Guides to Chile’s Wine Regions

Geography and terroir

There is a great air of confidence in the vineyards of Chile today – a nation of limitless potential and astounding topography. Chile extends for roughly 4,300 kilometers along South America’s Pacific coast, while rarely exceeding 350 kilometers in width. This unusual geography creates dramatic differences in latitude, altitude, rainfall, and maritime influence.

Chilean labels may also use the regulated geographical terms “Costa,” “Entre Cordilleras,” and “Andes.” These indicate whether the grapes principally originate near the Pacific, in the central depression between the mountain ranges, or closer to the Andes.

Viticultural Expansion and Irrigation Challenges

Today, approximately 126,000 hectares of vines are planted in Chile, with the acreage declining slightly due to increasing urbanization and economic pressures on growers. Nevertheless, viticultural limits are being tested in all directions as growers seek new frontiers and cool-climate terroirs. Indeed, there is a significant downside to growing grapes in South America: the lack of water.

In many Chilean regions, summers are extremely dry and warm, necessitating artificial irrigation. In the pre-Colombian era, Incan engineers created a sophisticated (by local standards) network of flood channels to ferry meltwater from the Andes to the valley floors below.

Although fiercely defended by Chile’s more traditional growers, drip irrigation in many commercial vineyards has replaced this agricultural management method. This offers the dual advantages of precision and timing, which are essential in producing fine wine.

Historical Focus on High-Yield Wines

There is no doubt, however, that Chile is ideally suited to wine growing. This is both a major strength and weakness: the country made its reputation as a purveyor of supermarket wine – ripe, anonymous, and very easy to drink. Harnessing all the advantages of a benign Mediterranean climate and an abundance of fertile soils, many growers succumbed to the temptation of generous yields and a fast buck; ripening grapes can be absurdly easy in certain parts of the Central Valley.

Fortunately, quality-conscious producers have rejected this paradigm in the 21st century, motivated by their determination to position Chile as a leading source of fine wine. This has engendered an ongoing search for poor soils and cooler sites, particularly in the fashionable coastal strip. Cooled by maritime breezes, vineyard sites planted on the east-facing slopes of the Coastal Range are now in high demand.

Chile’s other claim to fame is its lack of vineyard diseases such as rot and mildew. This includes the deadly louse phylloxera, which devastated France’s wine industry in the late 1800s. Yet, due to the country’s geographical isolation, phylloxera never gained a foothold in Chilean soils. As a result, the critical mass of vines does not have to be grafted onto protective rootstocks, although some growers do graft for various reasons.

Bordeaux Varietal Success

Chile also retains an important heritage of ungrafted Bordeaux varieties introduced before phylloxera transformed European vineyards, which may explain why Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot perform so brilliantly in the deep clay and loam of the Central Valley.

Meanwhile, ancient granite, schist, and slate soils can be found in the coastal areas to the west: Rhône varieties yield exceptional fruit in these metamorphic terroirs. However, producers must control plant vigor on fertile terrain to guard against overcropped, lackluster wine.

Historically, Chile’s bulk wine industry heavily relied on the País grape, known as Criolla Chica in Argentina. It is still grown in pretty generous quantities, albeit pioneers like Miguel Torres have proven that old bush vine País, hitherto derided, can make interesting wine if the yield is controlled.

Nevertheless, premium versions of this esoteric grape remain in fairly short supply. Chile’s international prestige has been built on award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and delectable Syrah, increasingly sold at ambitious prices worldwide.

Winemaking and regional classifications

Chile’s official viticultural zoning recognizes six principal regions:

• Atacama
• Coquimbo
• Aconcagua
• Central Valley
• Southern Region
• Austral Region

These regions contain several subregions, which may be further divided into zones and individual areas. Each has its own combination of climate, elevation, soils, and maritime or Andean influence, although grape varieties commonly overlap between neighboring areas.

Key regions

Atacama

This rapidly evolving northern wine region is being developed by a small group of quality-focused producers and long-established table-grape farmers. Pisco has also been produced here since the arrival of Spanish settlers in the 16th century, using robust, high-yielding grape varieties suited to the region’s arid conditions.

Such conditions make viticulture challenging, and irrigation is essential. Nevertheless, small-scale premium wine production has emerged in the Huasco and Copiapó valleys. In coastal Huasco, the influence of the Pacific, mineral-rich soils, and pronounced daytime-nighttime temperature differences can produce fresh, saline wines. Ventisquero’s Tara project is one of the region’s best-known examples.

Coquimbo

Some of Chile’s newer viticultural areas include the important Elqui, Limarí, and Choapa subzones. Elqui, like its neighbor, the Atacama region, has long been associated with table grape production.

Still, in recent years, high-altitude sites (up to 2000 meters) spanning the coast to the Andes have been better exploited, with impressive results. Syrah, in particular, is flourishing in the region, benefiting from the dry, sunny climate and cooler nighttime temperatures offered by higher-altitude sites. Many good, full-bodied reds are now also being produced from Bordeaux varieties, with balanced alcohol and a tannic structure that evokes the Médoc.

Limarí has become particularly respected for Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir, often combining ripe fruit with freshness, salinity, and pronounced mineral character. An erstwhile reputation for poor wine – some of the vines cultivated there descend from varieties introduced during Chile’s early colonial period – is slowly being forgotten as producers refine their methods and conquer new grape varieties.

Cooled by marine winds straight off the Pacific, Limarí Pinot Noir has already won the hearts and minds of sommeliers in the US. Another promising subregion is Choapa – one of Chile’s newer viticultural experiments. Although the region has little cachet abroad, growing quantities of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon have been planted, yielding promising results. Rocky, colluvial soils and high elevation – rising to 800 meters above sea level – continue to tempt investors from further afield.

Aconcagua

The Aconcagua region is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in Chile. Its name comes from Mt. Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America, towering above the valley floor, its snow-capped peaks glistening in the sun.

Natural beauty aside, Aconcagua includes the important Casablanca subregion, which contains some of Chile’s premier cool-climate and coastal vineyards. Despite being a new face on the viticultural map (the first vineyards were planted in the mid-1980s), this has become a well-established source of superlative dry whites. Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc are all successful here. Sauvignon Blanc can be particularly successful, producing aromatic wines with bright acidity and strong coastal character.

The Valle de Aconcagua itself is warmer and grows hotter farther inland. Yet it is tempered by cool winds that encourage viticulture to flourish in the west-facing foothills of the Andes. Developed extensively by the Errázuriz family in the 19th century, this exceptional terroir now has over 1,000 hectares under vine, while experimentation with new varieties and sites continues apace.

In vineyards near the Pacific, Chilean winemakers produce refined coastal Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with bright acidity and a pronounced maritime character.

The San Antonio subregion is directly south. These relatively new vineyards are moving ever closer to the coast, often only six kilometers from the sea. A good mixture of crisp whites and full-bodied, intense reds is produced in the San Antonio Valley, which was first planted in the 1990s and is now home to leading producers like Casa Marin, Viña Leyda, Matetic, and Amayna.

Much like Casablanca, cool-climate varietals find a natural home in the clay and granite soils of San Antonio, cooled by maritime breezes in the summer months. There is also growing interest in Lo Abarca and the Leyda Valley. Leyda has been officially recognized in the San Antonio Valley since 2002, while Lo Abarca was subsequently recognized as a distinct coastal origin. The quality of Lo Abarca Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah can be outstanding.

Central Valley

This substantial region houses some of Chile’s oldest vineyards and includes the capital, Santiago, to the north. The suburbs of Santiago touch the vineyards of Maipo, the northernmost of the region’s subzones. The valley runs an impressive 400km from north to south, taking in the Rapel, Maule, and Curicó subregions. Chile’s wine giants, including Concha y Toro and Santa Rita, are based here. Today, they continue to make a broad range of red and white styles. However, the Central Valley’s reputation was built on vibrant and distinctly Chilean interpretations of the classic Bordeaux blend.

This is particularly true of Maipo, the heartland of exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon wine. The zone is split into three areas – Alto Maipo, Central Maipo, and Coastal Maipo – and is heavily influenced by its proximity to the Andes. Meltwater provides an important water source for irrigation, while the alluvial terroir of Central Maipo is highly conducive to growing red varieties in this warm, dry climate.

Nevertheless, coastal fogs, which drift far inland, help moderate the Maipo climate; the vineyards of Coastal Maipo are found in the vicinity of the Maipo River, again a region that produces mainly red wine. The wines are, on the whole, better than ever, showing ripe fruit and great aging potential. The best reds from Maipo have traditionally been Cabernet Sauvignon, but Rhône varieties are becoming more widespread.

The burgeoning Rapel region is another important part of Chile’s viticultural landscape. Chilly mornings and infertile soils yield some excellent Bordeaux-style wines, while Colchagua to the south is known for its rich, ripe reds, including Chile’s signature variety, Carménère.

In contrast, the Cachapoal Valley is particularly associated with Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and full-bodied red blends. Conditions vary between the warmer valley floor and elevated vineyards closer to the Andes, where cooler nighttime temperatures help preserve acidity and aromatic freshness.

Meanwhile, the temperate climate of Curicó (where dry farming is possible) allows growers to produce a wide range of fine red and white wines. Over 30 varieties of wine grapes are grown today, and many investors have followed Miguel Torres’ lead in establishing premises in the highly diverse terrain of Curicó. They continue to benefit from significant midseason temperature fluctuations, helping to retain good acidity in the berries.

The best examples are fruit-rich yet have excellent balance and freshness; some of Chile’s most delicate Cabernet and ethereal Pinot Noir are made in the vineyards of the southern Central Valley. Indeed, red wines are probably its strongest suit despite the moderate climate.

That is equally true of Maule, one of Chile’s oldest wine regions. There are admittedly some very ordinary País, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec produced in Maule.

Old-vine Carignan can excel in Maule’s volcanic and granitic soils, particularly in dry-farmed vineyards. Pinot Noir is also showing promise in the slate-rich vineyards of Empedrado, while País is increasingly used for fresh red and sparkling wines.

Southern region

South of the Central Valley, we find the Southern Region, which includes the subregions of Itata and, immediately to the south, Bío Bío and Malleco. It is a world apart from the dry conditions of Aconcagua; Malleco receives generous rainfall and is quite brisk by the standards of central Chile.

Inevitably, this has encouraged producers to focus on early-ripening styles like Riesling and Pinot Noir – older vineyards are often planted to País and Moscatel.

Bío Bío has become an important source of aromatic whites and fresh, cool-climate reds, while producers are also investing farther south in Malleco, Osorno, Chiloé, and other emerging sites.

Montes has already proven that Mechuque can deliver crisp Riesling and delicate Pinot Noir. Chile’s A-list, already responsible for transforming the country’s global standing, maintains an unquenchable thirst for discovery and renewal.

Chilean gastronomy

Chilean gastronomy is an enticing, complex, and highly diverse melting pot, drawing on European influences and the pre-Columbian traditions of the indigenous Mapuche.

Their most prized culinary contribution, the “Curanto,” involves a medley of seafood, meat, and vegetables – the ingredients are covered in Nalca leaves (Chilean rhubarb) and then placed in a deep pit covered with hot stones.

This tradition is still carried out in rural areas, while coastal cities such as Valparaiso offer sophisticated restaurants and a surfeit of Pacific seafood, often caught that same morning. Fresh ceviche, made from fish marinated in lime juice, coriander, and onions, is one of Chile’s most popular dishes. It deserves a chilled and beautifully aromatic glass of Casablanca Sauvignon Blanc.