Maule Valley is the largest wine-producing region in Chile other than the Central Valley, of which it is a Part. It has 75,000 acres (30,000ha) under Vine, and has traditionally been associated with quantity rather than quality. But this is rapidly changing – the bulk-producing Pais vine is gradually being replaced with more international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère, and careful winemaking practices are being employed to make some world-class red wines from old-vine Carignan.
The Central Valley itself runs between the Andes and the Coastal Mountains from the Chilean capital of Santiago in the North to the up-and-coming region of Bío Bío in the South.
The Maule Valley stretches for around 60 miles (100km), and the Center of its wine production Lies 180 miles (290km) south of Santiago at a latitude of 35°S. Maule is further south than the Central Valley's star regions of Maipo and Colchagua. The large amount of land covered by the Maule Valley DO (Denominación de Origen) means there is a multitude of terroirs, from low-lying river valleys to Andean hillsides.
Maule Valley was one of the first areas in Chile to be planted to vine, and its viticultural history stretches back to the start of colonisation by the Spanish.
The region has Long been one of Chile's most successful bulk-production wine districts, as evidenced by the large amount of Pais still found planted here. It has only been in the past 20 years that Maule vignerons have made a move toward quality, pioneered by the Kendall-Jackson empire of California, which set up a winery here in the mid-1990s.
Despite this push toward modernity, some of Maule's better throwbacks have survived – the region is fast becoming known for some 70-year-old Carignan vines that are being used to produce Soft, earthy red wines with Richplum and black-fruit characters.
One of the more southern of Chile's wine-growing areas, Maule is slightly cooler than its northerly cousins and has higher annual rainfall, most of which occurs during winter.
Pinot grigio is a grey grape variety mutated from Pinot Noir. It has its origins in Burgundy, where it is called pinot-beurot in reference to the colour of the grey robes worn by the monks of the region. Established in Alsace since the 17th century, pinot grigio was called tokay until 2007. It is made up of bunches of small berries that vary in colour from pink to blue-grey. It is particularly well suited to the continental climate because it is resistant to the cold in winter and to spring frosts. This variety also likes dry limestone soils with plenty of sunshine in the summer. pinot grigio is well suited to late harvesting or to the selection of noble grapes, depending on the year and the concentration of sugars in the berries. Pinot grigio wines are distinguished by their aromatic complexity of white fruits, mushrooms, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, etc., and their great finesse. In the Loire Valley, pinot grigio is used in the Coteaux-d'Ancenis appellations. It gives dry or sweet wines with pear and peach aromas.
wines from the region of Maule Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of sautéed pork with pineapple, lamb breast with onions and tomato sauce or fillet of venison.
On the nose in the region of Maule Valley often reveals types of flavors of cherry, red fruit or black fruit and sometimes also flavors of non oak, microbio or oak. In the mouth in the region of Maule Valley is a powerful.
