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6 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Chile - Wine Laws |
- 4 principle regions: - Coquimbo - Aconcagua - Central Valley - Southern Regions - 13 sub-regions.
- DO system is in reference to geographical indication only. - 75% of grapes must come from DO that is on the label. |
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Chile - Climate and Geography |
- Generally has a warm Mediterranean climate. - Cooler and wetter further South. - El Nino years bring dramatic increase in rain. - Coastal regions and the valleys benefit from sea breezes and fog. - Regions close to the Andes are effected by cold air from the mountains that can cause a diurnal range up to 20C.
- Proposals to split DO's into 3 regions that demonstrate climatic and geographical differences from East to West are likely to be adopted soon.
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Chile - Black Grape Varieties |
- 6 main black grape varieties: - Pais - Cabernet Sauvignon - Syrah - Pinot Noir - Carmenere - Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvignon makes up 50% of black grape plantings. - Vary in style from simple and fruity to premium and full bodied. - Pais was the most common until recently. - Merlot provides inexpensive fruity wines. - Carmenere was discovered in 1994 in vineyards that were thought to be growing Merlot. - Late ripening variety that grows well in the sunniest sites. - Can be overly herbaceous if unripe. - Strong black fruit character with red pepper when properly ripened. - Syrah comes in a variety of styles. - Syrah from the Elqui valley is thought to be some of the best wines in Chile. |
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Chile - White Grape Varieties |
- Sauvignon Blanc - Chardonnay - Aromatic Varieties (Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Viognier) |
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Chile - Viticulture and Vinification |
- Dry sunny climate means grapes ripen fully and fungus is kept to minimum.
- Melt water from Andes provides vineyards with irrigation. - Traditionally flood irrigation but now more drip irrigation is used.
- Phylloxera free due to being isolated by Andes and Pacific Ocean. - Nematodes are more of an issue which is why grafted vines are increasingly used. |
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Chile - Regions and Wines |
Coquimbo Region - Sub regions include Elqui, Limari and Choapa. - 2% of Chile wine production but a lot of premium wine. - Very sunny and benefits from sea and mountain breezes. - Very little rain means irrigation is essential. - Irrigation here is expensive which is possibly why few wines are produced here.
- Limari - Chardonnay - Elqui - Syrah
Aconcagua Region - Split into 3 sub-regions:
- Aconcagua sub-region - Oldest producing region in Chile. - Steep valley sides that benefits from cooling influences from ocean and mountains. - Still one of the hottest wine regions in Chile. - Main grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carmenere. - Typically produce full bodied, high alcohol and high tannin wines. Now trying to reduce alcohol level and go for more freshness and complex fruit flavours. - As a result, plantings are now more focuses on sites that do not get full afternoon sun.
- Casablanca sub-region - Cooler than Aconcagua due to being nearer to the coast. - Main grape varieties are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. - Here and San Antonio are the only areas in Chile that offer more white grape varieties than black due to cooler climate. - Mixed soil types.
- San Antonio sub-region. - Neighbouring region to Casablanca so similar climate and varied soil types. - Also cooler than Aconcagua due to being nearer to the coast. - Main grape varieties are Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. - Leyda Zone is well known for Sauvignon Blanc due to cooler climate.
Central Valley Region - Vast, warm, flat region with plenty of water from the Andes. - Majority of Chilean vineyards and produce value for money wine. - Split into 4 sub-regions: - Maipo - Heartland of Chilean wine industry. - Surrounded by mountains so little coastal influence.
- Rapel - Split into 2 zones Cachapoal which is northern valley. Warm area cut off from ocean breezes. Carmenere ripens particularly well. Colchagua central part is open to ocean influences. Some areas have gained premium reputation and produces full bodied reds.
- Curico and Maule - Together, the largest vineyard areas in Chile. - Warm climate, rich soils and abundant supply of water makes these regions source of fruit for inexpensive blends. - Effort to exploit site on warm west facing slopes of coastal mountains.
Southern Region - Climate becomes cooler and wetter the further south the sub-regions are located. - Summer temperatures rarely reach more then 30C and rainfall is high (1000 mm). - Fungal disease is widespread. - 3 sub-regions: - Itata - Bio Bio - Malleco - Itata and Bio Bio plantings are dominated by Muscat of Alexandria and Pais. Bio Bio is now producing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. |
