The vineyards are located on flat fertile land, irrigated by nearby rivers or artificially. Most of Chilean wines come from the Central Valley region, a huge plateau separated in the West by a coastal ridge from the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains from the Argentine region of Mendoza in the East. The central valley is cut by rivers, which are actively used for the irrigation of vineyards.
Average harvests in Chile are 70 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest begins at the end of February and ends in May. The grapes are harvested by hand and processed in accordance with modern technologies. One of the most exported Chilean wines is red cabernet sauvignon.
Factors such as the excellent latitude of the vineyards with lots of sun, the Pacific breezes, the influence of the Andes mountain system, which provides natural protection against grape diseases, create almost ideal conditions for growing high quality grapes.
Popular Chilean wines
Chilean wines are ready to drink almost immediately after their production, they are filled with sun and have a bright, rich taste and aroma with notes of ripe berries, honey and tropical fruits. Chilean winemakers have already begun to win very prestigious awards at international wine exhibitions since 1870.
Chile does not have strict standards for naming wines. Usually local winemakers classify wines according to age into four categories: – Courant – wines of the same age; – Speral – wines of two or three years of age; – Reserve – wines of four to five years; – Gran wine – wines six years and older.