The wine regions of Chile
The Maipo Valley is the area with the longest wine-growing tradition in Chile.
The valley lies across the country, from the Andes Mountains in the southern direction to the Pacific Ocean. The Maipo is approximately 1,000 meters on the east side and 500 meters above sea level on the west side. Because of this natural slope, there are differences in viticulture within the valley. There is a warm Mediterranean climate with the most important characteristics being a dry summer from December to March and an average rainfall of 330 mm per year. The temperature differences at the foot of the Andes can rise to 20 ° C during the wine season. One finds here mainly the well-known red grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère. The wines taste elegant and classic, and especially the Cabernet Sauvignon has a consistently high quality. Underage, Concha y Toro, Santa Emiliana and Santa Rita are just a few of the vineyards that have their vines here.
Aconcagua Region
The Aconcagua Region is divided into two separate areas: the Aconcagua – and the Casablanca Valley. The first is a flat, cross-country region between the mountains of the Andes and the sea. The Aconcagua is three to four kilometers wide and is surrounded by mountains with a height of 1,500 to 1,800 meters above sea level. The area has a warm, Mediterranean climate. The maximum temperature is an average of 30 ° C in the summer, with an average annual temperature of 14 ° and daily temperature fluctuations in the summer of 15 ° to 20 ° C, which promotes the formation of sugar in the grapes. The area enjoys a lot of sunlight: it is rarely cloudy and the number of unclouded days is between 204 and 300 days a year. The average rainfall is 250 mm per year, and it is relatively dry in the period from November to April. Viña Errazuriz has owned the estate close to the Aconcagua River northwest of Santiago since the second half of the 19th century. Here mainly red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère, Syrah and Cabernet Franc are grown.
