Chile Flashcards
What is the top grape variety grown in Chile?
Cabernet Sauvignon due to French influence and focus on Bordeaux blends.
In 1990s it was discovered that the country’s Merlot was actually an almost extinct Carménère. Suddenly Chile has its own unique wine.
What are the top five grape varieties in Chile?
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Merlot
- Carménère
What is the biggest production region in Chile?
Central Valley region which includes Maipo Valley, Colchagua Valley and Rapel Valley
What are the 3 unique growing zones in each of Chile’s wine regions?
- The Costas (Cooler coastal regions)
- Entre Cordilleras (Warm inland valleys)
- Los Andes (exposed mountainous areas)
What grape was discovery happened in Chile in the 1990s?
That much of the country’s Merlot was in fact a nearly extinct variety called Carménère. Suddenly Chile has its own unique wine
What is are the two biggest white grapes in Chile?
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
What country has influenced Chile’s wine culture the most?
The French. The focus is on Bordeaux varieties
What does Chile focus on red or white wine?
Chile specialises in red wine, with a keen focus on Bordeaux varietals
Has Chile been affected by Phylloxera?
No today the vineyards in Chile have not been affected by Phylloxera
What kick started the foreign investment and modernisation in Chile?
The fall of General Pinochet in 1989 and the restoration of a free market economy
What has resulted in a clean, new world style in Chile?
Modern wineries with stainless steel equipment
Wines stating a Denomination of Origin in Chile must contain what % of grapes grown in that region?
75% (85% if imported into the EU)
What is the hierarchy of regions in Chile?
Regions
Subregions
Zones
Areas
A wine May state any of the four levels on its label
Appellation system set up in 1995
What is more important that latitude in Chile?
Influence of the Pacific breeze
Why is irrigation essential in Chile?
Due to low rainfall
What provides water for drip irrigation in Chile?
Snow melt from the Andes
What has led to an increased problem with nematodes in Chile?
Drip irrigation
Why are Chile’s new plantings often planted on grafted rootstock despite its Phylloxera free status?
Problems with nematodes means new plantings are often planted on grafted rootstock with nematode resistance
How much of its annual production does Chile export?
~70%
Who influences the price of grapes in Chile?
Concha y Toro, South America’s largest wine producer
What is MOVI?
Movement of Independent Vintners in Chile
Founded in 2009 as a reaction to commodity wines
It is bringing diversity and personality to the Chilean offering
What is VIGNO?
Vignadores de Carignan
It is rehabilitating Maule’s dry farmed old vine Carignan and has been hailed as the first European style Chilean appellation
Who introduced vines to Chile?
The Spanish in the 16th Century principally to provide for the Eucharist
Who ordered every landholder in New Spain to grow grapes?
Conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1524
New Spain including Mexico, Chile and much of South America
What grape dominated plantings in Chile for 400 years?
The mission grape known locally as País, brought over by Spanish missionaries and conquistadors
What has displaced País as the most planted variety in Chile in recent years?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Who immigrated to Chile in the wake of Phylloxera?
French winemakers
They found not only a land free of Phylloxera but a rich catalogue of European vine cuttings
What grape variety indigenous to Bordeaux was preserved in Chile when it was almost entirely killed off by Phylloxera?
Carménère
What caused the collapse of the Chilean wine industry in the 1970s?
The autocratic Pinochet regime which caused the collapse of domestic consumption
A vine pull scheme obliterated half of Chile’s vineyards
Who established a Chilean venture in 1979?
The Spaniard Miguel Torres
Introducing state of the art methods such as temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks.
Producers and investors followed his leads, shifting their focus to quality wines for the export market.
What did Miguel Torres introduce to Chile?
State of the art methods such as temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks in his Chilean venture from 1979
What is the Berlin tasting?
A historical blind tasting organised in 2004 by Eduardo Chadwick of Viña Errázuriz
16 top Chilean, Bordeaux and Super Tuscan wines from the 2000 and 2001 vintages.
Viñedo Chadwick 2000 and Seña 3001 placed first and second ahead of Château Lafite 2000