Winery Isla de MaipoChardonnay

The wine region of Limarí Valley

Limarí Valley is one of the Northernmost winegrowing regions in Chile, located 200 miles (320km) north of the Chilean capital, Santiago. This location places it at a latitude of 30° South, well beyond the latitudes traditionally associated with winegrowing. To provide context, the equivalent parallel in the Northern Hemisphere passes through Egypt, Iraq and northern Mexico. Despite all of this, Limarí Valley is not Chile's most northerly region; a further 50 miles (80km) north Lies the Elqui Valley.

The wine region of Coquimbo

The Elqui Valley wine region is located 400 kilometers (250mi) North of the Chilean capital, Central-valley/maipo-valley/santiago">Santiago, at the very southern edge of the Atacama Desert. Its latitude of 29° makes it Chile's northernmost wine region, for now at least; the country's determined wine pioneers are now setting their sights as far north as the Atacama. Traditionally the region focused exclusively on producing Chile's trademark brandy, Pisco, but today Elqui Valley vineyards are producing Bright, intensely Aromatic wines, most notably from Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah. As might be expected in an arid, largely uninhabited region surrounded by desert, the valley is hot and Dry making irrigation essential in all vineyards here.