Being autonomous, Chileans were free to travel the world and own land. Viticulture was on the rise as clippings from European vines were brought back to Chile to be produced into wine for personal and local consumption. One Landowner was Silvestre Ochagavia, who in 1851, pioneered the commercializing the wine industry.
This coming weekend, September 10th and 11th, City Vino will be featuring wines that fall under the classification as “orange” wines. They are not made from the citrus globes of fruity delight, though they may have a color that is more in the orange color palette.
Cabernet Franc is well known for being a blending grape in Bordeaux, but it is so much more than that. It is not only one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, but also a parent of Merlot and Carménère. Cabernet Franc is also one of the top 20 most-planted grapes in the world. It is believed that Cabernet Franc originated in the Basque region in France, where Northern Spain meets with Southwestern France, near the cost of the Bay of Biscay.
The Maule Valley is one of Chile’s designated wine producing areas. It is located over 150 miles south of Chile’s capital city of Santiago, and is the southern part of a region called the Central Valley. This large region is one of the country’s oldest and most diverse wine growing areas, dating back to the original colonization of the area by the Spanish.
Have you ever wondered how wine grapes are grown in what seems like difficult climates like South America, Germany, South Africa, and Canada? The answer lies in mitigating factors such as choice of grape, proximity to bodies of water, currents, winds, altitude, aspect, mountain ranges, and even types of soils.
