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.
Roussane is a white grape variety, planted on an area of more than 700 ha. Originally from Montélimar, it is also found in Savoie, Languedoc and Roussillon, and grows very well in calcareous, poor, stony soil. It prefers to be pruned short. Roussane is also called fromenteau, barbin or bergeron. The young leaves are bubbled with fine down. When adult, they become thicker. It flowers in June and matures in mid-September. The grapes are cylindrical in shape, the berries are small and turn red when ripe, and the wine produced from pure Roussane is of extraordinary quality. It has a delicate aroma reminiscent of coffee, honeysuckle, iris and peony. The taste of this wine improves with age. It is part of the blend of the appellations Vin-de-Savoie, Côtes-du-Vallée du Rhône or Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
white wines from the region of Casablanca Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of shellfish, vegetarian or goat cheese such as recipes of mussels with bleu de bresse, quiche with bacon and gruyère cheese or chicken el diablo.
On the nose in the region of Casablanca Valley often reveals types of flavors of tropical, cherry or honeysuckle and sometimes also flavors of mushroom, chocolate or black fruits. In the mouth in the region of Casablanca Valley is a powerful.
Sequence from the video « At the heart of the Mâcon terroir » which offer a stroll at the heart of the Mâcon terroir. It offers a focus on Mâcon-Montbellet, one of the 27 geographical denominations of the Mâcon appellation. Travel through the terroirs of the Mâcon appellation by watching the full video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF20y1aBZh8 Both are availablein French and English. Our social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BourgogneWines Twitter: https://twitter.com/BourgogneW ...
Sequence from the video « At the heart of the Mâcon terroir » which offer a stroll at the heart of the Mâcon terroir. It offers a focus on Mâcon-Uchizy, one of the 27 geographical denominations of the Mâcon appellation. Travel through the terroirs of the Mâcon appellation by watching the full video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF20y1aBZh8 Both are available in French and English. Our social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BourgogneWines Twitter: https://twitter.com/BourgogneWine ...
Clotilde Davenne, from the eponymous estate, mentions the cherry as a main characteristic of the Irancy appellation. She tells us about the Pinot Noir variety which reveals, in its northern location of Bourgogne, lots of freshness and fruitiness that gives the appellation a very special place among the wines of the region. This video is taken from the “Rendez-vous avec les vins de Bourgogne” program (June 2020). Our social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BourgogneWines Twitter: https: ...
