Chile

Question 1

Chile

History and general info

Answer 1

• Started in the 19th century with Valdivieso
• Category grown rapidily in recent years / remains a minor proportion of Chile’s wine production
• mostly Tank method: fruity, Brut and slighly sweeter styles
• Principally Chardonnay, PN and Sauvignon Blanc
• Mostly inexpensive / some exported mid-priced
• accepatable to good quality

Question 2

Chile

Growing enviroment

Answer 2

• Grapes grown in cooler coastal areas, Andean foothills or milder regions in the south (cooling influence: Pacific Ocean, Altitude)
• Warm Central valley = fruit for inexpensive wines
• Harvest between early Feb and first week of March (several weeks earlier than regular harvest)

Question 3

Chile

Grape growing

Answer 3

• Cheap wines = blends from different regions
• Premium wines = from specific regions

Key regions:
- Casablanca
- Sant Antonio (Leyda)
- Limarí (cooled by Pacific Ocean)
+ Curicó, Bío Bío (southerly latitude)

• Moscatel and Pais grown in Itata and Maule
• Irrigation in most vineyards (a opart from itata = higher rainfall)

Question 4

Chile

Winamaking

Answer 4

• Tank method = 90% of production
• Modern equipment = rapidly grown sector
• Chardonnay, PN, Moscatel and Pais (BdN or Rose) also used for Traditional method

Question 5

Chile

Wine law & business

Answer 5

• Labelling and residual sugar as EU
• very few large companies dominate the market
• Main producers: Valdivieso (over 1/3 of total production), Viña Mar, Undurraga
• Domestic sales = 2/3 of production and growing
• Export = Japan, Colombia, Brazil