Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness," combined with its earlier ripening, make Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon became internationally recognized through its prominence in Bordeaux wines, where it is often blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. From France and Spain, the grape spread across Europe and to the New World where it found new homes in places like California's Napa Valley, New Zealand's Hawke's Bay, South Africa's Stellenbosch region, Australia's Margaret River, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra regions, and Chile's Maipo Valley and Colchagua. For most of the 20th century, it was the world's most widely planted premium red-wine grape until it was surpassed by Merlot in the 1990s. However, by 2015, Cabernet Sauvignon had once again become the most widely planted wine grape, with a total of 341,000 hectares (3,410 km2) under vine worldwide.
Chile has a long history in the production of wine, with roots dating back to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors introduced Vitis vinifera vines to the region. In the mid-19th century, French wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère, and Cabernet Franc were introduced. During the early 1980s, the Chilean wine industry underwent a renaissance with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks and the use of oak barrels for aging. This led to a rapid growth in exports as quality wine production increased. The number of wineries in Chile rose from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005.
The Carménère grape is a wine grape variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, where it was used to produce deep red wines and occasionally used for blending purposes in the same manner as Petit Verdot.
Curicó Province is one of four provinces of the central Chilean region of Maule (VII). Its capital is the city of Curicó. It lies between the provinces of Colchagua and Talca and extends from the Pacific to the Argentine frontier, spanning an area of 7,280.9 km2 (2,811 sq mi). According to the 2002 census, the population was 244,053.
Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in colonial Spain, as well in the subsequent large Spanish and Italian immigration which installed its mass consumption. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, vine cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighboring regions, and then to other parts of the country.
Seña wine was established as a collaborative venture in Chile between Viña Errázuriz and Robert Mondavi. Since 2005 Seña is owned 100% by the Chadwick family, proprietors of Errázuriz, and is the personal project of Eduardo Chadwick. The vineyard has 42 hectares of cultivated vines, and had sales of 5,000 cases of wine in 2015. Since 2005 it is considered a company that participates in organic farming, through the biodynamic method.
Cachapoal Province is one of three provinces of the central Chilean region of O'Higgins (VI). Its capital is the city of Rancagua.
Casablanca, meaning "white house", is a Chilean city and commune located in Valparaíso Province, Valparaíso Region.
Cachapoal River is a tributary river of the Rapel River in Chile located in the Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region. The river gives its name to the Cachapoal Province.
San Antonio Province is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso (V). Its capital is the port city of San Antonio.
Limarí Province is one of three provinces of the Chilean region of Coquimbo Region (IV). Its capital is the city of Ovalle
The Chiles Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County, California and a sub-region within Napa Valley AVA. It was established as California's 81st AVA by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on April 19, 1999 after the ATF received the petition from Mr. Volker Eisele, owner of the Volker Eisele Vineyard and Winery proposing a new viticultural area in Napa County to be known as "Chiles Valley District".
Anakena is a privately owned winery based in the Alto Cachapoal area of the Rapel Valley of Chile. It produces a variety of styles. In September 2015 Anakena was bought by Accolade Wines for $30 million.
In terms of viticulture the Central Valley of Chile spans the O'Higgins Region (VI) and Maule Region (VII) Administrative Regions and the Administrative Metropolitan Region, and is the main growing zone for Chilean wine and coincides with the historical core of the Chilean Central Valley.
Cono Sur Vineyards & Winery is a subsidiary of Concha y Toro Winery and is the third largest exporter of bottled wine in Chile. Established in 1993, its name is a reference to its location in the Southern Cone of South America and a play on the word connoisseur. In 2015, it was the official wine of the Tour de France.
Ochagavia Wines is a Chilean winery, located in Macul, Santiago. The winery was founded in 1851 by Don Silvestre Ochagavía Errázuriz, an industrialist of the mining and agriculture. He visited to Europe and studied the latest winemaking. After his study, he went back to Chile, bringing the new style to Chilean wine by the grapes from Bordeaux, France. The red grapes were Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Pinot noir etc. and the white grapes were Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, Riesling etc. Thus the winery contributed to change Chilean wine history, and the founder is referred to as the father of modern Chilean winemaking.
Aconcagua is one of the five principal wine regions of Chile. It encompasses all winegrowing areas in Valparaíso Region. The Aconcagua wine region is composed of four minor wine districts; Casablanca Valley, Aconcagua Costa, Aconcagua Valley and Leyda Valley. "Aconcagua Valley" is a wine-producing region located 65 km (40 mi) north of Santiago in the east of the Valparaíso Region. It is a Denomination of Origin (DO) defined by the Chilean Appellation system, the legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown.
Maule Valley is a wine-producing region in Chile's Central Valley and is a Denomination of Origin (DO) as defined by the Chilean Appellation system, the legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. The area is located 250 km (155 mi) south of Santiago, Chile’s capital city, and forms part of the Central Valley region. It is one of the largest winegrowing regions in Chile and is also one of the country's oldest and most diverse valleys.
The Ñuble Region officially the Region of Ñuble, is — since 5 September 2018 – one of Chile's sixteen regions. It spans an area of 13,178.5 km2 (5,088 sq mi), making it the smallest region in Chile in terms of area, and is administratively constituted by 21 communes. It has a population of 480,609 inhabitants. Its capital is the city of Chillán.
