Chile: Ideal Conditions and Well Suited Soils for Viniculture

Chile has conditions which are most ideal for growing wine grapes. Chile, in a way is isolated from the rest of the continent by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes Mountains to its east. The Andes trap right proportions of moisture for grape growing while long, dry summers and cool winters make it an ideal region and provide for consistent vintages year on year. Chile’s climate and its soils are well suited for viniculture. Wine growing regions span the length and breadth of the country, from Elqui & Limari valley in the extreme North to the Bio Bio Valley which is the South most wine growing area in the long and narrow strip of land which makes up Chile.

Elqui & Limarí Valley: The climate here is hot, a bit windy and dry; the rainfall is low, and the soil rich in nutrient. Add to this an integrated irrigation system and what you have are excellent conditions for harvests of sweet and ripe grapes. It’s a place called the Elqui & Limari valley region about 500 kilometres from Santiago. Merlot, Chardonnay, some Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chile’s trademark, Carmenere are cultivated here.

Aconcagua Valley: Mineral-rich with organic river sediments, rocky-sandy soil, combined with the Mediterranean climate of hot days and cool humid nights makes the Aconcagua Valley a place with near ideal conditions for viticulture. Wine is being cultivated here since 1870.

Casablanca Valley: Casablanca Valley located 60 km from Santiago has climate which is strongly influenced by the sea, with constant humid air due to a heavy morning fog. The soil is natural, clayey and quite rich in minerals fed from Andean snowmelt. The climate being comparatively cooler makes Casablanca near ideal for white grape cultivation. Chardonnay followed by Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Merlot are cultivated here.

San Antonio Valley: Just an hour’s drive from Santiago, San Antonio is a relatively new discovery of Chile´s wine producing regions with lots of potential. Exclusive Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are cultivated here.  The soils here are clay-loam and quite dry. The climate is influenced strongly by the ocean.

Maipo Valley: The best known wine region of Chile situated very close to the capital, the Maipo Valley is considered the very birthplace of its wine production. The most successful export wines are produced here. The natural soils are sandy and clayey, highly permeable and also rich in minerals. Rainfall here is less than 450 mm; the summers are hot and dry with mild winters. The conditions are ideally suited for the red variety of grapes to grow. The Maipo wine bearing region is divided into three parts growing a variety of different grapes from the predominant deep red to the elegant acid structure grapes.

Cachapoal Valley: A hundred miles to the south of Santiago, the Cachapoal Valley lies, criss-crossed by the Cachapoal River. The region has a distinct Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and mild winters. The differences in day and night temperatures are extreme. This creates favourable conditions for a variety of grapes. The Soils are natural, quite rich in minerals having sandy layers and lime-stone parts in many places. The majority of grape varieties found in Chile are grown here, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Carmenére and Malbec.

Colchagua Valley: The Colchagua Valley through which the Tinguiririca river flows  has similar climatic conditions  as its neighbouring Cachapoal Valley; sunny wineries, clayey soils rich in minerals with Mediterranean temperatures, producing  premium quality Chilean wines like Montes Alpha, Folly and Clos Apalta known all over the world for  value wines.

The Maule Valley is located some 260 Km south of Santiago which is cultivated with the red grape. The climate is cool with heavy clayey soils provides low yields but valuable wines. The Curico is also in the same region but more southward, having cool and windy summers with rainy winters. The soils here are rich in minerals and sandy which promote high yield varieties of grapes. One of the other traditional wine growing regions is Itata Valley, the soils here are naturally sandy as well as stony but due to mineral and organic river sediments, and it is fertile and high yielding.