France, has all but disappeared from its home country
but today it is grown in abundance in Chile.
An Up-and-Comer with a Long History
Wine grapes arrived in Chile with the Spanish conquistadors and
missionaries in the 1500s. By the 18th century, French grape varieties such as
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were being introduced. With its long, narrow
geography -- Chile spans more than 2,500 miles north to south but just 285
east-to-west at its widest point -- Chile's vineyards are protected by the Pacific
on the west and the Andes mountains on the east. Much of the Chilean wine
production has been guided by French investment, which no doubt has much
to do with the ever increasing quality of Chilean wine. For a long time, however,
wine production was more quantity than quality oriented.
Chilean Renaissance
Late in the last century, however, Chilean wineries and vineyards underwent
something of a renovation. In the 1970s, restrictive government policies in
industry were repealed, leading to legal liberalization that helped jump start a
revolution in Chile's wine industry. During the 1980s, the industry discovered
that its uniquely flavored Merlot was actually a variation on the French variety,
one that is rarely cultivated in France today, called Carmenère. Carmenère has
become Chile's signature varietal. Chile also produces some excellent
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec (also called "Cot"), Pinot Noir, Sauvignon
Blanc, Semillón, and Riesling.
The main wine growing regions, as determined my the Chilean government
1994 and supported by the Asociación de Viñas de Chile A.G are: Atacama,
Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Central Valley, and the Region of the South.
Wine grapes arrived in Chile with the Spanish conquistadors and
missionaries in the 1500s. By the 18th century, French grape varieties such as
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were being introduced. With its long, narrow
geography -- Chile spans more than 2,500 miles north to south but just 285
east-to-west at its widest point -- Chile's vineyards are protected by the Pacific
on the west and the Andes mountains on the east. Much of the Chilean wine
production has been guided by French investment, which no doubt has much
to do with the ever increasing quality of Chilean wine. For a long time, however,
wine production was more quantity than quality oriented.
Chilean Renaissance
Late in the last century, however, Chilean wineries and vineyards underwent
something of a renovation. In the 1970s, restrictive government policies in
industry were repealed, leading to legal liberalization that helped jump start a
revolution in Chile's wine industry. During the 1980s, the industry discovered
that its uniquely flavored Merlot was actually a variation on the French variety,
one that is rarely cultivated in France today, called Carmenère. Carmenère has
become Chile's signature varietal. Chile also produces some excellent
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec (also called "Cot"), Pinot Noir, Sauvignon
Blanc, Semillón, and Riesling.
The main wine growing regions, as determined my the Chilean government
1994 and supported by the Asociación de Viñas de Chile A.G are: Atacama,
Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Central Valley, and the Region of the South.
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