The Rise and Rise of Chilean Wine
Angelica Nohra
Wine Importer | Wine List Consultant | SpeakerAngelica Nohra is a seasoned Wine Importer, Consultant, and WSET Diploma graduate, with a passion for fine food and wine. As the owner of Direct Wine Cellars, Star Beverages, and The Blue Door Surry Hills, she brings years of industry expertise to wine lovers. On the In the Bottle blog at Direct Wine Cellars, Angelica shares trusted insights on wine trends, pairing tips, and more.
Chilé has had a rich wine making history
Some facts about Chilé:
1) Chilé is a cool climate region known for it's fruity, Bordeaux style wines.
2) Chilé produces more single varietal wines then any other winemaking region.
3) Chilé is divided into 3 areas from the coast (cool climate) to the Andes mountains (warm climate). Coastal Chilé is famous for Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc and Pinot Noir. The Andes and Inland Valleys are the perfect for Syrah, Bordeaux style varieties (Carmenere, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv etc)
4) Irrigation is no problem for Chilean winegrowers as the snow melting from the Andes provides a decent stream of water during the growing season.
5) Carmenere has become Chilé's signature grape after Phylloxera wiped the grape out of the Bordeaux region.
6) Over 70% of Chilean wine is exported! Foreign investment from the 1980s onwards started seeing the rise of Chilé's wine quality while still maintaining it's affordability in the marketplace.
We really enjoy this new world style of wine and when we were wondering which brand to bring to Australia, we couldn't go past Terra Noble. They have won the International Wine Challenge's Chilean Producer of the Year for a number of years and they are experimenting with varietals in new ways. We highly recommend trying a Carmenere from the Andes and one from the Coast and tasting the amazing versatility of this varietal!