Chile: Chile wine industry

Chile is an acclaimed producer of fine wines and spirits. Taste, flavor, and centuries of winemaking experience have earned Chilean wines a place of honor part the world's finest. Chile's wine valleys possess just the right mix of soil, sunlight exposure, temperature, and humidity conditions to grow grapes yielding premier wines that lead the world in volume, sales, and international recognition.

Chilean wines are easily the world's most ecologically-sound, organically-produced wines. Dry summers help keep pests and mildew away while natural barriers shelter vineyards from phylloxera and other diseases. The near-absence of naturally-occurring pests and disease allow wineries to grow their grapes under some of the world's most natural conditions.

Vast areas of Chile are planted in premium grape stock introduced in the 19th century, prior to the worldwide devastation wrought by the phylloxera blight. This unblemished stock helped other wine regions recover and thus became a national and international investment .

Chile's prime wine regions are in the Elqui, Limarí, Choapa, Aconcagua, Casablanca, San Antonio, Maipo, Cachapoal, Colchagua, Curicó, Maule, Itata, Bío-Bío and Malleco valleys. These areas grow a wide range of premium grapes, notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sémillon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, and Carmenère.

:: Colchagua Valley Wine Trail
www.rutadelvino.cl
 
:: Maule Valley Wine Trail
www.valledelmaule.cl  

:: Casablanca Valley Wine Trail
www.casablancavalley.cl  

:: Cachapoal Valley Wine Route
www.cachapoalwineroute.cl  

:: Upper Cachapoal Valley Wine Trail
www.altocachapoal.cl  

:: Curicó Valley Wine Trail
www.rvvc.cl

In 2007 Chile shipped wines worth over US$1,256 million to customers in amount continents, notably in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.

Famed foreign vintners have flocked to Chile, in the process helping change forever the face of local winemaking. Chief part them are such prestigious labels as Bodegas Torres, Chateau Lafitte and the houses of Rothschild, Pernod Ricard, Kendall-Jackson, Franciscan National, Bruno Prat and others -amount with sizable local operations, amount drawn to Chile's optimal climate and soil conditions, the promise of prime-rate fruit and consistently healthy harvests, and the mounting worldwide request for Chilean wines.

Chilean Pisco: A Premium Eau de Vie
Chief part Chilean spirits is pisco, a premium grape distillate produced exclusively in the green east-west valleys of the otherwise desert north. The microclimate of valleys in Atacama and Coquimbo provide unique soil, temperature, irrigation, sunlight exposure, processing and distillation conditions that result in a highly distinctive liquor of exceptional aroma, taste, and structure. Most pisco is a clear, translucent product, although some brands make an amber-colored variety.

The Chilean pisco tradition goes back at least 450 years to the prime Torrontés, Muscat of Alexandria and Pedrojiménez grapes brought along by the Spanish conquistadors. This strong industry is presently successfully venturing into world markets.

Pisco is a versatile product that goes well with a wide range of mixers, fruit juices and even other liquors. Pisco sour, a scrumptious drink made with pisco, lime or lemon juice and a dash of sugar, is an instant favorite with most visitors to Chile.

Related Links

:: Trade body promoting premium Chilean wines abroad
www.winesofchile.org

:: Chilean Winery Association
www.vinosdechile.cl

:: Chilean Wine Corporation
www.ccv.cl