Chilean Wine Regions

New World

Despite being labeled a ‘New World’ wine producing country, Chile’s viticultural history began in the mid-sixteenth century with the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores. Their missioners planted vines to provide wine for the Catholic mass rituals. The man credited with starting Chile’s foray into wine production was Francisco de Aguirre Copiapó, who planted vines in northern Chile. Over the next 100 years planting increased and moved south reaching beyond the Bío Bío River. Chile’s wine production grew as did international exports in the 18th century and by 1831 a total of 19 million vines were planted across the country.

We can trace the modern history of wine production in Chile back to one man, visiting Frenchman Claude Gay. He saw the potential for high-quality wine production and convinced the government to create a state body to manage, regulate and promote the emerging Chilean industry. Vineyard plantings multiplied and when Don Silvestre Echazarreta brought the great Bordeaux varieties back from France the country was well and truly placed on the wine map. Grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc flourishing in the benign climate and are noted for being the only surviving clones of grapes that were not affected by the Phylloxera louse that plagues vineyards worldwide. By the late 19th century, Chilean wines were making a name for themselves in European markets, winning awards and competitions, culminating in 1889 when a Chilean wine won the ‘Grand Prix’ in Paris.

In the 20th century, the country’s flagship wine industry suffered and entered into a period of decline. The Second World War saw demand for Chilean wine fall, a recession that did not start to abate until the late 1980s. The government levied high taxes on the wine industry and government policy designed to combat alcohol abuse really hurt the nation’s winemakers. The late 1970s saw domestic demand drop considerably for Chilean wine and over half the total number of vineyards were uprooted. Salvation came with the return to democracy in 1990 after the nation’s dictator, Augusto Pinochet was overthrown. A new, stable democracy embraced the country’s wine industry and between 1990 and 1993 an additional 10,000 hectares of vines were planted in conjunction with the largest investment programme the Chilean wine industry had ever experienced.

Today, wine producers worldwide cast an envious eye over Chile’s wonderful grape growing climate; its valleys receive a magical combination of soil, sunlight and cool moderating coastal breezes, which lead to world-class grapes and wine. The dry, warm growing season acts as a natural barrier to vineyards diseases and pests, a most desirable place to grow vines. Outside investors, sensing the potential of Chile’s terroirs have shown great interest in the country, including such famous names as Miguel Torres, Lafite Rothschild, and Pernod Ricard. Every year new wines and producers emerge, suggesting that this stunningly beautiful and dramatic corner of the wine map is most definitely on the up!

The modern viticultural map of Chile is today split into five zones. Running from north to south, they are Atacama, Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Valle Central, and the Region del Sur. These zones contain a number of sub-regions and these may also be further subdivided. Each region offers a distinct terroir and invariably certain varieties are more suited to a particular sub-zone, although there is some overlap in grape variety plantings.

It is important not to underestimate the effect of local microclimates or the proximity to the coast or mountains when asking for an overview of Chile’s viticultural climate. Broadly speaking, the country enjoys a benign, warm Mediterranean climate that has facilitated organic grape growing with relative ease; diseases are not generally prevalent in Chile’s vineyards. The growing season, while naturally varying from region to region often shows large variation between day time and night time temperatures, the conditions that both red and white varieties thrive on. Elements such as coastal fogs, vineyard altitude and proximity to the Andes all conspire to offer the wine grower an extremely varied mosaic of terroirs and growing conditions. Indeed, the landscape and soil variation in Chile is staggering, alluvial clay, sand and loam soils all present. Snow-capped Mountains, desserts, wide valleys, and dramatic coastal scenery – check. This truly is the land of diversity as the following regional overviews demonstrate.