The wines of Chile may be viewed today as inexpensive, everyday wines but its export history to the U.S. suggests a more distinctive past.  My curiosity was piqued when browsing through an old book I picked up at an estate sale in Downtown Napa.  The book is The Gourmet Cookbook Volume II, published over half a century ago in 1957.
I love picking up these old food or wine books since it reveals what consumers liked back then and retro is back in.  The book contained a Wine Sampler that paired …

Organic farming isn’t easy or cheap.  It’s difficult in humid regions because of the risk of mildew and rot and it’s easier in regions with dry growing seasons like Alsace and the south of France.  In Chile, farming comes about as pure as the snow melt from the Andes which is used for irrigation and the natural rootstock of its vitis vines.  And with the influence of the cold Humbolt Current moving northerly along the coast, rainfall is relatively low.
Some of the largest individual organic vineyards in the world are …

Carmenere changes the way I view Chile as a wine region, that is, as a high quality everyday wine producing region.  To be a ‘great’ wine region, producers need to grow and make wines that are so distinctive by grape variety, winemaking and character that if tasted blind, one could say for example, this syrah is from the Northern Rhone.  I couldn’t say that in the past with Chile’s New World style international varietal wines.    But with carmenere, Chile produces a signature wine that outclasses even carmenere’s traditional home, cool climate Bordeaux.  In Chile’s sunny and …

There are scores of white varietals from around the world for Americans to discover, but in a restaurant or for a crowd, sauvignon blanc is usually the go-to wine that seems to please everyone.  It is a classic grape variety that has distinct characteristics such as citrus flavors and crisp acidity, but each wine’s personality will be influenced by regional climate, winemaking technique or blending (such as with semillon in Bordeaux).
This week I’ve been tasting Chilean sauvignon blancs in the $10-13 range that are fresh and fruity wines ideal for everyday enjoyment.  In Chile, the most notable …

The Leyda Valley in Chile is less than ten miles from the icy Pacific ocean and a little over 25 miles south of Casablanca, well known for its cool climate grapes.   It’s no surprise that cool climate pinot noir can do well in this relatively young appellation of Leyda Valley, and in fact its one of the three regions  - along with Casablanca to the north and Bio Bio to the deep south – that are increasingly known for their pinot noir wines.
The winery credited for securing the denominacion de origen (official …