Chile

Rolled out like a red carpet along the western coast of South America, Chile’s odd and strikingly subliminal topography has made it winemaking royalty. With the majestic Andes to the east, the choppy Pacific to west, an arid desert plateau to the north, a host of Antarctic snow-capped volcanoes to the south, and finally a lush alluvial fertile valley sandwiched somewhere in the middle, Chile couldn’t be more interesting for the visiting vinophile. Whilst the fruity, fresh wines of the Central Valley have long been stable favourites, Chile owes its recent success to its more extreme regions, including the Leyda and Elqui valleys where high altitude and proximity to regulating ocean breezes combine to produce elegant, balanced wines to international acclaim. But the consistency and quality of Chilean wine comes not only from its breathtaking geography, but as a result of an eager and enthusiastic group of winemakers who have begun to truly understand their terroir by establishing the right grapes in the right place.