Chile has a long history of wine making, going back to the conquistadores who brought grape vines with them in the mid 16th Century.

Much low quality wine has historically been produced (often from table grapes such as sultanas, but in the late 20th Century, the export business took off very quickly, and large amounts of quality wines were produced. The most common grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère, which is often regarded as perhaps the most suitable grape for the Chilean climate.

Chile is famous for being entirely free of Phylloxera, so wines do not need to be grafted.

Regions

In December 1994, the Republic of Chile defined the following viticultural regions, also known as viticultural zones or appellations:

• Viticultural Region of Atacama , within the III Administrative Region. Within it are two subregions, the Copiapó Valley and the Huasco Valley, both of which are coterminous with the provinces of the same names.
• Viticultural Region of Coquimbo , within the IV Administrative Region. It has three subregions: Elqui Valley, Limarí Valley, and the Choapa Valley. All subregions are coterminous with the provinces of the same names.
• Viticultural Region of Aconcagua , within the V Administrative Region. It includes two subregions, the Valley of Aconcagua and the Valley of Casablanca, Chile . The Aconcagua Valley is coterminous with the province of that name. The Casablanca Valley is coterminous with the comuna of that name.
• Viticultural Region of the Central Valley , which spans the VI and VII Administrative Regions and the Administrative Metropolitan Region. Within it are four subregions: the Maipo Valley, the Rapel Valley, the Curicó Valley and the Maule Valley.
• Viticultural Region of the South , within the VIII Administrative Region. Two subregions are included: Itata Valley and Bío-Bío Valley.

Reference and external link

• Asociación de Viñas de Chile A.G.