As the most deadly pest in the history of viticulture tore through most of the wine-making world causing widespread destruction to grape vines in the late 1800’s, how is it that the long nation of Chile has remained relatively unaffected to this day?

Continuing our focus on Chile for the month of March, we look at what makes Chile the world’s most suitable natural environment for growing wine grapes, how it benefited from its natural barriers and a benevolent Mediterranean climate, and why such a large proportion of Chilean wine reaching us today is bio-dynamic without the producer having to lift a finger.

In most parts of the world, the organic production of wine can be quite labour intensive and there’s a lot of thought that goes into making a vineyard bio-dynamic, and the final product organic for that matter. For some areas, it’s simply not viable to omit the use of industrial pesticides, such is the nature of the environment. So what makes Chile so different?

Climate

Chile’s climate is highly influenced by the cooling effect of the Pacific Ocean and the Humboldt Current that begins in the icy waters near Antarctica and flows up the western coast of South America. When the effect of the Humboldt’s cold current hits Chile’s northern coastline it produces clouds and fog, but little or no precipitation, which then contributes to making the Atacama Desert the driest on Earth.

Geography

The cool sea air is partially blocked by the Coastal Mountains, although it finds its way inland by following the course of the transversal river valleys. During the day, sea breezes carried by the cold Humboldt Current penetrate inland, and each night, cold air descends from the snow covered peaks of the Andes.

Chile’s geographic barriers - the Atacama Desert to the north, the Andes Mountains to the east, the Patagonian ice fields to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west - make it a veritable agricultural island. Together they help maintain healthy conditions and protect vineyards against pests and disease.

Soil & Terroir

With so much geographic variety, the Chilean landscape also offers a vast mosaic of terroirs and soil types. Soils are healthy, well-drained, and have a variety of origins (alluvial, colluvial, fluvial, etc.) and textures (loam, clay, sand, silt). Despite the relatively dry atmospheric conditions, abundant water for irrigation flows from the ice caps of the Andes Mountains that tower all along Chile’s eastern border.

Altitude

In recent years, more and more vineyards creep closer and higher to the peaks, where the sun is slow to appear over the eastern peaks and makes up for its late arrival with the intensity that comes with altitude. Currents of wind climb and descend over the course of the day to create a daily pendulum of temperatures that swings broadly between daytime highs and night time lows. This is just what rich red grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, thrive on.

Not long, but wide

Curiously, it’s not the distance from the equator that plays the dominant role in the diversity of Chile’s grape growing exploits, but rather the proximity to the Pacific Ocean or the Andes Mountains. Chile has much greater diversity in soils and climates from east to west than from north to south.

Both Santa Alicia and Tabali farm very close to organic. Although not certified, Sierra Grande produces wine from organically grown grapes. 20% off all Chilean wines for the month of March (discounted at checkout).

Educational material courtesy of winesofchile.org

You didn’t just think it was the Old World who focused on the significance of region, did you? Those people who are in any way observant will notice that most wines will be labelled with specific regions or sub-regions.

Of the New World countries, it is probably Australia who is currently investing the most time and money into educating the consumer on the importance of regional identification. It’s important because wine from one region to the next can be vastly different, even if it is the same grape being used. You can catch up on Australia’s evolving story in our regional heroes series.

Chile is another New World country to realise the importance of regional identity. If anything, it has the most diverse terroir in the world. After all, we are talking about a country 2,700 miles from top to bottom, which, needless to say, allows it to have an incredibly varied climate, ranging from the world’s driest desert (the Atacama) in the north, to a Mediterranean climate in the centre, and a rainy temperate climate in the south. It is getting almost the whole mix of the southern hemisphere climate.

There are four key regions in Chile - Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Central Valley (Valle Central) and the most southerly region simply known as the Southern Regions or Southern Chile. Each has sub-regions and some have zones within those sub-regions. The bulk of Chilean wines are regional, hence wines labelled “Central Valley”, with no other distinction of origin, have grapes sourced from growers throughout several different parts of the region. They are brought together to be processed and bottled in one location, which may even be outside of Chile. A lot of the less expensive wines are made in facilities in Chile and then bottled in the Europe or the USA to save on transport costs.

The most productive region is Central Valley, with the sub-regions of Maipo, Curicó, Maule and Rapel. Rapel Valley consists of two zones called Cachapoal and Colchagua. Just across the Andes is Argentina’s Mendoza wine region. Maipo and Rapel are well known for their Cabernet Sauvignon, with Curicó getting a name for its Chardonnay.

The sub-region of Casablanca, within Aconcagua, is a cooler climate area, producing some fantastic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but perhaps the most fascinating sub-region for me is Limarí Valley, part of Coquimbo, which is the most northerly wine region. Next door to the driest place on Earth, it produces some real blockbusters, the best of which still have the minerality, elegance and poise of the worlds finest wines. To find out more about the promised land of Limarí, click here.

If you’re tempted to indulge, look up Santa Alicia’s Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon and Tabalí’s Especial powerhouse red blend from Limarí Valley. There’s 20% off all Chilean wines for the month of March (prices discounted at checkout).

Thanks to winesofchile.org. Picture of the Guanacos courtesy of Santa Alicia.

The month of Spain has been and gone, but it’s a close cousin in the limelight for the month of March, with a generous 20% off all the wines of Chile.

Top 10 or so random facts about Chile and her glorious wine

1. Chile’s population is heading on an estimated 17 million. They speak Spanish and their currency is Chilean pesos.

2. More than 4,300 km long and an average of just 177 km wide, the country is rich in geographic and climatic diversity rarely found in a single country.

3. Their principal exports are fish, paper, copper, fruit, pulp… oh, and wine.

4. Chile claims about 1,250,000 square kilometres of Antarctica, although all claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty.

5. One of Chile’s founding fathers was Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme. He was of Irish descent, with his father being born in Sligo. There is a plaque in his honour in Merrion Square, Dublin, and in the Garavogue River Walkway in Sligo.

6. Wine grape vines arrived in the 1500s with the Spanish missionaries who needed wine to celebrate the Catholic mass (around 80% of the population are now Catholic).

7. Chile’s signature grape is Carménère, which was thought to be Merlot until the mid-1990’s. It was brought over from Bordeaux, before Phylloxera had hit the region. It is now in the safe hands of the Chileans, and boy, are they making good use of it.

8. The Atacama desert is the driest place on earth. Lying just south of it is Limarí Valley, where some of Chile’s most exciting and concentrated wines are being nurtured.

9. Chile uses less pesticides in the vineyard than any other wine producing nation. As a result, many of the wines are organic, despite not being certified organic.

10. For reasons that have never fully been understood, Chile remains Phylloxera-free to this day.

Thanks to winesofchile.org for some of the fab content. Click here to view our sale on Chilean wines.

I’m starting to think we’re doing something right in this new (well, new for us anyway) world of blogging. Last Thursday night we were delighted to hear we were awarded Silver for Best in Blogging at the prestigious 8th annual Digital Media Awards in Dublin! It’s fantastic news, especially considering the competition. Ronan Lyons bagged first place and the trophy, so fair play to him! The winners page can be viewed on digitalmedia.ie

March 27th is the date of the Irish Blog Awards in Galway, so be there or be square!

Even the most fervent beer drinkers among us (myself included) are able to hazard a good guess at the most famous wine producing region in Spain.

Before those classy little numbers from Toro and Ribera del Duero found their way to these shores, Rioja was the only Spanish wine most of us really considered or were familiar with. As a result, prices sneaked up to reflect demand, but they seem to have found their level now. It has a long tradition of producing unique, aged wines of incredible drinkability, and despite being challenged from rival regions in terms of value for money, great buys are really quite easy to find.

The red Tempranillo is the key grape variety, and is often blended with other popular varietals. To name the three main grapes - Tempranillo for acidity and elegance, Garnacha (aka Grenache) for spice and luscious berry fruit flavours, and Graciano for structure and ageing potential.

Grapes and the terroir are not the only things to have their say on the characteristics of the wine. The traditional winemakers of Rioja are very keen on using American oak, which is generally more powerful than French oak, adding sweet vanilla-like overtones. Those of us with a keen nose may also be reminded of tobacco, cedar and smoky oak. Crianza is aged for at least two years, one of which is in oak. Reserva is aged for three years, with at least one year in oak, and Gran Reserva has at least two years in oak and three years in bottle.

Whilst the traditionalists will age in oak and bottle for lengthy periods, the standard Rioja, young and usually inexpensive, many of which are aged in French oak and released after 3-4 years, are more about the rich, ripe, vibrant fruit characteristics. Perhaps more of a drink now proposition.

Rioja is not without its whites, with Viura (Macabeo), Malvasía and the Garnacha Blanca reigning supreme. There are many lovely examples, but the reds will always dominate for their sheer brilliance.

You’ve still got time (last day Sunday 28th February) to avail of our Spanish wine sale with 20% off, including the wines of Rioja, Rías Baixas, Ribera del Duero and more. Prices will revert to normal on Monday 1st March.

Home of one of my favourite grape varieties, Rías Baixas lies in Spain’s north west corner and is Galicia’s top wine producing region. It is responsible for some of Spain’s most popular dry white wines, many of which are from the Albariño grape.

They have those monks to thank again, as they were the first to introduce and harvest Albariño in the 12th century. The white grape variety now covers around 90% of vineyard area. Crisp and fragrant, the wines have bags of flavour, some which may remind you of stone fruits, such as apricot and peach.

Rías Baixas achieved DO status in 1988. It was joined by a few other big wine producing regions around this time, as the country finally geared themselves towards leaving the devastation of Phylloxera behind them. For years after the pest had ravaged vines across Europe, the region had been producing a lot of low quality wine from high yielding hybrids (a cross between two grape species).

In the late 1970’s, however, growers were encouraged to replant native varieties and in turn they were given incentives from the government and the EU to help build more modern wine making facilities. From here, Rías Baixas grew from strength to strength and their fantastic wines are now widely available from good stockists worldwide and here in Ireland. Adventurously, a few wineries have started to experiment with the use of oak in Albariño, including Valdamor.

The DO is divided into 5 sub-regions, all offering something a little different in terms of terroir. Godello and Torrontes are among a few other grape varieties that are permitted to be grown.

There’s no better time and place to take advantage of the treasures of Rias Baixas than here, with 20% off all Spanish wines for the month of February (while stocks last).

An interesting article by Tim Atkins (Master of Wine and wine writer for UK newspaper, The Guardian), raises a debate which I imagine has been going on for some time. He was responding to some questioning on the relevance of wine critics. “Misguided elitists” who talk among themselves rather than being concerned about guiding consumers is how he describes the taunts.

The most reputable wine critics, Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson to name a few, make a very good living from scoring wines and releasing comprehensive buyer guides. This is one end of the scale. So many wine drinkers take their every word as gospel. They are almost celebrities. The other end of the scale is the multitude of wine lovers, myself included, who just like writing about wine and sharing their experiences. Whether people really take notice of us is another matter.

Critical scores are great for some. For others, they just drink what they like. I thought this was a good paragraph from Atkins.

One of my favourite cartoons shows a punter tasting a sample in a wine shop. “This is disgusting,” he tells the manager. “The Wine Speculator gave it 96 points out of 100,” replies the manager. “OK, I’ll take 10 cases,” says the punter. People who buy wines they don’t like because someone else tells them to are fools.

Many wineries rely heavily on awards and accolades to sell wine because so many consumers rely on them to buy wine. My slight concern with the likes of the Decanter Awards and the International Wine Challenge is the cost to enter them. Many of the wineries who don’t have the marketing spend, or who decide to use it elsewhere, will not enter these competitions and will not be recognised, even though they possibly have a wine better than those partaking in their category.

So many excellent wines, for whatever reason, may be escaping the limelight. Despite this, accolades and awards may very well help to provide a better buying decision. I think wine critics and awards are a great thing. Many of our wines have received superb recognition, and rightfully so, but remember to take them with a pinch of salt. After all, nobody can tell you what the best wine in the world is. Only you know that.

Tim Atkins article is well worth a read.

Toro, a red wine zone in Castilla Y Leon, is another little pocket of Spanish gems. Famous throughout Spain since medieval times, the region boasts some of Spain’s oldest vines.

Tinta de Toro, like Tinto Fino of Ribera del Duero, is a variant of Tempranillo that has adapted to the harsh climatic conditions of the area (temperatures can drop as low as -11 degrees C in the winter!). If left to ripen during the warmest months, the grapes can produce wines with very high alcohol levels, so DO regulations put a cap of 15% on all wines. As a result, winemakers are careful to pick at the right time.

The thick-skinned grapes make for character-filled reds famous for their colour and strength. Most of Toro’s best-known wines are 100 percent Tinta de Toro, although wines with just 75 percent of the variety can still qualify for DO status. Other varieties grown here include Garnacha and Cabernet Sauvignon (although only Garnacha is allowed to be blended with Tinta de Toro in DO-certified wines). A few white wines are made as well, mainly from the varieties Malvasía and Verdejo.

Toro was a key wine region during the Phylloxera crisis at the end of the 19th century. The sandy soils in the area restricted the spread of the destructive insects, so the vines were relatively well protected. As a result, exporting to France and further afield became a big business. The region was officially granted DO status in 1987.

For a piece of Toro magic, check out our Decanter Silver Medal winner, Quinta el Refugio Tinta de Toro. Selling at €8.39 (for the month of February), this is easily drinking like a €12 or €13 wine.

Yo no hablo español, so I’ll stick to English. It’s Spain month here on Curious Wines, and to further celebrate 20% off our fabulous Spanish range, we’re conducting a four part feature for February on some of the country’s most popular and up and coming wine regions, starting with the historic white wine DO of Rueda.

Located north west of Madrid and south west of Ribero del Duero, the DO lies in the province of Vallidolid on a flat elevated plain around 700 metres above sea-level. Referring to recent times, the potential of the area was discovered in the 1970’s by Bodegas Marques de Riscal of Rioja, who made a delicate white wine from the Verdejo grape to partner its red Rioja. By 1980, Rueda had earned DO status, which helped to further establish itself as a source of quality white wine.

The Verdejo grape is most at home in Rueda, despite originating (or so it’s thought) in South Africa. This white grape produces wines that are fairly aromatic and full bodied, yet very fresh, fruity and elegant. Viura (also known as Macabeo) and Sauvignon Blanc are also permitted within the DO, as well as the lesser grown reds of Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Garnacha.

Despite going from strength to strength in the past 40 years, Rueda has been commercially producing wines since the 11th century, when monastic orders settled in the area and founded vineyards. For hundreds of years the winemakers of the region enjoyed being part of a relatively healthy industry, until Phylloxera struck at the end of the 1800’s. They ultimately suffered the same fate as the rest of the European wine industry.

Recovery was slow until the 1970’s, but modern-day Rueda is getting it right in the vineyard and in the winery, rightfully earning a name for their signature fruity whites, much of which is being compared to the finest from Sancerre and New Zealand.

For a taste of Spain’s best Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc, check out our Rueda wines, with 20% off indicated prices.

As of Friday 29th January at 5pm, we have 13 people taking part in our Twitter Blind Wine Tasting, but it’s not too late for you to join in this Sunday (January 31st at 8pm) if you live in Cork, as our Bandon store is open until 6pm on Saturday evening. Feel free to pop in and collect your secret bottle from there.

All you have to do on Sunday is follow Brian (@brianclayton), Kevin (@kevatfennsquay), and/or ourselves (@curiouswines), and use the tag #twebt in all your tweets.

Have fun!