Chile
July 24th, 2008 Posted in ChileChile currently has about 132 hectares of vineyards that make 4,500 hectaliters of wine per year. Because most of Chile is free from Phylloxera, many winemakers are using original vitis vinifera vines that have been around for 100 years or more. The average Chilean consumes 14 gallons of wine a year, which dwarfs the United States paltry 2 gallons per capita, and beats out England’s 12 gallons per year. This combined with a great deal of foreign investement, has made Chile an ideal place to grow and export wine. Chile is just beginning to capitalize on these ideal circumstances.
Chile’s most common grape varieties include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Moscatel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pais, and Merlot. The climate varies considerably throughout the country, due to the altitude of the Andes mountain range, and the coastal microclimates. The Humboldt current is a major influence on wine production, bringing cooling artic winds to the vineyard areas. The top quality wines in Chile come from areas with deep limestone soils.
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