Akin to many countries in the Americas, the story of Chilean wine starts with explorers from Europe. In this case, they were the Spanish conquistadors[1]. These conquistadors brought grape vines with them as they searched for areas to colonize. These first vines most likely came from well-established Peruvian vineyards, owned by the Spanish. These Peruvian vineyards were created when Hernán Cortés brought grapes to Mexico in 1520. Jesuit priests cultivated these early vineyards, unsurprisingly using the wine for the celebration of the Eucharist. The European Vitis vinifera grape, also known as the common grape vine or “the common black grape”, would become the ancestor of the widely planted Pais grape that was the most widely planted Chilean grape until the 21st century. By the late 16th century, Muscatel, Torontel, Albilho, and Mollar were all deep-rooted grape varieties in the region[2].
As the Spanish colony grew quickly, Spain restricted the production of wine in Chile trying to create a reliable market to sell Spanish wines. This, coupled with the ban on Chilean wine imports into Spain in 1641, severely crippling the colony’s wine industry. The result of this was a large surplus of grapes in Chile. These grapes ended up being used in the production of pisco (a type of brandy, which is a story all of its own) and aguardiente (generic alcoholic beverages that contain between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume). However, Chileans didn’t care for the wines from Spain as they were often damaged or otherwise ruined during the voyage from Europe to the Americas. The Chileans even started to export their wine to Peru. Sir Francis Drake, an English privateer who took a lot of pride in humiliating the Spanish, began to sack the coastal colonies in the Americas. In the 1570s, one of Chile’s wine ships was captured at sea by Drake. When the Spanish learned of this, they ordered the uprooting of most of the Chilean vineyards. Again, this request was almost entirely ignored by the colony.
In 1818, after eight years of war against the Spanish, Chile won its independence. Although the colony had been managed by the Spanish, the wine in the area has been most influenced by the French. Don Silvestre Errázuriz was the first to import grapes from France, bringing over Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet franc, Malbec, Sauvignon blanc and Sémillon in 1851[1,2]. Like many other global regions, the Chilean wine industry boomed during the phylloxera epidemic in France. While many of the French vineyards were destroyed, the winemakers traveled to distant locations, including South America, to start again[2]. Proof of the additional expertise that came to the area was shown at the 1889 Exposition in Paris where a Chilean wine was awarded a Grand Prix[3].
After a tumultuous 20th century, filled with disruptions to the wine industry in Chile, the 21st century has been smoother. Most grapes grown in the region are a mix between French and Spanish varieties[4].
| Whites | Reds |
|---|---|
| Sauvignon Blanc | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Chardonnay | Cabernet Franc |
| Sauvignon Vert | Merlot |
| Muscat | Carménère |
| Sémillon | Pinot Noir |
| Syrah | |
| Petite Sirah |
With the exception of Casablanca, there is not much vintage variation in Chilean wines due to the reliability of favorable weather with little risk of summer time frost or harvest time rains.
There are five major wine regions in Chile: Atacama, Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Central Valley, and Southern Chile.
Atacama
Starting farthest north, the Atacama region is divided into two valleys, Copiapó Valley and the Huasco Valley. Since this area also includes the Atacama desert, there isn’t a whole lot of wine production here. However, this area produces a significant amount of pisco.
Coquimbo
Coquimbo is just south of Atacama, and is divided into three sub-regions: Elqui, Limarí, and Choapa.
Elqui, located at the southern tip of the Atacama desert, is the northern part of Coquimbo. It is considered to be the most commercially viable wine-producing region in Chile. Like the rest of the country, Elqui is pinned between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes Mountains to the east. The weather is great for producing Syrah as it has very low rainfall yet does not see much heat as it is cooled by strong winds[2].
Limarí is one of the older wine regions in Chile, with vines planted back in the middle of the 16th century. The area is now best known for their production of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Pinot noir. The weather in this region is similar to New Zealand[2].
Choapa is the southern part of Coquimbo and is also primarily known for pisco, just like Atacama. This area is in the narrowest part of Chile and produces high quality Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Aconcagua
Moving down the coast, the next region in Chile is Aconcagua. The three sub-regions that combine to make Aconcagua are Aconcagua Valley, Casablanca Valley, and the small San Antonio Valley.
Aconcagua Valley is the home of Vina Errázuriz, one of the first famous wineries in Chile. It was founded by Maximiano Errázuriz in 1870. After his son increased the area under vine to 700 hectares, Vina Errázuriz was the world’s largest vineyard in the hands of a single owner at that time. In 2004, a blind taste test placed the Vina Errázuriz’s “Seña” above both Château Lafite and Château Margaux — goliaths in the French wine industry.
Vines were first planted in the Casablanca Valley in the 1980s while the Chilean wine industry was being rejuvenated. Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot noir thrive in its cooler climate. Like the majority of Chile, this region is cooled by the ocean and morning fog.
The smallest portion of the Aconcagua region is the San Antonio Valley. The area is known for producing Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc, and Chardonnay. The San Antonio Valley is seen as an up-and-coming wine region[2].
Central Valley
Surrounding the nation’s capital, Santiago, this is Chile’s most productive and internationally known wine region. The Central Valley region is comprised of four subregions: the Maipo Valley, the Rapel Valley, the Curicó Valley and the Maule Valley[5].
Maipo Valley has, within it, three of its own subregions: Alto Maipo, Central Maipo, and the Pacific Maipo. The Maipo Valley is region that closely borders Santiago, Chile’s capital. This region sees wide temperature swings between the day and night cycle, which in turn helps produce very bold Cabernet Sauvignon since the vine is under duress for a significant amount of time. The subregion has started planting Carménère more recently and the coastal part of this subregion produces Sauvignon blanc[2].
The Rapel Valley produces about 25% of all Chilean wine. The northern part of this subregion is referred to as the Cachapoal Valley. The other part in the Rapel Valley is the Colchagua Valley, one of the best-known wine regions of Chile. The area is best known for its full-bodied Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, and Syrah[2].
The Curicó Valley has been home to European vines since the middle of the 19th century. However the modern wine production in Curicó began in the late 1970s with Spanish wine maker Miguel Torres. The Curicó Valley is home to more grape varieties than anywhere else in Chile, but is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon blanc. Curicó is one of Chile’s workhorse regions and its output is consistent and reliable[2].
The Maule Valley is one of Chile’s oldest and most diverse areas. It is also one of the largest wine-growing regions. The Maule Valley was one of the first areas in Chile where vines were planted and its viticulture history stretches back to the start of colonization. It is best known for its powerful Cabernet Sauvignon and aromatic and spicy Carménère wines. However, there are also old-bush, dry-farmed vineyards that produce naturally balanced field blends. These blends are frequently Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec. Newer plantations in the Valley include Merlot, Cabernet franc, and Carménère with fruity notes and high acidity[2].
Southern Chile
Chile’s southern wine regions have more rain, lower temperatures, and less sunlight than the northern wine regions. The region is primarily known for its mass-produced boxed Pais (known in the US as Missiones) wine and jug wines. Gewürztraminer has also been tried here. For most of the 20th century, the main varieties grown are Moscatel de Alejandria, Pais, Pinot noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon blanc are also grown throughout the valley.
Sources
1) Chilean Wine History
http://www.chilean-wine.com/chilean-wine-history/
2) Chilean wine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_wine
3) Teughels, Nelleke, and Peter Sholliers. A taste of progress: food at international and world exhibitions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Routledge, 2017.
4) The History of Chilean Wines and Why They Are So Popular…
Kathblw – https://blog.thebesty.com/2016/08/12/the-history-of-chilean-wines-and-why-they-are-so-popular/
5) Central Valley (wine region)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Valley_(wine_region)
