CHILE'S BRAVE NEW WORLD

Chilean winemakers seek to captivate a global audience with terroir-driven reds

- AARON ROMANO

Many Chilean vintners are tired of hearing about quality-to-price ratios when it comes to the country’s wines. “We are still swimming in that ocean, but there’s an effort to push the upper levels,” says Aurelio Montes of Viña Montes, referring to the perception of Chile as a source for good value. Yet Montes admits that the challenge remains, noting that approximately 80% of Chile’s exports are large-scale, affordably priced wines, while only 20% are premium-tier bottlings. “Part of that is cash flow,” he says. “Every winery has some proportion of production reserved for niches, but those don’t pay the bills at the end of the day.”

If you’ve been following Chilean wine in recent years, you may know that many producers have been searching this narrow but fertile country for promising new areas to plant grapevines. That trend has continued, with vintners extending Chile’s winegrowing boundaries in multiple directions. At the same time, they have refocused their attention to established regions such as Maipo and Colchagua, fine-tuning the classic reds that have long defined these areas.

Looking at the country as a whole, Chile produces a wealth of distinctive offerings. There are rich Cabernets, lithe Carmenères, lively old-vine Carignans, fresh Sauvignon Blancs and more. Finding many of these wines is relatively easy, since Chile ranks fourth in total wine exports worldwide. And yet, despite their quality, value and availability, Chilean wines have struggled to capture the hearts of American wine drinkers.