Chilean Wine - page 12

Chile has been a wine-producing country since the first European settlers arrived in the mid 16th century. The first vines were brought to Chile by missionaries, via Peru, California and directly from Spain - wine was a vital part of religious practices. For centuries Chilean wine was limited to a domestic market, but in the late 20th century, things changed. Since about 1980, Chile's winemakers have been energetically developing export markets, and have succeeded in gaining worldwide recognition by producing not only consistent, good value wines, but also some reds of world class quality. Where Chilean winemaking had previously used beechwood tanks and barrels, the introduction of stainless steel tanks and oak barrels in the 1980's was a milestone in Chilean winemaking, marking the start of a new technology-driven era.

Chile's reputation rests on the strong performance of its Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot-based wines, but Chardonnay, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc also thrive in Chilean terroirs. Aromatics like Riesling and Gewurztraminer are up-and-coming varieties in Chile, particularly in the cooler southern regions. Carmenere, once widely grown in Bordeaux, is Chile's signature red variety. It was thought extinct following the European phylloxera outbreaks of the nineteenth century, but rediscovered in Chile in the 1990's. With the Pacific ocean on one side and the forbidding barrier of the Andes on the other, Chile's vineyards have remained protected from phylloxera, allowing Carmenere to flourish.

The landscapes of Chile are highly varied, and have led to many commentators to describe the country as a 'winegrowers paradise'. 2700 miles (4300km) long and 100 miles (160km) wide, Chile occupies a strip of land running north-south between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains. The wine regions of Chile lie within the central half of this long, narrow strip, but growers are rapidly experimenting with new landscapes, pushing further north and south. Over 600 miles (1000km) separate Elqui in the north from Malleco in the south. Chile's topography favors viticulture: The Andean peaks in the east provide meltwater rivers to the valleys below, while the Pacific Ocean, with its antarctic Humboldt Current, brings cooling breezes to coastal vineyards. The Coastal Range hills alter weather patterns for many Chilean wine-growing areas, creating rain shadows and providing shelter from oceanic winds as evident in the Maipo and Cachapoal.

Chile's wine industry continues to be ambitious and, as a result, the modern Chilean wine map is dotted with new regions, planted with an increasingly wide selection of grape varieties, established and experimental. No doubt this trend will continue into the future.