41 posts
As we’ve learned, Chile’s coastal wine country is heavily influenced by the Humboldt Current. Here are three excellent examples of the Pinot Noir being produced along Chile’s coast. 2022 Concha Y Toro “Amelia” Pinot Noir ($55) The grapes for this w...
The Humboldt Current, a chilly current that flows right beside Chile’s coastal wine regions, plays a big role in the climate and how grapes ripen. Two popular grape varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, are grown in Chile’s coastal wine regions. T...
As we’ve learned, Chile’s coastal wine country is heavily influenced by the Humboldt Current. Here are three excellent examples of the Chardonnay being produced along Chile’s coast. 2023 Miguel Torres Cordillera de los Andes Chardonnay ($20) Miguel...
The Topography of Chile’s Coast (Image from the Wines of Chile) As we discovered last time, the Humboldt Current generates a river of cold water that profoundly impacts the Chile’s coastal climate. This cold water current cools the air over the sea,...
The Humboldt Current (Image from The Wines of Chile) Behind some of the most distinctive wines of Chile lies an ocean current that has a major effect on vineyards in this area, not to mention weather patterns across the globe. How is it possible th...
Carménère (kar-men-nair) is a wine grape whose name is derived from the French carmin (meaning crimson). It was a grape that was thought to be nearly extinct. In 1994, fewer than 25 acres of Carménère remained in France’s Médoc, Bordeaux. But that al...
Fun facts about Carménère Here, courtesy of the Wines of Chile organization, are a few fun facts about Carménère: Chile has the most Carménère under vine in the world, at 10,332 ha/25,530 acres in 2021. By comparison, France has just 80 ha/197 acr...
Last time we took a brief look at the history of Carménère, thanks to the Wines of Chile organization. When we left off, Chile was faced with the question of what to do with the fact that an estimated one-third of what had been thought to be Merlot w...
Thanks to the Wines of Chile, a non-profit, private organization of Chilean wine producers dedicated to promoting the quality and image of Chilean wines, here is a brief history of the Carménère (kar-men-nair) grape. In 1994, fewer than 10 hectares ...
2019 Ritual Pinot Noir ($21) The Ritual estate is situated in the extreme eastern end of Chile’s Casablanca Valley that is heavily influenced by the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean — ideal growing conditions for Pinot Noir. Following organic...
2018 TerraNoble Gran Reserva Carménère ($18) The TerraNoble winery was founded in 1993, and has produced high quality wines that have been recognized and awarded. The winery is located in the Maule Valley of Chile and the vineyards are in the Maule...
Chile’s Coastal Sauvignon Blancs Chile’s Sauvignon Blancs are notably diverse, with the finest identified with the country’s coastal and cool-climate regions. These are not standard supermarket Sauvignon Blancs by any measure, but wines of personal...
Chile’s Coastal Sauvignon Blancs Chile’s Sauvignon Blancs are notably diverse, with the finest identified with the country’s coastal and cool-climate regions. These are not standard supermarket Sauvignon Blancs by any measure, but wines of personal...
2019 Ritual Sauvignon Blanc ($20.99) This organic Sauvignon Blanc is from the Casablanca Valley in Chile. This cool climate area is located on the northwestern side of Chile’s coastal range that is less than 30 km from the Pacific Ocean. This wine ...
Veramonte Organic Wines Earth Day is Friday April 22nd and here’s a great way to celebrate. Veramonte takes seriously how they produce their 100% organic wine. Veramonte employs organic farming practices, which are essential for helping the planet ...
Chile’s Maipo Valley is located in the Central Valley near Santiago, and just north of the Colchagua Valley. The Coastal Range separates the Maipo Valley from the Pacific coast on the west and in the east, the Andes Mountains separate Maipo from the ...
Last time we explored Chile’s Colchagua Valley that is located in the southern part of the Central Valley. Now, let’s explore one of Chile’s most important wine-producing regions, the Maipo Valley that is located just south of the capital, Santiago...
The Colchagua Valley The Colchagua Valley is located in Chile approximately 80 miles south of Santiago. It stretches south-east to north-west for 70 miles at its widest point with its western boundary formed by the coastal hills that run the entire ...
Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile’s Maipo Valley and Colchagua Valley As mentioned last time, Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted red variety in Chile and it is the grape credited with putting Chile on the world stage. It accounts for around 1...
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted red variety in Chile and it is the grape credited with putting Chile on the world stage. It accounts for around 100,000 acres planted which is just over 20% of all vineyard plantings in Chile. These viney...
The South American country of Chile has been producing wine since the 1500s. Bordeaux varietals began arriving in Chile in the 1850s and in the early 20th century, Chile saw a period of mass production and mass consumption of wines. Then, in the mid-...
2018 Primus “The Blend” ($18.99) Primus is a leading brand in the Chilean premium segment and a fine example of Chilean quality capabilities. The name Primus is Latin and means “the first” or “the first among its peers”, and for good reason. The win...
2017 Ritual Pinot Noir ($19.99) The Ritual estate is situated in the extreme eastern end of Chile’s Casablanca Valley that is heavily influenced by the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean — ideal growing conditions for Pinot Noir. Following orga...
2019 Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon ($11.99) Here’s another returning favorite from Veramonte which is made with Organic grapes and a really good value. The Veramonte wines are from organically farmed vineyards in Chile. Veramonte follows organic pra...
This is the third of three Behind the Cork™ features highlighting Chilean wines that collectively underline Chile’s historic commitment to sustainable wine growing. Their focus on sustainability includes environmental, social, and economic. The firs...
This is the second of three Behind the Cork™ features highlighting Chilean wines that collectively underline Chile’s historic commitment to sustainable wine growing. Their focus on sustainability includes environmental, social, and economic. Chile’s...
The next three Behind the Cork™ features will highlight Chilean wines that collectively underline Chile’s historic commitment to sustainable wine growing. Their focus on sustainability includes environmental, social, and economic. Chile’s elevated s...
2019 Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon ($25) This wine is from the Apalta Valley in Colchagua Chile. In 1994 Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband, Cyril de Bournet, discovered within the Apalta region a plot of un-grafted Carménè...
Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon ($6.99) The Frontera variatal brand from Concha Y Toro has a newly designed label featuring the iconic Andes Mountain range for their well-known wine. This non-vintage (NV) Cabernet Sauvignon is from Chile’s Central Val...
Veramonte 100% Organic Wines As we celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, here are the perfect 100% organic wines to celebrate with from Veramonte. These wines are from organically farmed vineyards in Chile. Veramonte follows organic practices throughou...
2018 Veramonte Carménère Organic Reserva ($11.99) This organic Carménère Reserva from Veramonte is produced from 100% Carménère (kar-men-nair) from the Colchagua Valley in Chile. The Carménère grapes are cold macerated for five days in open-top sta...
2019 Organic Sauvignon Blanc ($11.99) 2018 Organic Pinot Noir ($12.99) These organic wines from Veramonte are produced in the Casablanca Valley of Chile. Both are from organically farmed vineyards and delivers the maximum expression of their living...
2018 Ritual Sauvignon Blanc ($19.99) This is an organic wine from the Casablanca Valley in Chile. This cool climate area is located on the northwestern side of Chile’s coastal range that is less than 30 km from the Pacific Ocean. This 100% Sauvigno...
2018 Kalfu Kuda Sauvignon Blanc ($19) This Sauvignon Blanc from Kalfu is from the Las Terrazas vineyard in Leyda Valley, Chile. Leyda Valley is a sub-region of the San Antonio Valley wine region in Chile, just 55 miles west of the Chilean capital, ...
2017 Kalfu Kuda Pinot Noir ($19) This Pinot Noir from Kalfu is from the Leyda Valley in Chile. Leyda Valley is a sub-region of the San Antonio Valley wine region in Chile, just 55 miles west of the Chilean capital, Santiago. This region by the Paci...
2017 Ventisquero Grey [Glacier] GCM Red Blend ($20) This wonderful blend from Ventisquero comes from the La Roblería vineyard in the Apalta area of the Colchagua Valley. It is a blend of 62% Garnacha, 19% Cariñena (Carignan) and 19% Mataro (Mouvedr...
2015 Ventisquero Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva ($15) Chile has been producing wine for more than 400 years. But, in the past 30 years has really made great strides in producing highly notable wines. And the Maipo Valley has become Chile’s red wine coun...
Valdivieso Sparkling Rosé Brut ($13) Viña Valdivieso dates back to 1879 when Alberto Valdivieso founded Champagne Valdivieso, the first company in Chile and South America to make sparkling wine. Today they continue making sparkling wines and still w...
2016 Ventisquero Casablanca Valley Sauvignon Blanc Reserva ($15) This wine is from the Casablanca Valley of Chile. In the Northern region of Chile, this valley has strong coastal influences that keep temperatures cool, adding as much as a month to t...
2015 Valdivieso Valley Selection Sauvignon Blanc Gran Reserve ($17) Chile is turning out some highly-acclaimed wines that are also great values. This Sauvignon Blanc, from the Valle de Leyda in Chile’s San Antonio Region, is a fine example. Founded...
If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, you really should check out the highly-acclaimed wines coming from Chile. And, they’re great values too. Spanish missionaries began planting grapes in Chile in the 1500’s to mak...