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WSET Diploma D3 - Wines of the World > 28. Chile > Flashcards

28. Chile Flashcards

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1
Q

Why does Chile have a successful export market? (3)

A

1) It’s dominated by four large businesses
2) It focusses on international varieties
3) It can grow both warm and cool climate varieties

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2
Q

What’s Chile’s general climate?

A

Mostly Mediterranean - warm and sunny - but progressively wetter and cooler further south

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3
Q

What does Chile’s low latitude mean

A

Intense/longer periods of sunlight

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4
Q

What four topographical features border Chile

A

North - Atacama Desert
East - Andes
South - Patagonia
West - Pacific

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5
Q

Most of Chile’s vineyards are planted in valleys oriented in which direction?

A

East to west

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6
Q

How is the orientation of the valleys in which Chile’s vineyards are planted beneficial to the growing environment?

A

The Pacific (east) and Andes (west) are at either side and provide cooling effects and shelter respectively to lengthen the growing season

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7
Q

What is the Humboldt Current

A

A wind from the Antarctic that brings cold air which is sucked inland as hot air rises during the day creating a cooling effect and bringing fog

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8
Q

What soil type common in many global wine regions is located in Chile and where is most located?

A

1) Limestone
2) Limari Valley

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9
Q

What three soils are commonly found in and around the valley floor?

A

Fertile alluvial clay, sand, gravel

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10
Q

What soils are commonly found in the Andes?

A

Volcanic granite

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11
Q

What soils are commonly found in the Coastal ranges?

A

Gravel with sand and silt

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12
Q

How is it that sustainable viticulture is so widespread in Chile?

A

Intense sunshine and relatively dry conditions

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13
Q

Much of Chile is irrigated except for which three regions?

A

1) Itata
2) Bio Bio
3) Maule

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14
Q

What are two hazards found in Chile?

A

1) Earthquakes
2) Forest fires

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15
Q

Chile is largely phylloxera free, but new vineyards are commonly grafts to protect against what hazard?

A

Nematodes

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16
Q

What are Chile’s five leading black plantings?

A

1) Cabernet Sauvignon
2) Merlot
3) Carmenere
4) Syrah
5) Pinot Noir

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17
Q

What variety is undergoing a renaissance and where?

A

1) Pais (old vine)
2) Maule, Itata, Bio Bio

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18
Q

What are two key white plantings?

A

1) Sauvignon Blanc
2) Chardonnay

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19
Q

Why is site selection important for Carmenere? (3)

A

1) Ripens 2-3 weeks after Merlot
2) Warm sites avoid harsh tannins and herbaceousness
3) Too warm can get overly alcoholic

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20
Q

What are four (of six) main regional DOs from north to south?

A

1) Coquimbo
2) Aconcagua
3) Central Valley
4) Southern

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21
Q

How is the DO system structured? (4)

A

1) Region i.e. Central Valley
2) Sub-region i.e. Rapel Valley
3) Zone i.e. Colchagua
4) Area i.e. Apalta

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22
Q

What three new regional denominations were introduced
in 2011?

A

1) Costa - with coastal influence
2) Andes - mountain influence
3) Entre Cordilleras - in between

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23
Q

What are two DO status requirements?

A

1) 75% variety/region (85% if exported to the EU)
2) 11.5% minimum ABV

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24
Q

What are three DOs of Coquimbo?

A

1) Elqui
2) Limari
3) Choapa

25
Q

What contributes to Coquimbo’s scarcity/price? (3)

A

1) Difficult growing conditions - hot, sunny and near the world’s driest desert (Atacama).

2) Difficult to access (the Andes and coastal area merge here)

3) Andes snow melt is lessening

26
Q

What’s Chile’s northernmost principal region?

A

Elqui

27
Q

Despite being Chile’s northernmost principal region, Elqui has two key cooling factors. What are they?

A

1) Chile’s highest vineyards - 2,200m
2) No coastal range to prevent cool air along River Elqui bringing fog

28
Q

What’s Limari’s most planted variety?

A

Chardonnay then Syrah

29
Q

Name three sub-regions of Aconcagua

A

1) Aconcagua Valley
2) San Antonio Valley
3) Casablanca Valley

30
Q

What are the main varieties of Aconcagua, where and why? (3)

A

Andes - ripe reds due to altitude; sunny but cool mountain air at night

Costa - Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah; morning fog and ocean influence as unimpeded by hills

Entre Cordilleras - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere; warm and dry as limited coastal/mountain influence

31
Q

Why is Casablanca Valley one of Chile’s coolest regions?

A

It has little protection from the ocean and mountain ranges in the east prevent cool, humid air from escpaping

32
Q

Why can spring frost be severe in Casablanca Valley?

A

It’s not near enough to the Pacific to moderate night time temperatures especially in lower altitude vineyards

33
Q

What’s the key zone of San Antonio Valley?

A

Leyda Valley

34
Q

What are the primary varieties of Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys? (4)

A

1) Sauvignon Blanc
2) Chardonnay
3) Pinot Noir
4) Syrah

35
Q

What’s San Antonio’s flagship variety?

A

Sauvignon Blanc

36
Q

Describe San Antonio Valley

A

South of Casablanca Valley influenced by Pacific with hills offering varied protection/aspect

37
Q

What is the location and benefit thereof of Leyda Valley?

A

Close to the coast; foggy mornings, cool breezes and bright afternoon sunshine give long periods for ripening

38
Q

Why are the Central Valley vineyards popular for inexpensive export production?

A

Warm, fertile, irrigated plains largely sheltered from the coastal influences

39
Q

What are four Casablanca Valley sub-regions?

A

1) Maipo Valley
2) Rapel Valley
3) Curico Valley
4) Maule Valley

40
Q

What are the two zones of Rapel Valley?

A

1) Colchagua Valley
2) Cachapoal Valley

41
Q

What are Maipo’s three flagship varieties?

A

1) Cabernet Sauvignon
2) Carmenere
3) Syrah

42
Q

What is the Alto Maipo?

A

The eastern end of the valley up to 1,000m

Sub-regions - Puento Alto and Pirque

43
Q

Describe Cachapoal Valley’s location (2)

A

1) More northerly
2) Warmer as cut-off from maritime influence

44
Q

What area in Cachapoal Valley is best known, for what variety, and why?

A

1) Peumo
2) Carmenere - full, concentrated
3) Sheltered from the Andes, but the growing season is lengthened by cool winds funnelled from the coast

45
Q

Describe Colchagua Valley (3)

A

1) Larger than Cachapoal
2) Extends from the Andes to the Pacific
3) Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir in the west & Syrah, Carmenere in the east

46
Q

What is the area of Colchagua Valley known for premium wine?

A

Apalta - centre of Colchagua

47
Q

Why is Apalta in the Colchagua Valley known for premium wine? (2 topographical/geological reasons)

A

1) South-facing amphitheatre that captures breeze from the west
2) Poor soils benefitting Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Syrah

48
Q

What is Curico known for and why?

A

1) Inexpensive, high volume - all varieties
2) Sheltered, central, fertile soils with many rivers for irrigation

49
Q

What zone has more vineyard area than any other?

A

Maule Valley

50
Q

Good expressions of which variety are being produced from old bush vines in Maule?

A

Pais (& Muscat of Alexandria)

51
Q

Maule Valley has more of what variety than anywhere else in Chile and where?

A

1) Carignan
2) Cauquenes

52
Q

Why might carbonic maceration be used for Pais?

A

To soften/not overly extract the variety’s often rough tannins

53
Q

What are three sub-regions of the Southern region?

A

1) Itata Valley
2) Bio Bio Valley
3) Malleco Valley

54
Q

The Southern region’s climate varies drastically from the rest of Chile. How?

A

It’s cooler and wetter due to the latitude and less coastal protection

55
Q

Itata is known for what varieties? (4)

A

1) Pais
2) Muscat of Alexandria
3) Cinsault
4) International varieties - Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot

56
Q

What is a key feature of Malleco’s wines and why?

A

1) High acid
2) Most southerly established wine region

57
Q

Where is most Chilean wine sold?

A

Export (70%)

58
Q

Explain why most of Chile’s wine is inexpensive and exported (2)

A

1) Low domestic consumption
2) Strong economy with free trade deals with China and South Korea allowing tariff-free trade

59
Q

What company type dominates Chilean production?

A

Four large companies account for 80% of production from owned vineyards and purchased fruit

WSET Diploma D3 - Wines of the World (40 decks)

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