Elqui Valley is a wine-growing region within Coquimbo, northern Chile. Were it not for the few wines and the brandy (Pisco) production in the Atacama region, Elqui would be the most northerly of all Chilean wine regions. At a latitude of 29 degrees south, Elqui's northern hemisphere equivalents are Cairo, Egypt and central Baja California, Mexico.
Elqui, like the Limari Valley to the south, is the subject of some interest among Chilean winegrowers, as they search for new terroirs with which to strengthen the country's wine portfolio.
Pedro Ximénez, Carmenere, Syrah, and Chardonnay are among the grapes varieties grown sucessfully in Elqui, and even Sauvignon Blanc, which prefers cooler regions, is produced in this hot, dry climate.
|
