Stories of the wine-growing countries · Chile

Wines from Chile

At the forefront of South American wine trade, with a unique advantage: Chile is free of phylloxera.

Chile is at the forefront of South American wine trade and owes its impeccable quality partly to the absence of phylloxera and mildew: because these pests are not native to Chile, pest control can be almost entirely dispensed with. Around 75 percent of the growing area is devoted to red varieties, above all Cabernet Sauvignon and the rediscovered Carménère; the best growing region is considered to be the Maipo Valley in the Valle Central.

Special feature: Free of phylloxera, hardly any pest control needed
Distribution: approx. 75% red, 25% white varieties
Leading varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Sauvignon Blanc
Best area: Maipo in the Valle Central
Exporting since: 17th century

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The history of wine in Chile

Winemaking in Chile began in the 16th century, when the Spaniards brought the grape varieties Albilho, Moscatel, Negra Peruana and Torontel into the country. Already in the following century, Chile was exporting to neighbouring countries.

When the phylloxera plague crippled wine production across almost all of Europe in the 19th century, Chilean exports to Europe really gained momentum, and continue to this day. The Carménère, originally from Bordeaux, is now even being brought back to France.

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Winegrowing today

Around 75 percent of the growing area belongs to red grapes, with Cabernet Sauvignon the most widely planted variety. In the early 1980s, European wine houses such as Rothschild invested in Chilean winegrowing. Exports rose massively.

Thanks to its long north-south stretch along the Pacific coast, Chile has a wide range of climate zones: in the north, white varieties tend to thrive, while the south offers ideal conditions for red wine. Maipo in the Valle Central, irrigated by the Rio Maipo, is considered the best growing region.

In our range, Garage Wine Co. from the Maule Valley represents the country, with Chile's highest-rated wines.

03/Grape varieties