{"id":202134,"date":"2019-09-09T02:19:17","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T00:19:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/?p=202134"},"modified":"2019-09-09T14:22:37","modified_gmt":"2019-09-09T12:22:37","slug":"getting-a-taste-of-chilean-wines-in-casablanca-and-santiago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/getting-a-taste-of-chilean-wines-in-casablanca-and-santiago\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting a taste of Chilean wines in Casablanca and Santiago in Chile!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Through a stroke of luck I was invited to visit Santiago in Chile for four days, and in this time I was able to drink some Chilean wines. I also visited Casablanca, a wine region outside Santiago, with my friends Guy and Pia, who live near Casablanca. <\/p>\n

Introduction<\/u><\/b> <\/p>\n

From Wikipedia I have extracted the following introduction to the Chilean wine industry: \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018Chilean wine has a long history for a New World wine<\/a> region, as it was the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors<\/a> brought Vitis vinifera<\/a> vines with them as they colonized the region<\/a>. In the mid-19th century, French wine<\/a>varieties<\/a> such as Cabernet Sauvignon<\/a>, Merlot<\/a>, Carmen\u00e8re<\/a> and Franc<\/a> were introduced. In the early 1980s, a renaissance began with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation<\/a>tanks and the use of oak<\/a> barrels for aging<\/a>. Wine exports grew very quickly as quality wine production increased. The number of wineries has grown from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005.[citation needed<\/span><\/a>]<\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n

A large number of French people<\/a> immigrated to Chile during the late 20th century, bringing more vinicultural knowledge to the country. Chile is now the fifth largest exporter of wines in the world, and the seventh largest<\/a>producer.[1]<\/a><\/sup> The climate has been described as midway between that of California and France. The most common grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon<\/a>, Merlot<\/a> and Carmen\u00e8re<\/a>. So far Chile has remained free of the phylloxera<\/a> louse, which means that the country’s grapevines<\/a> do not need to be grafted<\/a> with phylloxera-resistant rootstocks.[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n

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European Vitis vinifera vines were brought to Chile by Spanish conquistadors and missionaries<\/a> in the 16th century around 1554. Local legend states that the conquistador Francisco de Aguirre<\/a> himself planted the first vines.[3]<\/a><\/sup> The vines most likely came from established Spanish vineyards planted in Peru<\/a>which included the “common black grape”, as it was known, that Hern\u00e1n Cort\u00e9s<\/a> brought to Mexico in 1520. This grape variety would become the ancestor of the widely planted Pais<\/a> grape that would be the most widely planted Chilean grape till the 21st century.[2]<\/a><\/sup>Jesuit<\/a> priests cultivated these early vineyards, using the wine for the celebration of the Eucharist<\/a>. By the late 16th century, the early Chilean historian Alonso de Ovalle<\/a> described widespread plantings of “the common black grape”, Muscatel<\/a>, Torontel<\/a>, Albilho<\/a> and Mollar<\/a>.[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n

During the Spanish rule, vineyards were restricted in production with the stipulation that the Chilean should purchase the bulk of their wines directly from Spain itself. In 1641, wine imports from Chile<\/a> and the Viceroyalty of Peru<\/a> into Spain were banned, severely damaging the wine industry in the colony. The market loss caused the huge surplus of grapes to be made into pisco<\/a> and aguardiente<\/a>. The concentration solely on pisco production, nearly eliminated wine production in Peru. For the most part the Chileans ignored these restrictions, preferring their domestic production to the oxidized<\/a> and vinegary wines that didn’t fare well during the long voyages from Spain. They were even so bold as to start exporting some of their wines to neighboring Peru with one such export shipment being captured at sea by the English privateer<\/a> Francis Drake<\/a>. When Spain heard of the event rather than being outraged at Drake, an indictment was sent back to Chile with the order to uproot most of their vineyards. This order, too, was mostly ignored.[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n

In the 18th century, Chile was known mostly for its sweet wines<\/a> made from the Pais and Muscatel grapes. To achieve a high level of sweetness the wines were often boiled<\/a> which concentrated the grape must<\/a>.[4]<\/a><\/sup> Following his shipwreck off the coast at Cape Horn<\/a>, Admiral John Byron<\/a> (Grandfather of the poet Lord Byron<\/a>) traveled across Chile and came back to England with a glowing review of Chilean Muscatel comparing it favorably to Madeira<\/a>. The 19th century wine writer Andr\u00e9 Jullien<\/a> was not as impressed, comparing Chilean wines to a “potion of rhubarb<\/a> and senna<\/a>“.[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n

Despite being politically linked to Spain, Chile’s wine history has been most profoundly influenced by French<\/a>, particularly Bordeaux<\/a>, winemaking<\/a>. Prior to the phylloxera epidemic<\/a>, wealthy Chilean landowners were influenced by their visits to France and began importing French vines to plant. Don Silvestre Err\u00e1zuriz<\/a> was the first, importing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet franc<\/a>, Malbec<\/a>, Sauvignon blanc<\/a> and S\u00e9millon<\/a>. He hired a French oenologist<\/a> to oversee his vineyard planting and to produce wine in the Bordeaux style. Err\u00e1zuriz saw potential in Chile and even experimented with the German wine<\/a> grape Riesling<\/a>.[5]<\/a><\/sup> In events that parallel those of the Rioja<\/a> wine region, the entrance of phylloxera into the French wine world turned into a positive event for the Chilean wine industry. With vineyards in ruin, many French winemakers traveled to South America, bringing their experience and techniques with them.[2]<\/a><\/sup> At the time, Don Silvestre Ochagav\u00eda Echazarreta<\/a>founded Ochagavia Wines<\/a> in 1851 and Don Maximiano Err\u00e1zuriz<\/a> founded Vi\u00f1a Err\u00e1zuriz<\/a> in 1870, bringing and using grapes from France.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Chilean wine exports to Argentina were hampered by the lack of effective land transport and a series of war scares. This situation changed after the Pactos de Mayo<\/a> were signed in 1902 and the inauguration of the Transandine Railway<\/a> in 1909, making war unlikely and trade across the Andes easy. Governments agreed to sign a free trade agreement. Argentine winegrowers association, Centro Vitivin\u00edcola Nacional<\/a>, dominated by European immigrants, protested vigorously against the free trade agreement since Chilean wines were considered a threat to the local industry. The complaints of Argentine wine growers in conjunction with that of cattle farmers in Chile ended up tearing down the plans for a free trade agreement.[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n

Political instability in the 20th century, coupled with bureaucratic regulations and high taxes tempered the growth of the Chilean wine industry. Prior to the 1980s, the vast majority of Chilean wine was considered low quality and mostly consumed domestically. As awareness of Chile’s favorable growing conditions for viticulture increased so did foreign investment in Chilean wineries. This period saw many technical advances in winemaking as Chile earned a reputation for reasonably priced premium quality wines. Chile began to export extensively, becoming the third leading exporter, after France and Italy<\/a>, into the United States by the turn of the 21st century. It has since dropped to fourth<\/i> in the US, being surpassed by Australia<\/a>, but focus has switched to developing exports in the world’s other major wine markets like the United Kingdom and Japan.[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Chile is a long, narrow country that is geographically and climatically dominated by the Andes<\/a> 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<\/a> to the Bio-Bio Region<\/a> 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<\/a> around Santiago<\/a>, the climate is dry with an average of 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain and little risk of springtime frost<\/a>. The proximity to the Dry Andes<\/a> help create a wide diurnal temperature variation<\/a> between day and nighttime temperatures. This cool drop in temperature is vital in maintaining the grapes’ acidity<\/a> levels.[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n

Most of Chile’s premium wine regions are dependent on irrigation<\/a> to sustain vineyards, getting the necessary water from melting snow caps in the Andes. In the developing wine regions along the Coastal Ranges<\/a> 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<\/a> 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<\/a>. The vineyards in these regions are planted on the valley<\/a>plains of the Andes foothills along a major river such as the Maipo<\/a>, Rapel<\/a> and Maule Rivers<\/a>.[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n

The vineyards of Chile fall between the latitudes<\/a> of 32 and 38\u00b0 s<\/a>which, in the Northern Hemisphere<\/a> 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<\/a> and Bordeaux. Overall, it is classified as a Mediterranean climate<\/a> with average summer temperatures of 59\u201364 \u00b0F (15\u201318 \u00b0C) and potential highs of 86 \u00b0F (30 \u00b0C).[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Over twenty grape varieties are grown in Chile, mainly a mixture of Spanish and French varieties, but many wineries are increasing experimentation in higher numbers.[2]<\/a><\/sup> For most of Chile’s history, Pais was the most widely planted grape only recently getting passed by Cabernet Sauvignon. Other red wine varieties include Merlot<\/a>, Carm\u00e9n\u00e8re<\/a>, Zinfandel<\/a>, Petite Sirah<\/a>, Cabernet franc, Pinot noir, Syrah<\/a>, Sangiovese<\/a>, Barbera<\/a>, Malbec<\/a>, and Carignan<\/a>. White wine varieties include Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Sauvignon vert<\/a>, S\u00e9millon<\/a>, Riesling<\/a>, Viognier<\/a>, Torontel<\/a>, Pedro Xim\u00e9nez<\/a>, Gew\u00fcrztraminer and Muscat of Alexandria<\/a>.[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n

Chilean winemakers have been developing a distinct style for their Cabernet Sauvignon, producing an easy drinking wine with soft tannins<\/a> and flavors of mint<\/a>, black currant<\/a>, olives<\/a> and smoke. The country’s Chardonnays are less distinctive, following more the stereotypical<\/a> New World style.[2]<\/a><\/sup>While sparkling wines<\/a> have been made since 1879, they have not yet established a significant place in Chile’s wine portfolio.[4]<\/a><\/sup> In recent years, the Pais grape variety has been creatively employed on its own or in blends, to make modern wines that have received favorable reviews.[37]<\/a>\u2019<\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n

Chile has benefited from an influx of foreign investment and winemaking talent that began in the late 20th century. Flying winemakers<\/a> introduced new technology and styles that helped Chilean wineries produce more internationally recognized wine styles. One such improvement was the use of oak. Historically Chilean winemakers had aged their wines in barrels<\/a> made from rauli<\/a> beechwood which imparted to the wine a unique taste that many international tasters found unpleasant. Gradually the wineries began to convert to French and American oak or stainless steel tanks for aging.[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/i><\/p>\n

Financial investment manifested in the form of European and American winemakers opening up their own wineries or collaborating with existing Chilean wineries to produce new brands. These include:<\/i><\/p>\n