Casablanca Valley is a wine-growing region of Chile, located 100 kilometers (60 miles) North-west of the country's capital, Santiago. The east-west-oriented valley is roughly 30km (20 miles) Long, stretching to the eastern border of the Valparaiso province. It is best known for its crisp white wines, most notably made from the Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grape varieties which have gained it recognition as one of Chile's quality wine regions. It has attracted considerable investment from wine companies based in other Chilean regions who were looking to boost their white wine portfolio, and from abroad.
Pinot Noir, which is responsive to the cooler Climates found in this coastal area, is also grown with some success.
The region is relatively New by Chilean standards. Casablanca Valley's first Vineyards were planted in the 1980s during the revitalization of the Chilean wine industry. Expansion of vineyards around the industrial town of Casablanca followed, and vines now dominate the valley's landscape, even if a lack of water for irrigation (and restrictive local laws relating to this) have delayed vineyard planting.
Because it is only 30km (20 miles) from the Pacific Ocean at its furthest point, Casablanca Valley is strongly influenced by the cooling effects of the Humboldt Current, which flows up the west coast of Chile from the Antarctic. Cooling afternoon breezes blow from the ocean towards the mountains in the east, Filling the vacuum created by Warm air rising in the east. The reverse winds in the evening, however, are not sufficiently strong to provide a cool finish to Casablanca days.
Given the valley's location at 33°S (much closer to the Equator than any European vineyard), viticulture here is possible largely because of the oceanic influence, which brings cool morning fog and greater cloud cover than is found elsewhere in the north of Chile.
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
red wines from the region of Casablanca Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of sloth pork loin, leg with a spoon or seven o'clock leg or rabbit with mustard in foil.
On the nose in the region of Casablanca Valley often reveals types of flavors of cherry, black fruits or cream and sometimes also flavors of violet, plum or wild strawberries. In the mouth in the region of Casablanca Valley is a .
San Luis Obispo Coast was awarded on 9 March, 2022 by the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The new AVA establishes a 97 kilometer-long strip along California that locals call SLO (slow) Coast, describing the Pacific Ocean’s influence on the area’s culture and lifestyle, terrain, and wines. SLO Coast is located midway between two major California cities, San Francisco and Los Angeles, with Burgundy varieties making up a majority of San Luis Obispo Coast’s high-end wine pr ...
Results from the Decanter Retailer Awards provide Decanter readers with an invaluable guide to the best places to buy and enjoy wine across the UK, but that’s not all. The competition also provides support to UK-based charities, with all proceeds from entries donated for a third year in succession. From 2020 to 2022, including annual donations made by Decanter, Decanter Retailer Awards has raised a total of £81,000 for drinks industry charities The Drinks Trust and The Ben, as well as a ne ...
André Hugel was an 11th generation member of Famille Hugel, one of the region’s most influential and highly-regarded wine families. The Hugel family settled in the town of Riquewihr, located in the heart of Alsace, all the way back in 1639. André ran Famille Hugel along with his brothers, Jean and Georges, as it developed into one of the world’s top producers. It owns 30 hectares (ha) of prime plots in the Haut-Rhin area, half of which are classified as Grand Cru, and it buys grapes from a furth ...
