Maipo Province

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Maipo Province
Provincia de Maipo
Logotipo de la Gobernacion de Maipo.svg
Provincia de Maipo.svg
Location in the Santiago Metropolitan Region
Chile location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Maipo Province
Location in Chile
Coordinates: 33°45′S70°46′W / 33.750°S 70.767°W / -33.750; -70.767 Coordinates: 33°45′S70°46′W / 33.750°S 70.767°W / -33.750; -70.767
Country Chile
Region Santiago Metropolitan
Capital San Bernardo
Communes
Government
  Type Provincial
   Presidential Provincial Delegate Miguel Ángel Rojas Alarcón (Socialist Party)
Area
[1]
  Total1,120.5 km2 (432.6 sq mi)
  Rank5
Population
 (2012 Census) [1]
  Total440,591
  Rank3
  Density390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
   Urban
336,198
   Rural
42,246
Sex
[1]
  Men187,789.
  Women190,655
Time zone UTC-4 (CLT [2] )
  Summer (DST) UTC-3 (CLST [3] )
Area code 56 + 2
Website Delegation of Maipo

Maipo Province (Spanish : Provincia de Maipo) is one of six provinces in the Santiago Metropolitan Region of central Chile. Its capital is San Bernardo.

Contents

Administration

As a province, Maipo is a second-level administrative division of Chile, governed by a provincial delegate who is appointed by the president.

Communes

The province is composed of four communes (Spanish: comunas), each governed by a municipality consisting of an alcalde and municipal council:

Geography and demography

The province spans an area of 1,120.5 km2 (1,120 km2), making it the second smallest province in the Santiago Metropolitan Region. According to the 2002 census, Maipo was the third most populous province in the region with a total population of 378,444. At that time, there were 336,198 people living in urban areas, 42,246 living in rural areas, 187,789 men, and 190,655 women. [1]

Maipo Valley wine region

A Carmenere from the Maipo Valley. Maipo valley Carmenere.jpg
A Carmenere from the Maipo Valley.

Maipo Valley is the closest Chilean wine region to Santiago, the capital city of Chile. It extends eastwards from the city to the Andes and westward to the coast, stretching south toward the towns and subzones of Padre Hurtado, Peñaflor, Talagante, Isla de Maipo and Melipilla.

The valley includes over 7,302 acres (2,955 ha) of vineyards, more than half of which are dedicated to producing Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet blends. It is a historic wine-producing region and the birthplace of the Chilean wine industry, with vines growing there for the past 150 years.

The Maipo Valley can be divided in three sub-regions: Alto Maipo, Central Maipo, and Pacific Maipo.

Alto Maipo

The Alto Maipo sub-region is located in the foothills of the Andes, rising from 400 m.a.s.l. to 800 m.a.s.l. (1,300 to 2,600 feet), and is strongly influenced by the mountainous climate. The mountains make the zone particularly good for viticulture because they produce a great variation in temperature between day and night. This is because the sun must first rise above the Argentinean side of the Andes before reaching the western Chilean slopes, creating cold mornings, and then sets on the western side, leading to hot, sunny afternoons. The climate, combined with the poor, porous and rocky soil, puts the vines under stress which in turn produces a characteristically bold, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon. [4]

Central Maipo

The area surrounding the Maipo River is one of the oldest winemaking areas in Chile and was the first part of the Maipo Valley to be settled. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates production, but the region has also started producing Carmenere wines. Central Maipo is the warmest and driest of the three Maipo Valley sub-regions, with rocky alluvial soils and less rainfall than the Alto Maipo and Pacific Maipo, requiring drip irrigation. Vineyards are often planted along the Maipo River, an area known for its alluvial soils.

Pacific Maipo

Pacific Maipo is the youngest wine-producing area in the Maipo Valley and there are relatively few vineyards found in the vicinity of the Maipo River. Grapes grown in this region benefit from the coastal influence of the Pacific Ocean as well as the alluvial soils also found in the area. Red wines from Pacific Maipo have a refreshing, natural acidity from the influence of the ocean. The vineyards in this area tend to be tucked up against some of the smaller, low-lying hills that rise between the Andes and the Coastal Range so that they are protected from the harsh winds coming off the coast. [5] Because of the region’s coastal influence, Pacific Maipo is also a popular place for experimentation with the country’s white varieties, most notably Sauvignon Blanc. [5]

Concha Y Toro in Maipo Valley Concha Y Toro.jpg
Concha Y Toro in Maipo Valley

Grape distribution by varietal

Cabernet Sauvignon: 6,433 ha (15897 acres)Merlot: 1,103 ha (2726 acres)Carménère: 810 ha (2002 acres)
Syrah: 975 ha (2409 acres)Sauvignon Blanc: 694 ha (1715 acres)Chardonnay: 1,056 ha (2609 acres)
Pinot Noir: 129 ha (319 acres)Malbec / Cot: 80 ha (198 acres)Cabernet Franc: 259 ha (640 acres)

Related Research Articles

Cabernet Sauvignon Red-wine variety of grape

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 Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, 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.

Cabernet Franc Variety of black grape

Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being used in blends and produced as a varietal in Canada and the United States, it is sometimes made into ice wine in those regions.

Chilean wine Wine from Chile

Chilean wine has a long history for a New World wine region, as it was the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors brought Vitis vinifera vines with them as they colonized the region. In the mid-19th century, French wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère and Franc were introduced. In the early 1980s, a renaissance began with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks and the use of oak barrels for aging. Wine exports grew very quickly as quality wine production increased. The number of wineries grew from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005.

Carménère Variety of grape

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 Province in Maule, Chile

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.

Argentine wine

Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain. 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.

Choapa Province Province in Coquimbo, Chile

Choapa Province is one of the provinces making up the Coquimbo Region of Chile. It has an area of 10,079.8 km² and a population of 81,681. The capital of the province is the town of Illapel.

Cachapoal Province Province in Libertador General Bernardo OHiggins Region, Chile

Cachapoal Province is one of three provinces of the central Chilean region of O'Higgins (VI). Its capital is the city of Rancagua.

Casablanca, Chile Commune in Valparaíso, Chile

Casablanca, meaning "white house", is a Chilean city and commune located in Valparaíso Province, Valparaíso Region.

Cachapoal River

Cachapoal River is 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 Province in Valparaíso, Chile

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 Province in Coquimbo, Chile

Limarí Province is one of three provinces of the Chilean region of Coquimbo Region (IV). Its capital is the city of Ovalle

Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine Wine made in the northeastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine is wine made in the northeastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Once part of the Venetian Republic and with sections under the influence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for some time, the wines of the region have noticeable Slavic and Germanic influences. There are 11 Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) and 3 Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia area. The region has 3 Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) designations Alto Livenza, delle Venezie and Venezia Giulia. Nearly 62% of the wine produced in the region falls under a DOC designation. The area is known predominantly for its white wines which are considered some of the best examples of Italian wine in that style. Along with the Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, the Friuli-Venezia Giulia forms the Tre Venezie wine region which ranks with Tuscany and Piedmont as Italy's world class wine regions.

Central Valley (Chilean wine region)

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 the third largest exporter of bottled wine in Chile. It was created in 1993 as subsidiary of Concha y Toro Winery.

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 (wine region)

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

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 country's oldest and most diverse valleys.

Ñuble Region Region of Chile

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 (in Spanish) Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas
  2. "Chile Time". WorldTimeZones.org. Archived from the original on 2007-09-11. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  3. "Chile Summer Time". WorldTimeZones.org. Archived from the original on 2007-09-11. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  4. Maipo: Chile's Cradle of Cabernet Sauvignon BY MICHAEL SCHACHNER www.winemag.com retrieved September 23, 2013
  5. 1 2 Maipo Valley Wine Published by Wine-Searcher.com | Last updated 30-Aug-2013 by Wine-Searcher Staff retrieved October 08, 2013
  6. See Maipo Valley Chart Archived 2013-11-06 at the Wayback Machine www.winesofchile.org retrieved September 25, 2013