Maule Valley is a wine-producing region in Chile's Central Valley and is a

Denomination of Origin Denomination may refer to: * Religious denomination, such as a: ** Christian denomination ** Jewish denomination ** Islamic denomination ** Hindu denominations ** Buddhist denomination * Denomination (currency) * Denomination (postage stamp) ...

(DO) as defined by the Chilean

Appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bo ...

system, the legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. The area is located 250 km (155 mi) south of

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

’s capital city, and forms part of the Central Valley region. It is one of the largest winegrowing regions in Chile and is also one of country's oldest and most diverse valleys. The size of the region permits a range of distinct microclimates suitable for both red and white wines, though it is best known for its powerful

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon ...

and aromatic and spicy

Carménère The Carménère grape is a wine grape variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, where it was used to produce deep red wines and occasionally used for blending purposes in the same manner as Petit Verdot. A member of t ...

wines. Rich and volcanic soils predominate in the area, although certain parts of the valley have varying soil types, like the Empedrado area which is dominated by slate soils.

History

The Maule Valley was one of the first areas in Chile where vines were planted and its

viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, r ...

history stretches back to the start of colonisation. The valley was originally known for the quantity more than the quality of its wines, but in recent years it has attracted renewed attention. Since the mid-1990s, new technologies have been introduced, allowing the region to improve the quality of its wines. Despite this, some of Maule's old techniques have survived and the region is fast becoming known for some 70-year-old

Carignan Carignan (also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterr ...

vines that are being used to produce soft, earthy red wines with rich plum and black-fruit flavours. Maule lies at the southern end of the Central Valley and is one of the coolest wine-producing areas in Chile, although the

Maule River The Maule river or Río Maule ( Mapudungun: ''rainy'') is one of the most important rivers of Chile. It is inextricably linked to the country's pre-Hispanic (Inca) times, the country's conquest, colonial period, wars of Independence, modern hi ...

flowing east to west has a moderating effect on the climate. The river also provides the different alluvial soil types found around the region, which included granite, red clay, loam and gravel. On the slopes where the vines grow, the soils are free-draining and more fertile on the valley floor. Many hectares are grown organically and have been certified as organic for decades. The Maule Valley produces good value everyday wines of quality that has been improving over the years. There are also old-bush, dry-farmed vineyards that produce naturally balanced field blends of

Malbec Malbec () is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are n ...

, and other yet to be identified varieties. Newer plantations include

Merlot Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being u ...

, and Carménère with bright acidity and juicy fruit notes.

Grape distribution by varietal

* Climate: Mediterranean climate. 735 mm (28.9 in) of rain per year. * Soils: Alluvial soils, clay and sand. * Primary wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carménère, and old-vine Carignan. Total hectares planted: 785 ha (1940 acres)See Maule Valley Chart
www.winesofchile.org all right reserved, retrieved September 23, 2013/

References

{{Coord, -35.525505, -71.687175, display=title Wine regions of Chile

History

Grape distribution by varietal

See also

References