Forgotten Wonders

Maule Valley

When it comes to well-balanced reds of great value, Chile's Maule Valley is hard to beat. The southernmost part of Chile's Central Valley, Maule is a large sub-region with many microclimates and soil types. The Maule River and the nearby Pacific Ocean both greatly influence its climate. Maule was one of the first places in Chile planted with grapevines. It is famed today for its 100-year-old Carignan vines and the densely sumptuous wines they produce. More typical, however, are its powerful Cabernet Sauvignon, spicy aromatic Carménère and plush Merlot reds. For whites, check out Maule's cheery Sauvignon Blanc and rounded Chardonnay. Chile’s Denominación de Origen (DO) classification system focuses on separating wines by the physical location of origin. To use the DO classification on a label, a producer must have pulled 85 percent of the fruit used in a wine from a defined regional location. The DO system names wine regions in the country from north to south.