500 years of wine making experience in the wines of Chile

January 23, 2011

About Wines from Chile
Best wine supplier in Philippines discusses wine related topics

With five centuries of wine-making experience behind them, it’s no wonder that Chilean winemakers are harvesting the benefits of hard work, a pleasant climate, good soils and perseverance in the wide – and growing – scope of their wines.

Misionaries traveling with the conquistadores brought cuttings from their native Spain to Chile in the mid-sixteenth century. Finding the area around one of the first settlements, Santiago, to be close to their own Meditarrean climate, and the valleys fertile, the missionaries planted the black pais grape to produce their sacramental wine. Farmers joined the missionaries, and the first plantings gave fruit for more than religious purposes. These commercial wines proved to be popular and were exported to other countries. By the early 1800s, the wines from Chile were proving such a competition for Spanish export wines that the Spanish crown ordered heavy taxes and restrictions followed by acres of vineyards destroyed. (No wonder the Chileans revolted against the Spanish monarchy!)

Following the wars of independence, immigration from Europe brought French farmers and vines, notably Bordeaux cuttings. In the 1870’s the Phylloxera louse spread rapidly through European and North American vineyards. Isolated by natural conditions, the Andes on one side, the Pacific on the other, and the barren deserts to the north, the vineyards of Chile were not damaged. When the affected vineyards began the process of replanting, they turned to Chile for healthy plants. Some of the earliest Chilean vines still produce grapes, and Chile remains free of the disease while the rest of the winemaking world continues to suffer.

In the 1940’s, Chilean wines grew in popularity, then faded somewhat with governmental restriction on production and the nationalization of many wineries. In the 1980’s, Chilean wines again hit the worldwide market, becoming an inexpensive way to enjoy wine. While some were not as good as others, the wines caught the eye of many French and American winemakers such as Spain’s Miguel Torres, France’s Baron de Rothschild and Chateau Lafite, and the U.S.’s Robert Mondavi among others, and today, with foreign capital and joint ventures, Chile’s wines are reaching an ever wider and more demanding audience.

Chile’s wine producing areas stretch through the narrow central valleys from north of Santiago to Concepción in the south. For years, the main concentration of vineyards was in the Maipo valley, but recently, the region south to Bío Bío sees more vines.

When you visit Santiago, no doubt you’ll tour the nearby winery of Concha y Toro founded in 1883 and promoted as one of the oldest and the biggest winery in Chile. It exports, under various labels, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc y Semillón to over 70 countries. The grounds are beautiful (see photo).

Concha y Toro may be the biggest, but it is certainly not the only producer of fine wines. When you think of Chilean wine, the names Viña Cousiño Macul, Viña Undurraga, and Viña Errázuriz spring to mind, but there are many, many more!

Some of the wonderful varities of Chilean wine include Riesling, Semillón, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Carmenère, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Verdot, Viogner, Gewürztraminer,Chenin Blanc and others.

Not all of the wineries are old and established enterprises. A number of small, boutique wineries are gaining recognition.

Next time you’re serving wine, either alone or with food, try one of these fine Chilean wines. And remember the toast:
Salud, amor y dinero, y tiempo para gustarlos
Health, love and money, and time to enjoy them!

SOURCE: http://gosouthamerica.about.com/od/chiartandculture/a/winesofchile.htm

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