Chile has a long history in the production of wine, with roots dating back to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors introduced Vitis vinifera vines to the region. In the mid-19th century, French wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère, and Cabernet Franc were introduced. During the early 1980s, the Chilean wine industry underwent a renaissance with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks and the use of oak barrels for aging. This led to a rapid growth in exports as quality wine production increased. The number of wineries in Chile rose from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005.
The late 20th century saw a large number of French immigrants settling in Chile, bringing with them extensive viticultural knowledge. Today, Chile stands as the fifth largest exporter of wine globally and the seventh largest producer.OIV press report October 2015. The climate in Chile has been described as a fusion of the climates in California and France. The most commonly grown grape variety in the country are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenère. Chile is also fortunate to remain free of the phylloxera louse, which means that its grapevines do not require grafting with phylloxera-resistant rootstocks.K. MacNeil. The Wine Bible, pp. 836–843, Workman Publishing 2001 .
History
The cultivation of Vitis vinifera in Chile dates to the mid-16th century, when Spanish conquistadors and missionaries introduced European grapevines into the territory around 1554. According to local tradition, some of the earliest plantings were carried out by conquistador Francisco de Aguirre.H. Johnson & J. Robinson. The World Atlas of Wine, pp. 297–299, Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 . These vines likely originated from Spanish vineyards established in Peru and may have included the so-called "common black grape" introduced to the Americas by Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. This variety later became the ancestor of the widely cultivated Pais grape, which remained Chile's most extensively planted grape variety until the 21st century.
The early development of viticulture was closely associated with the activities of the Jesuit order, whose members cultivated vineyards to produce sacramental wine for the celebration of the Eucharist. By the end of the 16th century, the Chilean historian Alonso de Ovalle recorded extensive plantings of the "common black grape" alongside varieties such as Muscatel, Torontel, Albilho, and Mollar.J. Robinson (ed). "The Oxford Companion to Wine", Third Edition, pp. 163–167, Oxford University Press 2006 .
During the colonial period, Spanish authorities imposed restrictions on wine production and trade, requiring much of the wine consumed in the colonies to be imported from Spain. In 1641, the Spanish Crown prohibited the importation of wine from Chile and the Viceroyalty of Peru, a measure that significantly affected local producers. The resulting surplus of grapes encouraged the production of pisco and aguardiente, while viticulture in Peru entered a period of decline.
Despite these restrictions, locally produced wines remained popular among colonial consumers, who often preferred them to wines imported from Spain after lengthy ocean voyages. Chilean wines were also exported to neighboring Peru. One shipment was famously intercepted by the English privateer Francis Drake. According to historical accounts, Spanish authorities subsequently ordered the destruction of a large portion of Chile's vineyards, although the directive was only partially enforced.H. Johnson. Vintage: The Story of Wine, pp. 432–434, Simon and Schuster 1989 .
By the 18th century, Chile had become known for sweet wines produced primarily from Pais and Muscatel grapes. To increase sweetness and concentration, producers frequently boiled the grape juice before fermentation. Following a shipwreck near Cape Horn, Admiral John Byron, grandfather of the poet Lord Byron, crossed Chile and later praised Chilean Muscatel wines, comparing them favorably to Madeira. In contrast, the French wine writer André Jullien offered a less favorable assessment during the 19th century, likening some Chilean wines to a "potion of rhubarb and senna."
Although Chile maintained strong political and economic ties with Spain, the modernization of its wine industry during the 19th century was heavily influenced by French viticulture, particularly that of Bordeaux. Prior to the outbreak of the phylloxera epidemic in Europe, affluent Chilean landowners returning from France began importing French grape varieties and winemaking techniques.
Among the pioneers of this movement was Don Silvestre Errázuriz, who introduced varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet franc, Malbec, Sauvignon blanc, and Sémillon, and employed a French oenologist to oversee vineyard management and wine production. He also experimented with cultivating the German wine variety Riesling.
The devastation caused by phylloxera in European vineyards ultimately benefited the Chilean wine industry. As many French winegrowers sought opportunities abroad, Chile attracted winemakers and specialists who brought with them technical knowledge and expertise. During this period, Don Silvestre Ochagavía Echazarreta founded Ochagavia Wines in 1851, while Don Maximiano Errázuriz established Viña Errázuriz in 1870, both relying on vine stock imported from France.
20th century Chile's export of wines to Argentina was hindered by the lack of efficient land transportation and several fears of war. The situation improved after the signing of the Pactos de Mayo in 1902 and the opening of the Transandine Railway in 1909, which made war unlikely and facilitated trade across the Andes. The two governments agreed to establish a free trade agreement. However, the Argentine winegrowers' association, Centro Vitivinícola Nacional, which was dominated by European immigrants, vehemently protested against the free trade agreement as they perceived Chilean wines as a threat to the local industry. This, combined with the objections of the cattle farmers in Chile, ultimately led to the scrapping of the free trade agreement plans.Lacoste, Pablo. 2004. Vinos, carnes, ferrocarriles y el Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Argentina y Chile (1905–1910). Historia.
In the 20th century, political instability, coupled with restrictive regulations and high taxes, hindered the growth of Chile's wine industry. Until the 1980s, the majority of Chilean wine was considered low quality and mostly consumed domestically. As recognition of Chile's favorable wine growing conditions increased, so did foreign investment in Chilean wineries. This period saw significant technological advancements in winemaking, and Chile established a reputation for producing high-quality wines at reasonable prices. Chile's export increased, becoming the third largest exporter, after France and Italy, to the United States by the turn of the 21st century. However, it has since dropped to fourth in the US, being overtaken by Australia. The focus has now switched to developing exports in other major wine markets such as the United Kingdom and Japan.
Climate and geography
Chile is a long, narrow country that is geographically and climatically dominated by the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Chile's vineyards are found along an 800-mile stretch of land from Atacama Region to the Bio-Bio Region in the south. The climate is varied with the northern regions being very hot and dry compared to the cooler, wetter regions in the south. In the Valle Central around Santiago, the climate is dry with an average of 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain and little risk of springtime frost. The proximity to the Dry Andes help create a wide diurnal temperature variation between day and nighttime temperatures. This cool drop in temperature is vital in maintaining the grapes' acidity levels.T. Stevenson. "The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia", pp. 543–546, Dorling Kindersley 2005 .
Most of Chile's premium wine regions are dependent on irrigation to sustain vineyards, getting the necessary water from melting snow caps in the Andes. In the developing wine regions along the Coastal Ranges and in the far south, there is not a lack in needed rainfall but vineyard owners have to deal with other factors such as the Humboldt Current from the Pacific which can bathe a vineyard with a blanket of cool air. For the rest of Chile's wine regions, the Coastal Ranges serve a buffer from the current and also acts as a rain shadow. The vineyards in these regions are planted on the valley plains of the Andes foothills along a major river such as the Maipo, Rapel and Maule Rivers.
The vineyards of Chile fall between the latitudes of 32 and 38° s which, in the Northern Hemisphere would be the equivalent of southern Spain and North Africa. However the climate in Chile's wine regions is much more temperate than those regions, comparing more closely to California and Bordeaux. Overall, it is classified as a Mediterranean climate with average summer temperatures of and potential highs of .
Wine regions
Since December 1994, the Chilean wine-producing regions have been officially defined as follows, to help identify the different features of wines produced in different parts of Chile's variable geography. The Chilean ministry of agriculture redefined in a decree of May 2018 the zonal winegrowing structure:DIARIO OFICIAL DE LA REPUBLICA DE CHILE Núm. 42.065, 25 May 2018, retrieved 5 August 2018.
Atacama Region Named after the Atacama Region administrative territory, this region is divided into two valleys, Copiapó and Huasco, both of which are coterminous with the provinces of the same names. The region is known primarily for its Pisco and table grapes, Diario del vino, November 6, 2006, retrieved October 10, 2013. but in the 1950s wine began to be produced on a small scale around Copiapó. Examples of wine from these valleys include "Vino Copiapino" (literally, "Copiapó's Wine") by Viña FajardoCelestino Fajardo: El hombre tras la historia del vino copiapino www.chanarcillo.cl September 17, 2009 retrieved October 10, 2013. and Pajarete wine, a varietal from Spain that is now produced successfully in the Huasco Valley. Diario del vino, November 6, 2006, retrieved October 10, 2013.
Coquimbo Region The Coquimbo Region contains three wine-producing sub regions: Elqui, Limarí and Choapa, all are coterminous with the provinces of the same name. The Elqui Valley is located north of Santiago, at the southern end of the Atacama Desert in the Coquimbo Region. It is known for producing table grapes and other fruits, as well as Pisco, Chile's most popular liquor. But it is also notable for being the most commercially viable wine-producing region of northern Chile. The region's vineyards extend from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Andes Mountains in the east, rising to an altitude of 2,000 m.a.s.l. (6,500 feet). Wine production began in the Elqui Valley in the 1990s when Chilean wine producers began to look at potential viticulture sites outside the Chilean Central Valley. Since then, of vines have been planted, mostly along the River Elqui valley, where grape growers have access to high-quality water for irrigation. The region is characterized by a sunny, desert-like climate, less than of annual rainfall, dry rocky terrain, steep valleys and temperate hills cooled by strong winds from the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, producing excellent results for varietals like Syrah.See Elqui Valley Chart www.winesofchile.org retrieved September 25, 2013.
The Limarí Valley is located roughly north of Santiago, in the Coquimbo region.