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Importers of Fine Wines Since 1919 | Resources for the Trade |
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Where the Land Ends…Chile is a country that is defined by its geography. It has powerful, dramatic, natural boundaries—the arid Atacama Desert in the north, the soaring mountain peaks of the Andes to the east, the vast Pacific Ocean to the west and the cold expanse of Antarctica to the south. These physical barriers have kept the people of Chile both isolated—and protected. At no point in its 3,000 mile length is the country more than 220 miles wide! The mountains are visible from almost every vantage point, and the sea, if not overtly within eyesight, sends its blanket of fog rolling inland through gaps along the coastal range so that most Chileans feel gently buffeted between mountain air currents and maritime influences. The land is what makes this country distinct; it gives it character. Paradise Found
Viticulture here pre-dates grape culture in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina—the other Southern Hemisphere, New World wine regions. In fact, a strong grape growing and wine making tradition has existed in Chile for over 400 years! BUT, the grapevine is not indigenous to Chile. It arrived along with the Spanish conquistadores and Catholic missionaries—as a newcomer, there were few native pests to plague the vine. It thrived. Hot but not HadesThe climate in Chile is Mediterranean. This means that the growing season is warm and dry and that most of the rain falls during the winter months. Humidity is low and temperatures are moderated by the cold Humboldt Current that runs along Chile's coast. Literally, the growing conditions are perfect for the vine. Most of the vineyards are planted in a 1000 mile-long stretch from north to south, with Santiago positioned roughly as a half-way marker. The northern extremity is hot and dry, but temperatures drop and rainfall increases as you move south and east within this seemingly endless viticultural landscape. Previous| Next
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"Chile" in the language of its native people means "where the land ends".
The Andes mountain range alone fully encompasses one-third of Chile's total land mass. Most (75%) of Chile's population live in the flat, central portion of the country near the capital city of Santiago. The Atacama Desert is one of the driest deserts on earth. Francisco de Carabantes is generally credited with having brought the first vine clippings to Chile in 1548—probably from Peru and probably by sea.
Before the arrival of the grapevine, the indigenous people made alcoholic drinks out of native berries. In 1522, Spain mandated that every sailing ship en route to the New World carry grapevines for propagation.
The first vines planted were Mission grapes—also known as País in Chile and Criolla in Argentina. Regardless of the country where it set down its roots, it produced a rustic, rough, and in-elegant wine. País still grows in Chile today. Overwhelmingly, it is distilled into brandy or into Pisco, Chile's national distilled spirit. Summer temperatures rarely crest 90° F. This is important! It is sunshine, not heat, that ripens a grape. In fact, photosynthesis, the process which generates sugars within the grapevine, will shut down if temperatures exceed 95° F! Vines are planted both on the fertile, alluvial soils of the Central Valley and on the rocky, more desolate terrain of the Andean foothills. Temperature is impacted by altitude. Generally speaking, for every 250 foot increase in altitude, temperature decreases by 1° F. 
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Sandwiched between the Andes and a chain of coastal mountains is a long swath of fertile farmland: a central valley. It is crisscrossed by a number of rivers that bring snowmelt down from the mountain peaks. These rivers provide the rich soil with the water it needs to sustain a veritable sea of green vineyard land and crop land.
