CHILE: Red vs White

There are those that prefer red wine, those that prefer white wine, those that prefer rose, and those that prefer bubbly.

And then there are those that are nondiscriminatory and like them all. Or, don’t like any.

Chile is better known for red wine, but, there are also areas where the climate and soil are better suited to grapes for white wines.

The Maipo Valley and the Casablanca Valley are two important wine regions in Chile, but they produce different styles of wine because of their different climates and soils.

Maipo Valley, located just south of Santiago along the Maipo River, is one of the oldest and most famous wine regions in Chile.

It is inland with warm days and cool nights because of the nearby Andes Mountains.

Maipo Valley soils are mainly alluvial gravel, sand and stones washed down from the Andes Mountains by the Maipo River. 

These well-drained soils stress the vines slightly, which helps create structured red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon.

Moving west towards the coast is the Casablanca Valley, a cool-climate wine region located between Santiago and the Pacific Ocean. 

Foggy mornings and mild temperatures make it ideal for growing grapes that are well suited to make white wines. 

The soil in the Casablanca Valley is often clay and sandy loam with some granite, which retains moisture and works well in the cool coastal climate. 

These soils help produce fresh, crisp white wines like Sauvignon Blanc.

It is hard to refuse a bottle of bubbly on a beautiful sunny day and enjoying it (responsibly) on the vineyard it came from. 

What a coincidence that my sister Marie was able to fly down from Toronto to join us and compare the differences between the two regions. 

For some reason I don't think it was a coincidence!