Fotos

Around 150km south of Santiago, following the course of the Tinguiririca River down from the Andes, the Colchagua Valley runs from the foothills east of the Pan-American Highway westwards towards the Pacific Ocean. The river provides a ready source of irrigation water, essential in this dry area. The regular, warm climate combined with high fertility, meant that for years the valley floor was considered ideal for a large production of bulk wines. In this long, narrow country the Pacific Ocean is rarely more than 80km away allowing winds to funnel up the valleys cooling the vineyards, especially at night. There are dramatic diurnal temperature differences, meaning cold summer nights, known to help grapes maintain acidity and to improve the colours and flavours in red varieties. Merlot, Carmenère, Malbec and increasingly Syrah are the wines that really appeal in this region...of course, in autumn, the clors are just stunning...this is the Santa Cruz vineyard just outside the city of Santa Cruz...stunning...