Chile-Central

Question 1

Where does the Aconcagua DO take its name from?

Answer 1

The Aconcagua River (not the peak)

Question 2

Where is Panquehue, and who is its most famous producer?

Answer 2

Panquehue is an area of Aconcagua. Errázuriz is its most famous producer, notably for Seña, a BDX blend

Question 3

What Chilean wine had its own “Judgment of Paris” moment?

Answer 3

Errázuriz “Seña,” a BDX blend, placed ahead of both Lafite and Margaux at the 2004 Berlin Tasting. Its Viñedo Chadwick (Cabernet Sauvignon) took first place.

Question 4

What is the climate like in San Antonio and Casablanca? What is the dominant wine style?

Answer 4

Much cooler than the rest of Aconcagua, due to their coastal locations; dry whites of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, with some Pinot Noir.

Question 5

What is the oldest viticultural region in Chile?

Answer 5

Valle Central DO

Question 6

What is the major wine style of the Valle Central?

Answer 6

Red wines of BDX varietals: >50% of the acreage is Cab Sauv, plus Carmenère and Chardonnay.

Question 7

Aconcagua is in what administrative region?

Answer 7

Valparaíso

Question 8

How does the climate of the Valle del Aconcagua change from west to east?

Answer 8

Cool and maritime on the coast, schist and slate; the river turns sharply at Quillota, blocking the ingress of ocean air to the inner valley.
Entre Cordilleras is good for Bordeaux grapes in the side valleys and on the hillsides; in the far east, the broad open hillsides are better for Mediterranean varieties used to sun and heat.

Question 9

Most planted varieties in Valle del Aconcagua?

Answer 9

Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Carmenere

Question 10

What makes Valle de Casablanca a coastal region? What is the climate like?

Answer 10

The valley’s western end is open to the Pacific and Humbolt Current winds, resulting in overnight fog and windy afternoons. Overall, Region I. Frost prone.

Question 11

Where in Aconcagua do you see vines planted on rootstocks (v. own rooted), and why?

Answer 11

Casablanca. No phylloxera, but the sandy soils are a magnet for nematodes.

Question 12

Casablanca: Major grape varieties

Answer 12

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir

75% of acreage is white grapes

Question 13

Which is more coastal: Casablanca or San Antonio?

Answer 13

San Antonio

Question 14

San Antonio: Subzones by climate (official and unofficial)

Answer 14

Leyda: Southernmost, 15km from the ocean. Cool, humid, windy, prone to rot.
Lo Abarca: Central, 4km from the ocean. Coolest and most maritime, averaging 1000 degree days.
Rosario: Northernmost, 19km from the ocean, warmest and driest (relative, obviously).

Question 15

What are the administrative regions of the Valle Central?

Answer 15

Santiago
O’Higgins (named for Bernardo O’Higgins, who declared independence from Spain in 1818)
Maule

Question 16

How does rainfall change from north to south in the Valle Central?

Answer 16

It increases as one moves south, rising from 300mm to 750mm annually

Question 17

What major city sits in the Maipo Valley?

Answer 17

Santiago

Question 18

Maipo: Unofficial Subzones

Answer 18

Alto Maipo (400-600M): Gravel and alluvials, large diurnal shift (20ºC +), evening wind, generally west facing slopes.
Medio Maipo: warmer overall than Alto Maipo, clay-based soil, wines tend to be softer of structure, popular for Carmenère.
Maipo Costa/Maipo Bajo: not actually coastal, youngest and coolest subzone in the region.

Do not necessarily correlate with Andes, Entre Cordilleras, and Costa

Question 19

Name five wines originating in the Alto Maipo

Answer 19

Don Melchor (Concha y Toro)
Almaviva
Viñedo Chadwick (Errazuriz)
Antiyal (Alvaro Espinosa, Carmenere, Cab Sauv, Syrah)
Casa Real (Santa Rita)

Question 20

What is significant about the soils of Puente Alto? What significant wines originate in this area?

Answer 20

Particularly gravelly, caused early international exposure.

Don Melchor, Viñedo Chadwick, Almaviva

Question 21

What is the administrative region of the Valle del Rapel?

Answer 21

O’Higgins

Question 22

What is the most heavily planted subregion in the Valle Central?

Answer 22

Rapel

Question 23

What two rivers combine to create the Rio Rapel, and where do they combine?

Answer 23

Cachapoal and Tinguiririca; they both flow into the Rapel Reservoir, created when the river was dammed in the 1960’s.

Question 24

What is the major grape in Cachapoal, and why?

Answer 24

Very warm (no direct access to the coast), clay and alluvial soils, no risk of frost, rain, or temperature variation (good for Carmenère as it is very late-ripening).

Question 25

Which two high end Carmenere bottlings appellate as DO Peumo? Why is this notable?

Answer 25

Herencia (Santa Carolina)
Carmín de Peumo (Concha y Toro)

Areas are rarely used for labeling, as zones generally have broader recognition.

Question 26

What major city sits in Cachapoal?

Answer 26

Rancagua

Question 27

Name five major producers in Colchagua

Answer 27

Cono Sur, Viu Manent, Casa Silva
Lapostolle, Los Vascos, Hacienda Araucano
Montes, Neyen, Koyle

Question 28

Where and what is Apalta?

Answer 28

The most important (but still unofficial) area for red wine in Colchagua (and therefore in Chile period, outside of the Maipo), seated on the north bank of the Tinguiririca River in the DO Santa Cruz.
Slightly cooler climate, lower sunshine hours (mountains to the east, west, and north) and well-drained granitic soils.

Question 29

Apalta: Top Wines

Answer 29

Clos Apalta, Casa Lapostolle, 66% Carmenere, 19% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, dry-farmed vineyard, planted 1920.
Alpha M, Montes, Cab Sauv dominant BDX blend.

Question 30

Curicó and Maule: Administrative Region

Answer 30

Maule

Question 31

Curicó: Climate and soils

Answer 31

Cooler, with more winter rainfall than the DO’s to the north, creating frost troubles in the fall.
Most vineyards are planted on heavy clay in the interior and schist on the coast.

Question 32

What is Chile’s second largest producer, and where are they based?

Answer 32

San Pedro

Curicó

Question 33

Important producers in Curicó

Answer 33

San Pedro (mostly bulk wine)
Miguel Torres Chile (specifically the Manso de Velasco plot, 100yo Cabernet Sauvignon)
Viña Escheverría

Currently, Curicó is largely given to bulk plantings.

Question 34

Maule Valley: Size

Answer 34

Responsible for more than 25% of Chile’s overall production.
More vine acreage than any other single region, save the whole Rapel zone.
Maule administrative region (Maule + Curicó) holds nearly 50% of Chile’s acreage.
Virtually all of Chile’s major producers either own or source fruit from Maule.

Question 35

Maule: Major Grapes`

Answer 35

Cabernet Sauvignon, Pais

Some old vine Carignan, Malbec, and Sémillon to be found in spots.

Question 36

What is VIGNO, and what requirements surround it?

Answer 36

VIGNO is the brand trademarked by the Vignadores de Carignan in western Maule.
Restricted to a delimited area
Dry-farmed
Minimum 30 years vine age (may be grafted)
Aged 2 years before release
Minimum 65% Carignan

Question 37

Name three VIGNO producers

Answer 37

Bravado Wines
De Martino
Garage Wine Company
Lomas de Cauquenes
Meli
Miguel Torres
Morande
Odfjell
Valdivieso
Viña Roja