By Ed Walker
The wine producing nations of South America are making great strides in improving the quality of their product. In the second part of this series we will look at the wines of Chile. Next week look out for the contribution of Uruguay and Brazil.
Although Chile has only made an impact on the foreign market in the past decade, viticulture has been established here for centuries. Vines were first introduced to Chile by Spanish missionaries in the sixteenth century - legend has it that the first vintage was in 1551. Until the middle of the nineteenth century Chilean wine production was based more on quantity than quality, but then it was understood that the climate was perfect for the production of quality wines. Chile also benefits from the absence of phylloxera which is a serious pest of grapevines worldwide.
West of the Andes, Chile‘s climate varies from the heat of the arid, rocky, mountainous desert to the north and the icy, Antarctic expanse in the south. Midway between the two are the warm, fertile valleys that are home to this nation‘s vineyards. The primary growing region called the Central Valley runs from 50 miles north of the capital Santiago to 250 miles south of the city. The Central Valley, is in turn, composed of four main subregions, the Maipo, Rapel, Curico and Maule Valleys, each of which has rivers that run west from the Andes to the ocean.
For years Chilean wines grown throughout the Central Valley and beyond tasted pretty much the same. Though well made with exuberant fruit and soft tannins, they had little reflection of terroir (the French word for the combination of a specific region‘s soil, climate and topography that influences a wine‘s character) or individuality of the winemaker. However this is changing, as with other New World countries, once the value wines grab a market sector the premium wines begin to appear. Chile is now producing such wines, often with joint ventures between Chilean wineries and foreign investors.
There is a wide selection of international varieties planted including the best-known French grapes. The more familiar Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are joined by the deeply colored, full-bodied Carmenère. Interestingly, it was only recently determined that a substantial percentage of the Merlot grapes grown in Chile is actually Carmenère (DNA testing was the method employed to reach this significant conclusion!). Centuries ago, it was widely planted in the Bordeaux region in France. But after the phylloxera epidemic of the 19th century that decimated most of the known world's vines; the consensus was towards replanting with other "superior" varieties. Thus, Chile has played a historic role in propagating a variety that would have otherwise been lost to the pages of enological history. This grape tends to make wines that are soft and red-fruit and green-herbal in aromatics and flavor and is to Chile what Malbec is to Argentina. Many wineries are offering Carmenère varietals, although many also continue to blend it with the correctly identified Merlot. Among whites, Chardonnay is a leading varietal, but more Chilean Sauvignon Blancs are appearing, too. All these wines have an up-front fruitiness that makes them very easy to like.
Chilean wines offer a big range catering for budget buys right through to premium wines. Some of the most popular and best brands include Concha y Toro, Casa Lapostolle, Mont Gras and Montes. Check out the Chilean wine section of your supermarket and please let other gringoes.com readers what you think the best wines are by sending comments and recommendations to gringoes@gringoes.com
Following last weeks article on Argentinean Wine Kirk Ermisch recommended the following wines: Martino Malbec, Mayol Syrah, Mayol Malbec, Mayol Bonarda, La Yunta Torrontes, Cabrini Cab/Sauv, Carlos Basso Cab/Sauv/Malbec blend "Dos Fincas"
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