In case you didn’t know, Chile is the Theme Country this year at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. But you may not know which wineries will be there? The Remedy… I have the list here for you. With my many years past association with the South World Wine Society I can let you know that there are many very good Chilean wineries, and wines to be enjoyed.
- Anakena Wines (They have a very nice single vineyard Viognier that is recommended for a few years now.)
- Baron Philippe de Rothschild (French Bordeaux expertise in this Chilean venture)
- Viña Caliterra
- Canepa
- Carmen
- Viña Chocalan
- Chono
- Concha y Toro (one of the original Chilean wineries. Try their Don Melchor.)
- Cono Sur Vineyards & Winery (Most famous I think for their Pinot Noir. They do have an organic line of wines too.)
- Cousiño-Macul
- Cremaschi Furlotti (another winery well known for their Pinot Noir, but also try their Carmenere.)
- De Martino (At the Wines of Chile 2011 awards, De Martino picked up 8 medals, including 3 GOLD, and also walked away with 2 “Best in Category” trophies.)
- Emiliana Vineyards
- Viña Errázuriz (Located in the Aconcagua Valley, north of Santiago, this winery produces excellent wines, including a Wild Ferment Chardonnay. Also try their Max Reserva line of wines; they are top quality.)
- Haras de Pirque (another quality winery. This winery is shaped like a horseshoe. Owners like thoroughbred horses.)
- Junta Winery
- Lapostolle (A premium wine maker from the Apalta Valley. Owned by the Grand Marnier family in France. Using organic and biodynamic vineyard practices.)
- Viña Leyda / Viña Tabalí
- Viña Luis Felipe Edwards
- Viña Maipo
- Miguel Torres (This is the Miguel Torres from Spain. Try their Cordillera series of wines.)
- Misiones De Rengo
- Viña Montes (Another premium producer from the Apalta Valley. They were the first to plant Syrah which people said would never survive. The grapes are used for their iconic Montes Folly. Also try their Alpha range of wines.)
- MontGras (Not too far from the Montes winery, Montgras has a unique terroir called Ninquen producing excellent wines.)
- Viña Morandé
- Viña Quintay
- Viña San Pedro
- Viña Santa Carolina
- Viña Santa Rita (their winery in the Maipo Valley is a Historic Site. In the early 1800s Doña Paula Jaraquemada, then proprietor of the Santa Rita gave refuge in the cellars of her property to 120 Chilean patriots in the battle to achieve independence from Spain.)
- Seña / Viña Arboleda (A joint venture originally between the Chilean Chadwick family of Vina Errazuriz and California’s Mondavi family. Sena wine is made from a blend of six of the classic red grape varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.)
- Tamaya
- Viña Tarapacá (Located in the Maipo Valley, this winery’s head wine maker is Edward Flaherty, originally from California. Lots of tasty wines here.)
- Undurraga (Try their smaller production Terroir Hunter wines that show very specific terroirs in Chile. Maybe they will also bring some of their sparkling wines too.)
- Viña Ventisquero
- Veramonte
I am really looking forward to tasting the latest wines from these wineries, and meeting some of the winery principles when they were last here, or when I visited them in 2009. If you are interested in reading about my trip to Chile, here are my blog postings:
- Chile Day 2
- Chile Day 3 – Cerro San Cristobol
- Chile Day 4 – Casas del Bosque
- Chile Day 6 – Errazruiz
- Chile Day 7 – Maipo Valley – Santa Rita, Undurraga, Tarapaca
- Chile Day 9 – Montes and Montgras
- Chile Day 10 – Casa Lapostolle and Viu Manent
If all this talk of Chilean wine has peaked your curiosity, why not fly to Chile (and Argentina) with me in May 2012 and visit some of these wineries on my Wine Experience Tour. Here is the Tour link. Enjoy the VPIWF!
