Chile wine : fine wines that started with Spanish
conquest
Chile wine started when Spanish Conquistadors planted vines there that they
had obtained from the Old World. Thanks to good soils, wet winters, and hot, dry
summers, Chile has some of the top wine grapes worldwide. Then the French
instead of the Spaniards became involved in producing Chile wine in the late
1800’s and even planted grapevines from home. The disease that bothered so many
vineyards in late 1800’s didn’t affect Chile; the French grapevines planted then
are still there today.
Chile wine is famous on a par with California, Germany, and France. Its wineries
which combine manual harvesting and the latest winemaking technology are
acclaimed. The grapes for white wine grown in Chile are Sauvignon Blanc,
Chardonnay, Riesling and Chenin-Blanc. The red grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, and Pinot Noir. The wine area has eight valleys. The Casablanca valley
is thought of as the top winemaker especially of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
The Maipo valley has Cabernets and Merlots. Wine, and gourmet tours are conducted
in the haciendas and bodegas (wine cellars) of these areas.
Another Chile wine area is the Colchagua valley. Tours are given in this area,
and these tours show their winemaking methods and give information about the
families that operate the wineries. The tour which is four hours long includes
breakfasts and wine tastings. Another area is the Maule Valley. It has the most
vineyards in the country. Some of the grape varieties include Chardonnay, Moscatel, Merlot, and Syrah. People from this valley have are in partnership
with the Chilean Production Development Corporation (CORFO) and the Chilean Wine
Corporation (CCV) to boost tourism. Visitors have two choices: they can go to
the wineries independently since they have their own guided tours, or they can
take weekend tours led by the tourism group, the Wine Route team. For wine
lovers who like to travel, Chile would be an ideal place.
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