Chile: The Growing Environment

Question 1

Chile: Climate

Answer 1

-4,300km N to S and only 175km E to W
-Atacama Desert to the Nprth , Andes to the East and Pacific Ocean to the West , Patagonia glaciers to the South
-Warm, mediterranean climate
-long ,ddry sunny gorwing season in the north and wetter and cooler south
-Sunlight is intense
-Rainfall vaires : Elqui is 80mm
Bio Bio - 1200mm in the South

-affected by the E Nino= two to ten years and brings lots of rainfall
- El Nina brings drought

Question 2

Chile : Geography

Answer 2

Mostly planted in valleys that rum east to west bringing in the cooling Pacific Ocean , Andes also provude cooling
-long growing season , good acidity and aromas
-Coastal range of mountains are 300-800m and fully exposed to the Pacific
-** The Humboldt Current ** flows up from the Antaarctica with cool air - as warm air rises the cool air is sucked inland - also produces a morning fog, burnt off in the arvo

-Coastal ranges and the Andes merge in the N of Santiago , whereas in the south they part to create a large dry, warm valley good for inexpensive grapes , high volumes

• Gaps in the coastal ranges , fogs and cool breezes reach the valley and help to moderate

-Altitude in the valleys are used for higher quality grapes
eg. foothills of the Andes where cool air descendds at night
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Question 3

Chile : Soil

Answer 3

• river valleys are fertile and alluvial with areas of clay, sand and silt, and gravel
  -Coastal ranges are more gravel , sand and silt
• Andes is granite ( creates a more rounded acid )
• Very little limestone
  -greater interest lately in single vineyards and soils , terroir

Question 4

Chile: Vineyard Management

Answer 4

• 145, 000 ha of vineyards
  -1990’s - 6 mill hL , now in 2020 - 13 mill hL
  -Fluctuations in volume are based on the El Nino
  -Normally dry and sunny good for ripening grapes and create reliable tannins and anthocyanins
  -less need for srpaying
  -coastal areas are at risk due to higher humidity
  -Overall, sustainable practices are enthusiastically promoted
• irrigation is necessary in the 85% of the vineyards with the exception of the south eg. Bio Bio , Itata, Maule although old vines are deeply rooted and can survive drought years
  -access to water from melting snow and rivers from the Andes ( this is decrasing due to Climate Change )
  -Casablanca has no river and use aquifiers and wells
  -Other hazards : earthquakes and droughts , forest fires ( from pine and eucaltyptus commercial production) , smoke taint
• has remained phylloxera free with barriers and quarantine = old ungrafted bush vines of Pais, Muscat, Carignan, Cinsault in Itata and Maule
  -now most common in modern vineyards is VSP and mechanisation ( alothough manual labour is still inexpensive
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