Chile Flashcards
What four geographical features help define Chile’s wine regions?
Pacific Ocean
Coastal Ranges
Andes
Central Valley
In general, what is the climate of Chile’s wine regions?
Warm Mediterranean
What does Chile’s warm dry Mediterranean climate mean for ripeness, disease pressure and irrigation?
Grapes are fully ripe.
Little fungal disease pressure.
Irrigation is required.
How do El Niño & La Niña affect the weather in Chile’s wine regions?
Rainfall can vary dramatically from having much more rain than normal to drought.
What is the name of the cool ocean current that runs up the coastline of Chile?
Humboldt current
How does the Humboldt current influence Chile’s wine producing regions?
Cool breezes blow up river valleys in the coastal ranges, cooling some vineyards.
Vineyards near the coast experience cooling fog.
In Chile, how do the Andes influence vineyards in the foothills?
At night, cool air sinks, cooling the vineyards and giving big diurnal temperature differences. Cool nights mean the grapes can maintain their fresh acidity.
Chile’s GI system uses which initials?
DO Denominaciones de Origen
Describe these three labelling terms for Chile:
Costa
Entre Cordilleras
Andes
Costa: Coastal
Entre Cordilleras: Between the mountain ranges
Andes: Mountain areas
What are Chile’s five key black grapes and two key white grapes?
Black:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Carmenère
Syrah
Pinot Noir
White:
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
What is Chile’s most planted grape variety?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with other grape varieties. What are the main three?
Merlot
Carmenère
Syrah
Which two of Chile’s black grapes are often full bodied & have herbaceous aromas?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Carmenère
Full bodied Carmenère from Chile often has high tannins and herbaceous characters. How can the herbaceous character be managed to not overwhelm the wine?
Carmenère is a late ripening variety and needs to be planted in the warmest, sunniest sites to fully ripen.
How does Syrah in Chile vary between cooler coastal areas versus warmer inland areas?
Cooler coastal areas
Peppery notes
Lighter in body
Hotter climates Inland
Black fruit
Fuller body
Which two cooler sub-regions from Chile’s Aconcagua show promise for Pinot Noir?
San Antonio Valley
Casablanca Valley
Which of Chile’s two white grapes prefers cooler Casablanca Valley and San Antonio Valley, producing wines that are ripe with apple, citrus and tropical fruit, sometimes with herbaceous notes? Some have oak and lees contact.
Sauvignon Blanc
From North to South what are the four main wine regions of Chile?
Coquimbo
Aconcagua
Central Valley
Southern
CACS is an abbreviation to help you remember the order.
Which two sub-regions in Coquimbo?
Elqui
Limarí
Coquimbo’s Elqui & Limarí both benefit from what two climate features?
Sunshine
Cooling, either from
Sea breezes
Mountain air
What is the main climatic challenge for Coquimbo’s Elqui & Limarí and how is this managed?
A lack of water is managed with expensive irrigation.
Match each of these three grapes to Elqui or Limarí?
Sauvignon Blanc
Syrah
Chardonnay
Elqui:
Sauvignon Blanc
Syrah
Limarí:
Chardonnay
What are the four sub-regions of Aconcagua?
Aconcagua Valley
Casablanca Valley
San Antonio Valley
Leyda Valley
Which of Aconcagua’s sub-regions matches the following description?
A narrow valley cooled by ocean sea breezes and cooling Andes air. The fertile valley floor is the warmest in Chile, producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah & Carmenère. For lower alcohol and more freshness, producers are planting closer to the Andes and coast.
Choose from:
Aconcagua Valley
Casablanca Valley
San Antonio Valley
Leyda Valley
Aconcagua Valley
