Viticultural Chile and the Chilean wine
Recopilated, adapted and translated from the book: "Vitivinicultural Chile. An Andean Country with a View of the Sea", by Alejandro Hernández (Buin, edited by "Grand Cru", 2006).
Early History of Wine in Chile
European vine cuttings first reached the Americas in 1493 aboard Christopher Columbus’ second journey. However it was not until 32 years after this journey that vines were first cultivated by Hernán Cortés, the conquer of Mexico. Under Cortés’ orders to “introduce the vines of the land to the vines of Spain,” the European Vines were grafted to indigenous American vines, producing a hybrid that proved to be more resilient to some insects.
Although the official birth of Chilean wine, was originally dated at March 8, 1555, recent research shows that wine was first produced five years earlier in 1550 by Alonso Moreno. During a time when importing wine was a painstaking and dangerous affair, Moreno was able to supply wine to celebrate Holy Catholic Mass with his own locally produced wine. Together, Moreno and other colonial settlers were able to establish the beginnings of wine production in and around Santiago as well as in some northern enclaves including Copiapó and La Serena.
By the late 17th century (and well into the 18th century) Chilean wines were well renowned and highly sought after throughout the Americas. Early sources on Chilean wine make special reference to its high quality and abundance. Chicha, one of the early popular products was an extremely potent beverage, possibly reaching 40% alcohol. As many of the traditional beverages of the region seldom reached 4% alcohol, many indigenous people were unaccustomed to such potent drinks and often resulted in alcoholism.
Although early vineyards were planted rather randomly, allowing vines to grow wherever they happened to land, vineyards at the end of the 19th century were transformed by a boost in irrigation canals. This increased efficiency allowed not only a greater number of vines to flourish but also improved the quality of the local wines. Together with improved distribution through the introduction of railway lines, Chilean wines soon became the preferred beverage throughout society, outselling both French wine and chicha.
Development of the Modern Wine Industry
The Chilean wine industry took a downward turn in the early 1900s. Under increasing government restrictions and the hardships of the World Wars, the industry soon fell behind the technological improvements being implemented in Europe and the United States. Unable to import new machinery or wood for ageing the wines, the industry was focused to rely on obsolete methods and native woods such a raulí (“Chilean oak”) that causes a bitter taste in the wine. This proved to be a major impediment to exports as Chilean wine soon became seen as poor quality.
A change to economic polices in the mid 1970s opened the door for Chilean winemakers to thrive. Spanish businessman Miguel Torres adopted new methods that combined Chile’s natural environmental conditions for excellent viticulture with the introduction of more modern innovations; oak barrels, new equipment and modern techniques such temperature controlled fermentation. This produced a wine that, although unpopular in Chile, enjoyed great success on the international market.
At this time numerous wineries were undertaking changes in ownership and structure with many of the new businesspeople choosing to follow Torres’ example and modernise their techniques and storage. Fortunately, these changes coincided with a period of fine wine shortage and thus provided the opportunity for Chilean wines to reassert themselves internationally. Since 1994 Chilean wine exports have proven to be extraordinarily successful with the preceding decade widely referred to as “the golden age of Chilean wine.”
Chilean Viticulture
The majesty of the Andes Mountain Range influences not only the panorama of the Chilean landscape but also the character of Chilean wine. Nestled between the Andes and the Pacific, vineyards have the benefit of a warming effect in the winter and cooling effect in the summer. In late winter, warm, dry air from the interior of the mountain travels down to warm the soil and promotes the vine to bud in spring. In the warmer months, the mountains lose the built up warmth from their exposure to the sun during the night, producing a cooler air that settles around the vines. The icy mountain peaks also prove to be an effective barrier to insects and fungi as these pests are unable to survive the transition from the lower agricultural lands.
In addition, early volcanic activity in the area has enriched the surface layer of soil with sediments and produced a greater deal of diversity in the soil. As the snow capped mountain peaks melt, the water carries sedimentary deposits with its flow down the slopes where it is then feed into irrigation canals where the vineyards take full advantage of the enriched water.
Chilean wine regions
As Chilean vineyards rely on naturally occurring environmental conditions to achieve their excellent quality, the good year/bad year phenomenon that affects other countries does not occur in Chile. Harvests are consistently good every year.
The vast range of subtleties found in Chilean wine can be attributed to diversity of conditions in which the wines are produced. Given this diversity conditions the same varieties of vineyards produce very different characteristics in wines. For example, white wines with good acidity, fresh fruit and impressive aromatic complexity are grown in a range of places; Casablanca and San Antonio in central Chile, Limarí in the north and Traiguén in the south.
The Maipo Valley is can be regarded as the home of traditional Chilean wine. Established in the 19th century under traditional guidelines, these wineries have maintained their classic character despite the introduction of some modern innovation. As the valley is connected to Santiago (Chile’s capital) there is an abundance of museums, churches and landmarks that add to the area’s sense of antiquity.
The Colchagua Valley boasts some of Chile’s most beautiful modern wineries. The wine route through this region was not only the first established but also internationally acclaimed for the variety that it offers to visitors. Of special interest is the “Wine Train,” a restored vintage steam-engine trains traverses between the cities of San Fernando and Peralillo.
Chile’s Wine Industry Today and In the Future
The success Chile’s wine industry is a result of a number of factors. Excellent environmental conditions for winegrowing, talented technicians and savvy businesspeople have all played a part in the development of the industry.
In the international market, the Chilean government has been promoting wine under World Trade Organisation (WTO) guidelines by modernising and expanding the industry. Amidst competition of the Old World producers such as France and Italy, as well as the New World contenders like Australia and California, Chile has set a world record by exporting over 60% of the wine it produces. With Chile holding almost 6% of the world’s total wine supply it has a well established place in the international market. With widely respected brands and a steadily expanding consumer based, Chilean wines have a promising future.
Chilean wine exports have grown increasingly, not only in terms of volume
but also in terms of the destinations to which wine is exported. Chile exported to only 53 countries in 1990 whereas, at present, Chilean
wines can be found in over 90 countries in the world.
The recent establishment of Wines of Chile (an association of
Chilean wine export companies) will add further momentum to export promotion
since it will allow developing generic trade strategies for Premium Chilean
wine.
Main Links to the Chilean Wine Industry
Vendimia Magazine
http://www.vendimia.cl
VitiVinicultura Magazine
http://www.vitiviniccultura.cl
Chilean Sommeliers Association
http://www.sommeliersdechile.cl
Universidad de Chile, Agronomy Department
http://agronomia.uchile.cl
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile -Wine Research
http://www.ceviuc.cl
Universidad de Talca (Wine and Technological Centre)
http://www.utalca.cl
Corporación Chilena del Vino A.G.
http://www.ccv.cl
Fundación Chile
http://www.fundacionchile.cl
Last updated: March 21, 2006