Chile Flashcards
(118 cards)
Mountains in Central Valley?
Coastal Mountains
Longest mountain range in the world?
Andes
Characterization of Chile’s and Argentina’s vineyards and its geography
- Chile’s wine regions owe their ideal growing conditions to their isolation (they are sandwiched between the cold Andes and the cold Pacific)
- Argentina’s most famous vineyards, typically oases of green set in uncompromisingly arid semi-desert, exist because of altitude
Driest desert on earth?
Atacamas
The highest mountain in the Americas?
Aconcagua Mountain (22,841 ft)
Name of the Jesuit priest who is credited with introducing the first grapes, likely Pais, to the region that is now Chile in 1548?
Francisco de Carabantes
In which decade did a renaissance begin in Chile’s wine industry with the introduction of stainless steel and new oak
1980’s
T or F? Chile is the only major winemaking country to remain totally phylloxera-free
True! Because of Chile’s many natural boundaries (Pacific ocean, Andes, Atacamas)
What is murgrón?
- a vine replanting system where taking a cane from an existing vine and directing it back into the ground to develop roots and propagate a new plant; also used in Argentina’s flood-irrigated vineyards
Roughly 80% of of all wine in Chile are produced by which 4 companies?
- Concha y Toro
- San Pedro
- Santa Rita
- Santa Carolina
First Chilean producer to export to the US in 1903?
Undurraga (Maipo Bajo, Central Region)
Who was the first to import French vines to plant in Chile?
Don Silvestre Errázuriz
Climate in Chile
Mediterranean
Which wine region is named after the highest peak of the Andes?
Aconcagua
In what century were most of the major wineries in Chile established?
19th Century
Explain the “El Niño” effect on the Humboldt Current
It warms and weakens it, decimating local fish populations and causing increased rainfalls
What grape known locally as Sauvignon Blanc was discovered to be a misnomer?
Sauvignon Vert/Sauvignonasse/Friulano
What region to Chile attempt to name a Pisco DO for?
Pisco Elqui DO was shot down by the EU in 2013
What year was the DO system put in place in Chile?
1994
Give the tiers of DO’s for Chile from largest to smallest
Viticultural Region, Subregion, Zone, Area
To label “Costa”,” Entre Cordilleras”, or “Andes”, what percentage of a wine must come from the stated area?
- min 85% of the grapes must be harvested in the appropriate region (not vintage).
As specifically as you can answer, what DO of Chile is MOST affected by the Humboldt Current?
- Casablanca
- as the western entrance to the Coastal Ranges has a break leaving it directly in the path and a Region 1a on the Winkler Scale
- Casablanca is located too far from the Andes to get any cooling effect or available water for irrigation
- Morning fog is created by icy Humboldt currents. It is often compared to Carneros, California
Where are the DO zones of Lleyda Valley and Lo Abarca?
San Antonio Valley DO (within Aconcagua DO)
Don Melchior, Almaviva, and Viñedo Chadwick all produce wine from what area within Maipo Valley?
Puente Alto, Maipo, Valle Central