Chile

Question 1

What are the major white grapes of Chile?

Answer 1

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewurz, Muscat of Alexandria

Question 2

What are the major red grapes of Chile?

Answer 2

Cab, Carmenère, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot, Pais

Question 3

Where is Chile located?

Answer 3

The south-weastern strip of South America, Bordering Peru, Bolivia, & ArgentinaWh

Question 4

What geographical features influence Chile’s wine regions?

Answer 4

The Andes & coastal mountains.
Rivers Elqui, Limari, Choapa in Coquimbo
Rio Acancagua in Aconcagua
Rio Maipo
Rio Cachapoal
Rio Maule in Central Valley Regions
Rio Biobio in Southern Regions

Question 5

How wide is Chile? What unique wine label terms help define Chilean terroir in regard to this?

Answer 5

110mi wide at most.
Costa, Entre Cordilleras, and Andes can appear on labels to let you know if it’s from an eastern coastal, western foothill, or central valley region.

Question 6

What is the climate like in Chile?

Answer 6

It’s a cool, dry desert in the North
Becoming mediterranean with mountain influence centrally
And Maritime as you move south

Question 7

What does all of Chile have in common?

Answer 7

Long, sunny days even if temperature & climate vary by region

Question 8

What are the soils of Chile?

Answer 8

Clay, Silt, & Chalk in Atacama & Coquimbo
Sand & Loam in Aconcagua, preventing phyloxerra
Fertile clay with patches of high salinity in Valle Central
Sand, gravel, & alluvial soils in Sur

Question 9

Briefly describe Chile’s wine growing history

Answer 9

16thC: Conquistadors bring Pais vines to Chile in
1641: Protectionist Spanish law forces Chile to buy bulk wine from spain, and won’t let it sell its wine to Spain, so viticulture become focused on Pisco production
19thC: French varieties arrive in Chile
1870: Don Maximiano Errázuriz founds Viña Errázuriz winery, with a focus on Bordeaux varieties
1909: Transandean railway reaches Chile & expands trade
1990s: foreign investment modernizes industry but production centers around 8 major players
1995: Chile delimits official wine regions as DOs
1997: Casa Lapostolle releases Clos Alpalta, bringing international recognition to Chilean wines

Question 10

How do Cab & Bordeaux Blends tend to express themselves in Chile?

Answer 10

Soft tannins & more pronounced pyrazines, often with hints of mint, olive, & smoke

Question 11

How does Carménère tend to express itself in Chile?

Answer 11

Deep purple, round tannins, pronounced pyrazines, hints of blueberries, green bell pepper, cedar, & smoke

Question 12

What is Chile’s relationship with oak in red wine?

Answer 12

They love & prefer to use French oak with their cabs & bordeaux blends when they can afford it.

Question 13

How do Chile’s white wines express themselves? What about its Sauvignon blanc?

Answer 13

Generally clean & fruit-forward.
Sauvignon blanc is largely sauvignon vert here, with pronounced thiols and hints of ammonia, lemongrass, lime, & green pepper.

Question 14

What are Chile’s 4 Label Designations and their requirements?

Answer 14

Reserva: minimum 12% abv
Reserva Especial: min 12% abv & oak aging
Reserva Privada: min 12.5% abv
Gran Reserva: min 12.5% abv & oak aging

Question 15

What % of grapes have to be from a given vintage/vineyard/variety to appear as such on a Chilean wine label?

Answer 15

75% for Chile
(85% for imports to the EU)

Question 16

What famous Chilean wine is from Casa Lapostole?

Answer 16

Clos Alpalta, a blend of Cab & Carmenère

Question 17

What famous Chilean wine is from Concha y Toro & Baron Philipe de Rothschild?

Answer 17

Almaviva, a blend of Cab & Carmenère

Question 18

What famous Chilean wine is from Concha y Toro?

Answer 18

Don Melcor, a Cab-based blend

Question 19

What famous Chilean wines does Errazuriz produce?

Answer 19

Kai, a Carmenère based blend
& Seña, a Cab-based blend in partnership with Robert Mondavi, now owned by the Chadwick family.

Question 20

What are Chile’s 6 regional DOs?

Answer 20

From N to S: Atacama, Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Valle Central, Sur, & Austral

Question 21

What is the primary product of the Atacama DO?

Answer 21

Pisco!

Question 22

What are the 3 DOs within the Coquimbo DO?

Answer 22

From N to S: Elqui, Limari, & Choapa

Question 23

What varieties is the Elqui valley known for?

Answer 23

Syrah & Sauvignon Blanc

Question 24

What varieties is the Limari valley known for?

Answer 24

Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, & Cab

Question 25

What are the subregion DOs of Aconcagua?

Answer 25

From N to S:
Aconcagua
Casa Blanca
San Antonio

Question 26

What varieties is Aconcagua known for?

Answer 26

Cab, Syrah, Carmenère

Question 27

What varieties are Casablanca & San Antonio known for?

Answer 27

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, & Pinot Noir

Question 28

What are the 4 subregions of Valle Central?

Answer 28

From N to S:
Maipo DO
Rapel DO
Curicó DO
Maule DO

Question 29

What varieties is Chile’s Valle Central known for?

Answer 29

Cab, Merlot, Carmenère
Chardonnay, & Sauvignon Blanc

Question 30

What are the 2 important zones of Rapel Valley?

Answer 30

Cachapoal DO & Colchagua DO

Question 31

What is the important zone of San Antonio Valley?

Answer 31

Leyda Valley

Question 32

What are the 2 important zones of Curicó valley?

Answer 32

Teno DO & Lontué DO

Question 33

What are the 3 important zones of Maule?

Answer 33

Clara, Loncomilla, & Tutuvén

Question 34

What are the 3 DOs of the Sur region?

Answer 34

Itata, Biobio, & Malleco

Question 35

What grapes are grown in the Sur region?

Answer 35

PInot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pais, Cinsault, Muscat of Alexandria