The Valle de Maipo (Maipo Valley) wine-growing area is located around the capital Santiago in Chile. Together with the three areas of Rapel, Curicó and Maule, it forms the northernmost part of the huge Valle Central (Central Valley) region. The history of Chilean viticulture began here in 1555, when the Spaniard Juan Jufré de Loayza (1516-1578) planted vines he had brought with him from his homeland. The area is considered to be the best and the country's most famous export wines from the French varieties introduced on a large scale from the mid-19th century also come from here. It lies between the Andes and the coastal Cordillera and is crossed by the water-rich Maipo and Mapocho rivers. Depending on the climate, soil conditions and altitude, the area is divided into three sub-areas: Maipo Alto (at the foot of the Andes), the sunniest Central Maipo (the broad valley floor) and Pacific Maipo (on the coastal cordillera near the Pacific Ocean).
The climate is characterised by warm, dry summers with cool nights and strong temperature fluctuations between day and night as well as short, mild winters with little rainfall. It is particularly suitable for red wines. The vineyards cover around 10,000 hectares of vines on mineral-rich, sandy-loamy soils with good permeability. Artificial irrigation is mainly carried out traditionally via channels from the Andean snowmelt with a small proportion of drip irrigation. The red wine varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Malbec (Cot) are cultivated to 80%, and the white wine varieties Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Sémillon to 20%. Well-known producers include Almaviva, Antiyal, Canepa, Carmen, Concha y Toro, Córpora, Cousiño Macul, Haras de Pirque (Antinori), De Martino, Pargua, San Pedro, Santa Inés, Santa Rita, Tarapacá, Undurraga and Viñedos Emiliana.
Chile map: CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Chile wine-growing regions: Trekkingchile
