Curico

Curicó Valley is a wine-producing region in central Chile, located roughly 115 miles (185km) south of the Chilean capital, Santiago. It is divided into two sub-regions: Teno in the north and Lontue Valley in the south.

The Curicó is known for its reliable, good value everyday wines, particularly the reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon and whites from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Curicó’s vineyards are planted with more varieties than anywhere else in Chile. The first two grapes mentioned above are the most heavily planted, as they were when the region first appeared on the international wine map.

The reds may not consistently rival the best from Maipo, and its Sauvignon Blanc may not quite match the fresh, complex style found in Casablanca, but the valley is one of Chile’s workhorse regions and its output is consistent and reliable.

Curicó Valley growing conditions
With respect to climate, the eastern part of the valley – closer to the Andes Mountains – is cooler than the western section as it benefits from breezes coming down from the slopes of the Andes. In this way, it differs from regions further north, where the western ends of the valleys, being influenced by the Pacific Ocean, are generally cooler.

In Curicó, however, the hills of the Coastal Ranges dissipate the effect of east–west air movements. The major centers of production and the established high profile wineries (Echeverria, Montes, Viña San Pedro, TTorres and Valdivieso) are located around the cooler eastern towns of Curicó and Molino.

The meltwater rivers Lontue and Teno that flow through Curicó Valley (before converging to form the Mataquito River) have a significant effect on viticulture here. The region’s varied soils are derived from limestone and volcanic rock from the Andes and have been deposited in the valley over time by the rivers (alluvial) as well as by gravity (colluvial).

These soils are slightly more fertile than in many other wine regions of Chile. They are a factor behind Curicó Valley’s reputation as a good quality, bulk-producing region.

Chilean wine

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 has grown from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005

A large number of French people immigrated to Chile during the late 20th century, bringing more vinicultural knowledge to the country. Chile is now the fifth largest exporter of wines in the world, and the seventh largest producer. The climate has been described as midway between that of California and France. The most common grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère. So far Chile has remained free of the phylloxera louse, which means that the country’s grapevines do not need to be grafted with phylloxera-resistant rootstocks