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S
hile is something like the 12th
largest wine producing country
in the world. There are ap-
proximately 271,000 acres of
vineyards there. Well north of
the capital city of Santiago are
vineyards devoted to produc-
ing table grapes and grapes
intended for distillation rather
than winemaking. It is from
these vines that the famous
Chilean white lightning comes
from (it’s called Pisco).
Fifty miles north of Santiago is
the Aconcagua Valley. This region lies about 150
miles due west of Argentina’s famous Mendoza
area. It is a small and rather dry region, with about
979 acres of vines, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon.
South of Aconcagua and west of Santiago is the
Casablanca Valley. Some say this is prime Sauvi-
gnon Blanc and Chardonnay territory having some
marine-influenced climate due to its proximity to the
Pacific Ocean. It has about 4000 acres planted as
of the most recent statistics.
South of Casablanca and southwest of Santiago is
the Maipo Valley. It comes under the “Valle Cen-
tral” appellation and is a bit warmer; apparently
Cabernet and Chardonnay thrive here. There are
some 15,000 acres of vineyards in the Maipo.
South of the Maipo Valley (and 80 miles south of
Santiago) is the Rapel Valley, also part of
the “Valle Central” designation. A well-
regarded sub-region of Rapel is the
Colchagua Valley. Both Merlot and Cabernet do
well there. The Rapel has vines spread over slightly
more than 30,000 acres, approximately 60% in
red varieties.
Also in the “Valle Central” area is the southerly Cu-
rico Valley, an area where Merlot and Sauvignon
Blanc do well. This was only recently given its own
designation, as it used to be considered a sub-
zone of the Maule. Temperatures here vary greatly,
meaning you can get sunburn during the day and
the fifty-degree drop at night puts the “chill” in
“Chile.” Twenty-eight thousand acres of vines live in
this area.
The Maule is 160 miles south of Santiago and it’s a
big region, with 40,000 acres. The money varie-
ties are planted here, so you’ll find lots of Sauvi-
gnon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot.
Southern Chilean features the “Valle del Itata” Some
11,000 acres of vineyards are there. The region
has been the home of rather ordinary grape varie-
ties and only today are a couple of firms starting
to cultivate more noble grapes. Just south of Itata
is the Valle del Bío-Bío. This is a difficult viticul-
tural area, it being prone to spring frosts and early
autumn precipitation. Early-ripening varieties such
as Pinot Noir and Riesling may have a future in Bío-
Bío.
Not even “on the map” is the Valle de San Antonio.
There are but a few new vineyards in this region,
some 75 kilometers east of Santiago, but the early
results are quite promising. Most of this region fea-
tures relatively cool climates, so planting varieties
such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or
Syrah
might be a good
idea.