17 Chile

Question 1

Describe Chilean Sparkling wine in general

Styles

Var

Answer 1

• SW minor proportion of Chile’s wine
• Most Tank method,
  
  • fruity, brut, slightly sweeter is most common
• Small no of trad method wines
• Var - mainly CH, PN, SB
• Most are inexpensive, some for the export market are mid-priced
• A/ G; Inexp - mid price

Question 2

Grape growing for SW in Chile

Answer 2

• SW grapes grown where there are moderating/cooling influences
  
  • Cooler coastal areas,
  • cooler Andean foothills or
  • milder regions in South
    
    • (some fruit souced from warm Central Valley)
  • All vineyards are irrigated.
• Harvest
  
  • several weeks earlier than for still wine harvest dep on zone
• Cheaper SW - blends from different valleys
• Best quality (high acidity) from specific regions either cooled by Pacific or at altitude
  
  • Casablanca
  • San Antonio (Leyda)
  • Limari (Pacific)
  • coastal Curicó (ocean)
  • Bío Bío (southerly latitude, ocean-influenced)

Question 3

Winemaking in Chile

Answer 3

• 90% tank method
• Very modern, new equipment, allows rapid growth in the sector
  
  • Chardonnay commonly used
  • Also Sauvignon Blanc - aromatic primary fruit
• 10% traditional method
  
  • chardonnay & pinot noir
  • some Pais (Blanc de Noirs or rosé)
  • Moscatel

Question 4

Describe wine law and wine business in Chile

Answer 4

• Labelling for residual sugar follows EU
• A few very large production cos dominate
  
  • Valdivieso (produce > 1/3 Spw),
  • Vina Mar,
  • Undurraga
• Domestic sales 2/3 of production, growing fast esp at premium end
• Exports growing, Japan, Columbia, Brazil
• Chilean market for SW is mostly domestic products. (i.e. they don’t import much spw from elsewhere)