Take a look at some of Chile's most exciting winemaking regions and get recipes to pair with the wines that are being made there.
Curico Valley
Three hours south of Santiago lies the Curico Valley, a wine region that is beginning to attract attention. European vines have been growing in the Curico Valley since the mid-1800s. Today it is one of Chile's biggest wine producing regions.
In the western part of the valley, where red grapes dominate the vineyards, the climate is dry and warm, and the vines prosper in alluvial soils. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenere are the main wines. Reds with "Curico character" generally feature good amounts of acid to balance out the rich ripe fruit. In the cooler vineyards, planted closer to the Andes, white grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Gewurztraminer produce well-balanced whites that combine ripe fruit and frisky acidity.