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Chilean Wine

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Winemaking was first introduced to Chile by Spanish settlers in the 1500’s, but it wasn’t until the 1980’s that much of the world had their first sips of Chilean wine. At this time, Chile began exporting its wine reserves after strict trade barriers were lifted that once prevented wines to be released from Chile. Since then, Chile has experience remarkable growth. In 1984, Chile’s total wine exports amounted to 2%, less than 30 years later they’re currently exporting 70% of their wines, making Chile responsible for roughly 8% of the world’s wine.

Chile is dominated by red wines, accounting for almost three quarters of their total production. The most prominent red wine is Cabernet Sauvignon followed Merlot and, finally, Carmenere, the “lost grape of Bordeaux.” Chile has also received high praise for the production of wines made from Pinot Noir despite the fact the plantings of this grape a relatively small. Chile’s red wines are often Read more

Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are the most prominent white grape varieties, but Chile also has a solid reputation for their Semillion, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and dry-styled Pedro Ximenez wines among others.

Chile remains one of the few wine-producing regions that has not been devastated by phylloxera, the louse the destroyed much of the world’s vineyards in the 1800’s. Because of this, Chile has several vineyards that date back to upwards of 150 years. These old vines, mostly of Carignan and Mourvedre, produce concentrated, intriguing wines that are highly sought after.

Despite th lack of phylloxera, Chile has begun to experiment with various clones and rootstocks that will help better ward off other natural pests, such as nematodes, and naturally occurring problems such as drought. Chile continues to exercise strict regulation laws for importing rootstocks. Each vine imported into Chile must remain in isolation for 7 or more years to ensure all potentially harmful pests have been eliminated.

Historically, Chile has long been recognized as a place with great winemaking potential. Many of Europe’s prestigious winemaking families, such Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Lafite Rothschild opened wineries on the country’s soil. Other prestigious winemakers from other parts of the world such as Californian Winemaker Robert Mondavi and Catalan Winemaker, Miguel Torres did the same.

Chile’s geographical location and shape play an important role in its winemaking. Despite having nearly 9000 meters between the northernmost and southernmost winemaking areas of the country, larger variation of climate can be found from East to West. To the west, Chile is bordered by the Pacific Ocean which produces a cooling, west-sweeping wind known as the Humboldt Current. To the East, Chile is separated from Argentina by the Andes Mountains. The Andes play an important role – they protect Chile from outside pest, such as phylloxera, that have affected other parts of South America and they also play a role in the climate of the country.

As winemaking has progressed in Chile, there has been an increased focus on both the soil structure and the distinct microclimate of each area. Extensive studies have been conducted to determine which varieties will best express themselves where. Many of Chile’s vineyards are organic, though a small proportion is certified as such. Many winemakers believe it is important to follow natural winemaking practices in order to achieve a natural-tasting wine. In addition to increased attention to vineyard practices, young, highly-trained Chilean winemakers are also making great strides in the winery. Many have been trained abroad in some of the best wineries and winemaking schools available and this knowledge in conjunction with state-of-the-art winemaking facilities has proved useful.

Here are a few key facts to know about Chile:

Chile has fourteen distinct valleys, they are:

o Elqui Valley

o Limari Valley

o Choapa Valley

o Aconcagua

o Casablanca

o San Antonio

o Maipo Valley

o Rapel Valley

o Cachapoal Valley

o Colchagua Valley

o Curico

o Maule Valley

o Itala Valley

o Bio Bio

o Malleco

Chile’s wine label laws live by the rule of 75% (must be 85% to be distributed in all export markets)

· 75% vintage

· 75% variety

· 75% Denomination of Origin

Wine classifications

· Quality wine: Min 11.5% ABV

· Reserva and/or Reserva Especial: 12%

· Reserva Privada and/or Gran Reserva: 12.5%

· Mandatory time spent in oak

Photos courtesy of www.mattwilson.cl for Wines of Chile

– Description from ConstanceChamberlain (hide)

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Updates to Chile

Mar 13 at 1:27pm

268548ConstanceChamberlain edited a description for Chile
Jan 23 at 5:08pm

268548ConstanceChamberlain added a description for Chile
Aug 22, 2011 at 1:38pm

870341Amanda Schuster edited a description for Chile
Aug 22, 2011 at 1:28pm

870341Amanda Schuster added a description for Chile

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Chile on Snooth

May 2012

Santa Rita Reserva Carmenere 2007

Snoothrank: Starting at $9^.99

Ok. Not the best wine I've ever had, but not the worst either.

Wine review by calywa
May 2012

Hi! I'm the owner of Plonk Wine Merchants, a boutique style online ... wine by running the Wines of Chile marketing campaign in the US for about 5 years and then became enthralled with the value sector of the wine biz, particularly with mind-blowingly good wines that could... Read more

Forum post in the topic Etty Lewensztain - The More...
May 2012

Great of you to shout out like this, Spike, and to share how your wine ... (like Chono from Maipo in Chile or Pyramid Valley from the South Island of NZ, as simple examples).One key issue to mention is that information was a lot harder to get ahold of then. You'd find good... Read more

Forum post in the topic A little Thank You
May 2012

Castillo de Molina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Cachapoal Valley 2008

Snoothrank:

No written review

Wine review by Proud2bCuban
May 2012

Gato Negro Cabernet

Snoothrank:

No written review

Wine review by envinoverdad
May 2012

Rayun Central Valley Chardonnay 2008

Snoothrank:

A light straw color wine. A very fruity wine on the nose and a peachy taste.They light tannin on your tongue but is not strong and the drinks ends very smooth. This is a good wine for someone just trying a Chardonnay. It is not heavy, oaky, but light.

Wine review by 544484lakenvelder 544484
May 2012

Primus Carmenere 2010

Snoothrank:

No written review

Wine review by gntop1
May 2012

Caleuche Classic Cabernet Sauvignon D.O. Maule Valley 2010

Snoothrank:

No written review

Wine review by martins2002
May 2012

Root 1 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Snoothrank:

No written review

Wine review by dhv3
May 2012

Very pleased to meet you, Constance. Of the regions that you mention, the ... interests me the most is Chile. However, there is so much that I don't know from every region that I know that I will benefit from all your contributions

Forum post in the topic Constance Chamberlain for...