Chile

Question 1

Name the four key geographical features in Chile

Answer 1

Pacific Ocean
Coastal mountain ranges
Andes Mountains
Central Valley; a large depression between Coastal mountain ranges and Andes Mountains to the south

Question 2

What is the overall climate of Chile?

Answer 2

Warm Mediterranean

Question 3

What are the cooling influences in Chile?

Answer 3

1) Humboldt Current (+fog at immediate coastal areas)
2) Cold air that descends from the mountains overnight and that causes a large diurnal temperature range, in the foothills of the Andes.

Question 4

What is the Humboldt Current?

Answer 4

The Humboldt Current is cold water current flowing up from Antarctica that chills the Pacific waters, cooling the air and affecting Chile’s low-lying areas closest to the coast and valleys on the other side of the breaks (or low points) in the Coastal Range.

In some regions, like the San Antonio Valley, the Humboldt Current encourages morning fog.

Question 5

What two climate drivers can influence Chile’s weather?

Answer 5

El Niño: increases rainfall and humidity

La Niña: can increase drought conditions

Question 6

What risks and benefits can be associated with the dry, sunny growing season in Chile?

Answer 6

The dry, sunny growing season ensures that the grapes reliably ripen and fungal diseases are kept to a minimum.
However, shortfall in rainwater can make irrigation essential while water for irrigation is in increasingly short supply. Drought becomes a bigger risk in La Nina years.

Question 7

Why Chile can practise widely sustainable and organic grape growing and winemaking?

Answer 7

The dry, sunny growing season ensures that fungal diseases are kept to a minimum. Therefore, use of man made chemicals to protect the vine can be kept at minimum.

Question 8

What are the 4 main regions of Chile?

Answer 8

Coquimbo
Aconcagua
Central Valley
Southern Region

Question 9

In 2012, Chilean wine law changed and producers can now classify vineyard areas by their proximity to the coast.

What are these 3 new classificiations?

Answer 9

Costa: area closest to the coast
Entre Cordilleras: area located between the Andes and the Coastal Range
Andes: area nearest the Andes
These classificiations are not DOs: a producer can add them in addition to using a DO.

Question 10

What is the most planted grape variety in Chile?

Answer 10

Cabernet Sauvignon

Question 11

Describe the trademark grape/wine of Chile

Answer 11

Carmenère

late ripener
performs well in warm, sunny sites
high tannin
full bodied
can have overtly herbaceous aromas when not fully ripe but good examples achieve a balance between black fruit character and herbal aromas

Question 12

Where in Chile does Pinot Noir shows its best?

Answer 12

In cool, coastal regions such as San Antonio Valley or Casablanca Valley, and proimisng Bio Bio Valley in the Southern Region.

Question 13

Name 3 main white varieties in Chile

Answer 13

Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Muscat of Alexandria

Question 14

Name the regions where Sauvignon Blanc performs particularly well in Chile? Why?
Describe the wine

Answer 14

Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys lie between the coastal mountains and the Pacific and offer growers noticeably cooler sites thanks to morning fogs and afternoon winds that blow in off the ocean.
This yields excellent wines with high acidity and intense fruity flavours.
The wines tend to focus on ripe apple, citrus and tropical flavours, and sometimes display herbaceous notes. Some examples have added richness and texture from lees stirring and oak.

Question 15

What role does Muscat of Alexandria play in Chile?

Answer 15

It is mostly used for the production of the grape brandy Pisco.

Question 16

Name two important sub-regions of the Coquimbo Region with their best grape varieties.

Answer 16

Elqui Valley: Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah

Limari Valley: Chardonnay

Question 17

What are the climatic factors and associated risks in Coquimbo Region

Answer 17

Coquimbo borders the Atacama Desert and is the most northerly of Chile’s principal wine regions.
Brilliant sunshine
Marked cooling influences either from sea breezes or mountain air.
Some vineyards are now being planted at very high altitudes.
The biggest challenge here is the lack of water. Irrigation is essential but expensive because water is less plentiful here compared with some other regions

Question 18

Explain climatic reasons why plantings of white varieties dominate in the Casablanca Valley and San Antonio Valley

Answer 18

They both lie between the coastal mountains and the Pacific, offering growers noticeably cooler sites thanks to morning fogs and afternoon winds that blow in off the ocean.

Question 19

What is San Antonio Valley’s zone that has a reputation for making great Sauvignon Blanc?

Answer 19

Leyda Valley zone

Question 20

Natural factors that make Maipo Valley known for prestige Cabernet Sauvignon?

Answer 20

Maipo Valley has a reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon that can often have a particular minty character to it:
It is almost completely surrounded by mountains with little coastal influence.
Premium sites are in the Andean foothills, cooled by the descending air, lending elegance and structure to the wines.

Question 21

What are the key wines in Colchagua?

Answer 21

Colchagua is well known for full-bodied reds, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, but also Syrah and Carmenere.

Question 22

Name a well suited subregion for growing Carmenere in Chile and explain why.

Answer 22

Carmenere is a late ripening variety that is most successful in the warmest and sunniest sites. Cachapoal Valley zone is a warm area cut off from the ocean breezes. Carmenere ripens well on the valley floors.

Question 23

Describe wines from Curico Valley and Maule Valley of Chile

Answer 23

Sources for inexpensive red and white blends thanks to warm and fertile soils.
The vineyards in Maule Valley are cooler than those of Curico Valley and the wines retain a higher acidity, which can be a useful ingredient when blending.

Question 24

Where is Carignan successfully grown in Chile? Why?

Answer 24

Carignan ripens late so can be successfully grown only in relatively warm climates such as Maule Valley in the southern end of the Central Valley.
Dry-farmed, ancient low yielding Carignan bush vines of this region produce full-bodied, intensely concentrated wines.

Question 25

What is the climate like in Chile’s

What are the main grape varieties?

Answer 25

The climate in the Southern region becomes noticeably cooler and wetter the further south they are located.
Pais
Muscat of Alexandria
Bio Bio Valley has started to show great promise for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and aromatic varieties