The Winery Catalina Ugarte of Itata Valley of South

Discovering the wine region of Itata Valley

Itata Valley is a wine region in the Southern end of Chile's Long, thin wine producing zone. This historical, cool-Climate region is dominated by Plantings of Carignan, Muscat of Alexandria and Pais (AKA Mission, aimed more at domestic consumption), although producers are beginning to plant more modern grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Itata's boundaries cover an area measuring roughly 100 kilometers (60 miles) from North to south and only a little less from east to west, although given the small quantity of land under Vine, the density of vineyards is low. The area is defined by the convergence of the Itata and Ñuble rivers, and vineyards are mostly found clustered around the towns of Chillán, Quillón and Coelemu.

The Pacific Ocean, with its cooling Humboldt current Lies to the west, and the more well-known Bío Bío Valley wine region is just south of the area. The major port city of Concepción is just 65km (40 miles) south-west of the bulk of Itata's vineyards. The first vines are said to have arrived in the Itata Valley the 1550s, potentially making the region one of the first to be planted with vines in Chile. By the 20th Century, the region was associated with the production of bulk wine, which is evidenced by the large amounts of Pais and Muscat of Alexandria vines still planted here.

The region became unfashionable in the 1980s as Chilean producers started to put quality before quantity. It is only in the last ten years that interest in the Itata Valley has picked up as bodegas have begun to look carefully at the Terroir of the region and plant their vineyards accordingly. (© Proprietary Content, Wine-Searcher. ) The high-altitude Coastal Range, which brings moderated weather conditions to many vineyards further north, peters out as it reaches the port city of Concepcion, leaving Itata relatively exposed.