28. Chile Flashcards
Why does Chile have a successful export market? (4)
1) It’s dominated by four large businesses
2) It focusses on international varieties
3) It can grow both warm and cool climate varieties
4) It is capable of high volume, inexpensive wine as well as high quality
What’s Chile’s general climate?
Mostly Mediterranean - warm and sunny - but progressively wetter and cooler further south
What does Chile’s low latitude mean
Intense/longer periods of sunlight
What four topographical features border Chile
North - Atacama Desert
East - Andes
South - Patagonia
West - Pacific
Most of Chile’s vineyards are planted in valleys oriented in which direction?
East to west
How is the orientation of the valleys in which Chile’s vineyards are planted beneficial to the growing environment?
The Pacific (east) and Andes (west) are at either side and provide cooling effects and shelter respectively to lengthen the growing season
What is the Humboldt Current and what impact does it have on Chile’s wine growing regions?
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 morning fog
Vineyards planted in the Andes’s foothills benefit from what influence?
Cool mountain air descending from the Andes overnight leading to high diurnal ranges
What soil type common in many global wine regions is located in Chile and where is most located?
1) Limestone
2) Limari Valley
What three soils are commonly found in and around the valley floor?
Fertile alluvial clay, sand, gravel
What soils are commonly found in the Andes?
Volcanic granite
What soils are commonly found in the Coastal ranges?
Gravel with sand and silt
How is it that sustainable viticulture is so widespread in Chile?
Intense sunshine and relatively dry conditions
Much of Chile is irrigated except for which three regions?
1) Itata
To a lesser extent:
2) Bio Bio
3) Maule
What are two hazards found in Chile?
1) Earthquakes
2) Forest fires
Chile is largely phylloxera free, but new vineyards are commonly grafts to protect against what hazard?
Nematodes
What are Chile’s five leading black plantings?
1) Cabernet Sauvignon
2) Merlot
3) Carmenere
4) Syrah
5) Pinot Noir
What variety is undergoing a renaissance and where?
1) Pais (old vine)
2) Maule, Itata, Bio Bio
What are two key white plantings?
1) Sauvignon Blanc
2) Chardonnay
Why is site selection important for Carmenere? (3)
1) Ripens 2-3 weeks after Merlot
2) Warm sites avoid harsh tannins and herbaceousness
3) Too warm can get overly alcoholic
What are four (of six) main regional DOs from north to south?
1) Coquimbo
2) Aconcagua
3) Central Valley
4) Southern
How is the DO system structured? (4)
1) Region i.e. Central Valley
2) Sub-region i.e. Rapel Valley
3) Zone i.e. Colchagua
4) Area i.e. Apalta
What three new regional denominations were introduced
in 2011?
1) Costa - with coastal influence
2) Andes - mountain influence
3) Entre Cordilleras - in between
What are two DO status requirements?
1) 75% variety/region (85% if exported to the EU)
2) 11.5% minimum ABV
What are three DOs of Coquimbo?
1) Elqui
2) Limari
3) Choapa
What contributes to Coquimbo’s scarcity/price? (3)
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
Coquimbo’s northerly latitude means what for the growing environment? (3)
1) Intense sunlight
2) High summer temperatures
3) Very low rainfall
What’s Chile’s northernmost principal region?
Elqui
Despite being Chile’s northernmost principal region, Elqui has two key cooling factors. What are they?
1) Chile’s highest vineyards - 2,200m
2) No coastal range to prevent cool air along River Elqui bringing fog
What growing conditions contribute to deep-coloured and intense Syrah in Elqui? (2)
1) Diurnal range
2) Intense sunlight
Describe Limari’s growing environment (2)
1) Cooled in the west by morning fog and breezes from the bay via the River Limari
2) Altitude in the east
What’s Limari’s most planted variety?
Chardonnay then Syrah
Name three sub-regions of Aconcagua
1) Aconcagua Valley
2) San Antonio Valley
3) Casablanca Valley
Where is the 2011 designation most adopted?
Aconcagua Valley as the sub-divisions are clearer here than elsewhere spreading as it does widely from east to west (Pacific to Andes)
According to the 2011 designation, how can Aconcagua Valley be split and what wine styles are created? (3)
1) Costa (no coastal range) - fresh whites, Pinot & Syrah
2) Andes (altitude & diurnal range) - reds with ripe fruit and balanced acid
3) Entre Cordilleras (warm and dry) - ripe, high alcohol Cab & Merlot
Why is Casablanca Valley one of Chile’s coolest regions? (2)
1) There is little protection from the ocean
2) The mountain ranges in the east prevents cool, humid air from escaping
Why can spring frost be severe in Casablanca Valley?
It’s not near enough to the Pacific to moderate night time temperatures especially in lower altitude vineyards
What’s the key zone of San Antonio Valley?
Leyda Valley
What are the primary varieties of Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys? (4)
1) Sauvignon Blanc
2) Chardonnay
3) Pinot Noir
4) Syrah
What’s San Antonio’s flagship variety?
Sauvignon Blanc
Describe San Antonio Valley
South of Casablanca Valley influenced by Pacific with hills offering varied protection/aspect
What is the location and benefit thereof of Leyda Valley? (3)
1) Within San Antonio Valley
2) Close to the coast
3) Foggy mornings, cool breezes and bright afternoon sunshine give long periods for ripening
Why are the Central Valley vineyards popular for inexpensive export production?
Warm, fertile, irrigated plains largely sheltered from the coastal influences
What are four Central Valley sub-regions?
1) Maipo Valley
2) Rapel Valley
3) Curico Valley
4) Maule Valley
What are the two zones of Rapel Valley?
1) Colchagua Valley
2) Cachapoal Valley
What are Maipo’s three flagship varieties?
1) Cabernet Sauvignon
2) Carmenere
3) Syrah
What is the Alto Maipo?
The eastern end of the Maipo valley up to 1,000m
Describe Cachapoal Valley’s location and climate (2)
1) More northerly and closer to the Andes with no vineyard area on the ocean side of the coastal ranges
2) Warmer as cut-off from maritime influence
What area in Cachapoal Valley is best known for premium red wine?
Peumo
What variety is Peumo most regarded for?
Carmenere
Why is Puemo highly regarded?
It is sheltered from the Andes, but the growing season is lengthened by cool winds funnelled from the coast
Describe Colchagua Valley (2)
1) Larger than Cachapoal
2) Extends from the Andes to the Pacific
What three varieties grow well in the west of Colchagua Valley near the ocean?
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
What three varieties grow well in the east of Colchagua Valley?
Syrah, Carmenere, Cabernet
What is the area of Colchagua Valley known for premium wine?
Apalta - centre of Colchagua
Describe Apalta in the Colchagua Valley (2)
1) It’s a south-facing amphitheatre that captures breeze from the west
2) Poor soils
Premium expressions of which three varieties are found in Apalta?
1) Cabernet Sauvignon
2) Carmenere
3) Syrah
What is Curico known for and why? (2)
1) Inexpensive, high volume - all varieties
2) Sheltered, central, fertile soils with many rivers for irrigation
What zone has more vineyard area than any other?
Maule Valley
Good expressions of which variety are being produced from old bush vines in Maule?
Pais (& Muscat of Alexandria)
Maule Valley has more of what variety than anywhere else in Chile and where?
1) Carignan
2) Cauquenes in the region’s south
Why might carbonic maceration be used for Pais?
To soften/not overly extract the variety’s often rough tannins
What are three sub-regions of the Southern region?
1) Itata Valley
2) Bio Bio Valley
3) Malleco Valley
The Southern region’s climate varies drastically from the rest of Chile. How?
It’s cooler and wetter due to the higher latitude and less coastal protection
Itata is known for what local variety?
Pais
How can grapes ripen in the Southern Valleys given the cool climate?
Higher latitude extends the days during the growing season
What is a key feature of Malleco’s wines and why?
1) High acid
2) Most southerly established wine region
Where is most Chilean wine sold?
Export (70%)
Explain why most of Chile’s wine is exported (2)
1) Low domestic consumption
2) Strong economy with free trade deals with China and South Korea allowing tariff-free trade
What company type dominates Chilean production?
Four large companies account for 80% of production from owned vineyards and purchased fruit
80% of Chilean wine is produced by four companies. Name two
1) Concha y Toro
2) Santa Rita
Where does Cabernet Sauvignon thrive? Give an example
1) Vineyards nearer the Andes where poor soils keep vigour in check, and cool nights slow ripening
2) Maipo
What are the two premium sub-regions of the Alto Maipo?
Puente Alto and Pirque
Though inexpensive wines can be made from vineyards in all Central Valley regions, which two sub-regions of the Central Valley traditionally associated with higher volume production?
1) Maule Valley
2) Curico Valley
What are the two other regions (north and south?)
1) Atacama
2) Austral
Maule’s location within the Central Valley means it produces wine that are of what style in comparison with those from the northern sub-region’s valley floors?
Light in body and higher in acidity
Why has Chile attracted foreign investment from the likes of Jackson Family Estate, Mouton Rothschild etc?
Due to relatively cheap land and running costs
What is the Movimiento de Vinateros Independientes (MOVI)?
A group of small producers making quality wine that promote themselves together in domestic and export markets
