ADVERTORIAL • March 2017
A wine lover’s guide to Chile
To celebrate British Airways’ new direct flights to Santiago, and the launch of The Wine Explorer – a new wine buying service where Executive Club Members can collect Avios with every purchase – The Club meets expert Davy Zyw, wine buyer for Laithwaite’s, to find out more about Chile’s most impressive wine regions.
Plus don’t miss your chance to win two return World Traveller flights to Santiago with purchase of a special Wine Explorer case
Colchagua Valley
This valley is two hours south of Santiago, and is home to some of the oldest wineries in Chile. Stretching from the Andes Mountains to the coast, there is a huge variety of soils and grapes in this region. Renowned wines include Los Vascos, owned by the French Barons de Rothschild family, who make some of the most expensive wines in the world in Bordeaux. They pay the same attention to the quality and style of the Chilean range. The wines have a Chilean expression with a regal French polish.
Apalta
This is probably the most well-known regions for wine in Chile, home to Lapostolle, a winery that is built into the side of a hill along with a luxurious hotel and guesthouse. They produce fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon blends from ancient vines, many of which are farmed using biodynamic methods. This is also where you’ll find Montes Wines, the winery that arguably put Chilean fine wine on the map. Aurelio Montes kick-started a whole movement in Chile, and their wines have only got better over time. The Montes Folly, a single vineyard Syrah (also called Shiraz) grown just behind the winery, is one of the best expressions of its kind in the world. Fun fact: the iconic label was painted by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas illustrator Ralph Steadman, a long-standing friend of the Montes family.
Leyda Valley
To the west of Santiago, just 15 miles from the coast, is the Leyda Valley – a relatively new region with amazing soils and a very cool climate. The area was only irrigated in the 1990s, so it has only really made a name for itself in the last 20 years. Their Sauvignon Blancs are some of the best in the country. The most-sold white wine in the UK right now is Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and I’d say the ones produced here are just as fruity, expressive and delicious as Marlborough. Montes has a winery here, as do award-winning Luis Felipe Edwards.
Elqui Valley
This is one of the most dramatic places I’ve ever been, and one of my favourite regions. About a two-hour flight north of Santiago, the viticulture up here was primarily for Pisco, with vines planted by the original Italian immigrants. Set at a very high altitude, where the Andes and the Atacama Desert meet, it’s irrigated by original Inca water systems and almost looks like the surface of the moon. It’s probably more famous for stargazing than wine, but this means there is also an amazing air clarity and better photosynthesis in the grapes, so the wine is ripe and intense. One of the most famous wineries is Falernia.
Maule Valley
Set further south in Chile’s Central Valley, Maule is where the majority of the country’s vines are planted – it’s the most important region in terms of vineyard area, as well as being home to old vines. Balduzzi, a small family-owned winery in San Javier make beautiful expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon, but also produce stunning Chardonnay and red blends. Owners Monique and Jorge Balduzzi greet visitors with open arms and offer a great guided tour.
Purchase a special Wine Explorer case before 10 April 2017 for your chance to win two return World Traveller flights to Santiago. Terms and conditions apply. Become a Wine Explorer now.
And don’t forget that you can collect 1,000 Avios with your first order through British Airways’ The Wine Explorer, as well as an additional 250 Avios on future orders
This article has been tagged Advertorial, Food + Drink