The Best New Wines from Chile

Of particular interest to American consumers whose tastes run to a more restrained Old World style is the fact that most of Chile’s premier growing regions are strongly influenced by the cold Humboldt Current, which originates at Cape Horn, at the southern tip of South America. This current flows northward along the length of Chile’s western coast to Peru, and winds carry the cold air across all but the most inland of Chile’s vineyards. Moreover, winds from the east travel down from the Andes mountains, providing a cooling influence and allowing for drawn-out growing seasons, usually without major heat spikes. Those extended seasons permit full grape maturity, usually without exaggerated sugar levels and with healthy natural acidity. Eurocentric wine lovers would be very pleasantly surprised by the balance and focus of a number of Chilean wines today, especially the white wines from the Leyda, San Antonio and Elqui Valleys. Also promising are many of the pinot noirs from the Bío Bío Valley, which lies 250 miles south of the better-known Maule and Maipo regions.