Chilean wine
has a long history in the production of wine, with roots dating back to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors introduced Vitis vinifera vines to the region. In the mid-19th century, French wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère, and Cabernet Franc were introduced. During the early 1980s, the Chilean wine industry underwent a renaissance with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks and the use of oak barrels for aging. This led to a rapid growth in exports as quality wine production increased. The number of wineries in Chile rose from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005.
The late 20th century saw a large number of French immigrants settling in Chile, bringing with them extensive viticultural knowledge. Today, Chile stands as the fifth largest exporter of wine globally and the seventh largest producer. The climate in Chile has been described as a fusion of the climates in California and France. The most commonly grown grape variety in the country are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenère. Chile is also fortunate to remain free of the phylloxera louse, which means that its grapevines do not require grafting with phylloxera-resistant rootstocks.
History
The introduction of Vitis vinifera vines to Chile dates back to the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors and missionaries brought the European vines to the region in 1554. According to local legend, the first vines were planted by conquistador Francisco de Aguirre himself. The vines may have originated from established Spanish vineyards in Peru and likely included the "common black grape", which Hernán Cortés brought to Mexico in 1520. This grape variety became the ancestor of the widely planted Pais grape, which was the most widely planted Chilean grape until the 21st century. Jesuit priests were responsible for cultivating these early vineyards and used the wine produced for the celebration of the Eucharist. By the late 16th century, Chilean historian Alonso de Ovalle noted widespread plantings of "the common black grape", as well as Muscatel, Torontel, Albilho, and Mollar.During the Spanish rule, the production of vineyards was limited, with the requirement that Chileans purchase the majority of their wines directly from Spain. However, in 1641, the importation of wine from Chile and the Viceroyalty of Peru into Spain was banned, which greatly impacted the wine industry in the colony. The ban led to a surplus of grapes that were instead made into pisco and aguardiente, causing wine production in Peru to nearly disappear.
Despite these restrictions, Chileans preferred their domestic production over the oxidized and vinegary wines imported from Spain, which did not fare well during the long voyage. They even went as far as to export some of their wines to neighboring Peru, with one such shipment being seized by the English privateer Francis Drake at sea. Instead of being angry at Drake, Spain sent an indictment to Chile ordering to majority of their vineyards to be destroyed, but this order was largely ignored.
In the 18th century, Chile was recognized for its sweet wines made from the Pais and Muscatel grapes. To increase their sweetness, the wines were often boiled, which concentrated the grape juice. After his shipwreck off the coast at Cape Horn, Admiral John Byron, grandfather of the famous poet Lord Byron, traveled across Chile and brought back to England a positive review of Chilean Muscatel, comparing it favorably to Madeira. However, wine writer André Jullien in the 19th century was less impressed and compared Chilean wines to a "potion of rhubarb and senna."
Despite its political ties to Spain, Chile's wine history was heavily influenced by French, specifically Bordeaux, winemaking. Before the phylloxera epidemic, wealthy Chilean landowners were inspired by their visits to France and started importing French vines. Don Silvestre Errázuriz was the first to do so, bringing in varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet franc, Malbec, Sauvignon blanc, and Sémillon, and hired a French oenologist to manage his vineyard and produce Bordeaux-style wines. He saw the potential in Chile and even tried growing the German wine grape Riesling. Similar to the Rioja wine region, the arrival of phylloxera in France became a positive opportunity for the Chilean wine industry. With vineyards in ruins, many French winemakers traveled to South America, bringing their experience and techniques with them. As a result, Don Silvestre Ochagavía Echazarreta founded Ochagavia Wines in 1851 and Don Maximiano Errázuriz established Viña Errázuriz in 1870, both using grapes imported from France.
20th century
Chile's export of wines to Argentina was hindered by the lack of efficient land transportation and several fears of war. The situation improved after the signing of the Pactos de Mayo in 1902 and the opening of the Transandine Railway in 1909, which made war unlikely and facilitated trade across the Andes. The two governments agreed to establish a free trade agreement. However, the Argentine winegrowers' association, Centro Vitivinícola Nacional, which was dominated by European immigrants, vehemently protested against the free trade agreement as they perceived Chilean wines as a threat to the local industry. This, combined with the objections of the cattle farmers in Chile, ultimately led to the scrapping of the free trade agreement plans.In the 20th century, political instability, coupled with restrictive regulations and high taxes, hindered the growth of Chile's wine industry. Until the 1980s, the majority of Chilean wine was considered low quality and mostly consumed domestically. As recognition of Chile's favorable wine growing conditions increased, so did foreign investment in Chilean wineries. This period saw significant technological advancements in winemaking, and Chile established a reputation for producing high-quality wines at reasonable prices. Chile's export increased, becoming the third largest exporter, after France and Italy, to the United States by the turn of the 21st century. However, it has since dropped to fourth in the US, being overtaken by Australia. The focus has now switched to developing exports in other major wine markets such as the United Kingdom and Japan.
Climate and geography
Chile is a long, narrow country that is geographically and climatically dominated by the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Chile's vineyards are found along an 800-mile stretch of land from Atacama Region to the Bio-Bio Region in the south. The climate is varied with the northern regions being very hot and dry compared to the cooler, wetter regions in the south. In the Valle Central around Santiago, the climate is dry with an average of 15 inches of rain and little risk of springtime frost. The proximity to the Dry Andes help create a wide diurnal temperature variation between day and nighttime temperatures. This cool drop in temperature is vital in maintaining the grapes' acidity levels.Most of Chile's premium wine regions are dependent on irrigation to sustain vineyards, getting the necessary water from melting snow caps in the Andes. In the developing wine regions along the Coastal Ranges and in the far south, there is not a lack in needed rainfall but vineyard owners have to deal with other factors such as the Humboldt Current from the Pacific which can bathe a vineyard with a blanket of cool air. For the rest of Chile's wine regions, the Coastal Ranges serve a buffer from the current and also acts as a rain shadow. The vineyards in these regions are planted on the valley plains of the Andes foothills along a major river such as the Maipo, Rapel and Maule Rivers.
The vineyards of Chile fall between the latitudes of 32 and 38° s which, in the Northern Hemisphere would be the equivalent of southern Spain and North Africa. However the climate in Chile's wine regions is much more temperate than those regions, comparing more closely to California and Bordeaux. Overall, it is classified as a Mediterranean climate with average summer temperatures of and potential highs of.
Wine regions
Since December 1994, the Chilean wine-producing regions have been officially defined as follows, to help identify the different features of wines produced in different parts of Chile's variable geography. The Chilean ministry of agriculture redefined in a decree of May 2018 the zonal winegrowing structure:Atacama Region
Named after the Atacama Region administrative territory, this region is divided into two valleys, Copiapó and Huasco, both of which are coterminous with the provinces of the same names. The region is known primarily for its Pisco and table grapes, but in the 1950s wine began to be produced on a small scale around Copiapó. Examples of wine from these valleys include "Vino Copiapino" by Viña Fajardo and Pajarete wine, a varietal from Spain that is now produced successfully in the Huasco Valley.Coquimbo Region
The Coquimbo Region contains three wine-producing sub regions: Elqui, Limarí and Choapa, all are coterminous with the provinces of the same name.- The Elqui Valley is located north of Santiago, at the southern end of the Atacama Desert in the Coquimbo Region. It is known for producing table grapes and other fruits, as well as Pisco, Chile's most popular liquor. But it is also notable for being the most commercially viable wine-producing region of northern Chile.
The region is characterized by a sunny, desert-like climate, less than of annual rainfall, dry rocky terrain, steep valleys and temperate hills cooled by strong winds from the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, producing excellent results for varietals like Syrah.
- The Limarí Valley is located roughly north of Santiago, in the Coquimbo region.
The Pacific Ocean has a strong influence on the coast of the region with the cooling Camanchaca, a fog that enters the valley from the west each morning and retreats as the sun rises over the Andes from the east. With less than 4 inches of rainfall per year, drip irrigation is used to water the vines that grow in the mineral-rich soil. The combination creates fresh wines with a distinct mineral edge.
- The Choapa Valley lies around north of Santiago, in the southern part of the Coquimbo Region. Like the Atacama, this region is primarily known for Pisco and table grapes.