Chilean Wine Regions

Regions (in descending order of acreage-320,000 acres total)

         Central Valley

         Aconcagua Region

         South Region

         Coquimbo Region

         Others

Chilean wine is divided by regions and then sub-divisions of valleys. Given Chile’s unique geography flanked on one side by the Andes mountain range and the other by the coastal mountain range, you have an extremely long stretch of coast line, valleys, and mountains in which to grow grapes. One way to categorize the wines is this way:

Coastal Regions: Cool climate varietys

Inland Valleys: Warm climate varietys

Mountains: Bolder wines

However, since many of the valleys stretch from the coast across the valley to the mountains, you can also think of the wine regions going North to South from a desert climate that requires irrigation to grow grapes all the way to Maule, Itata and Bio-Bio, where it’s wet and cool enough to do dry-farming, and finally down to the much cooler northern part of Patagonia (Austral region). The Austral and Atacama regions are still just in the exploratory stages of production while the Maule Valley and further south to Itata are areas with a lot of up and coming independent growers making all types of varieties

Regions & Valleys (North to South with what typically grows where)

         Atacama Region

Copiapó Valley: Various Grapes

Huasco Valley: Various Grapes

         Coquimbo Region (also famous for Pisco)

Elqui Valley: Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Pedro Ximenez, Muscat (Moscatel)

Limarí Valley: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Muscat

Choapa Valley: Carmenere, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon                       

         Aconcagua Region

Aconcagua Valley: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay

Casablanca Valley: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot

Leyda Valley: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

San Antonio Valley: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

         Central Valley Region

Maipo Valley: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere

Rapel Valley: This appellation encompasses both the Cachapoal and Colchagua Valleys

Cachapoal Valley: Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier

Colchagua Valley: Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc

Curicó Valley: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere, Chardonnay

Maule Valley: Pais, Carignan (often labeled VIGNO), Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Garnacha (Grenache), Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Cinsault, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Carmenere, others  

         South Region

Itata Valley: Pais, Cinsault, Muscat, Cabernet Sauvignon, 

Bío-Bío Valley: Chardonnay, Pais, Muscat, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon

Malleco Valley: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

         Austral Region

Cautin Valley: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Osorno Valley: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Map taken from Winefolly via: https://www.thewellessentials.com/blog/chilean-wine-regions-a-guide-to-the-best-vineyards-wineries-hLops

For more information about the different terroir in Chile: https://youtu.be/rKr3EnJl1uA

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