The arrival of Spanish conquerors in Chile during the 16th century allowed for the planting of grapevines in different parts of the territory for wine production, finding fertile land that enabled them to expand easily. The initial vines were intended for self-consumption and religious purposes. With the arrival of the Jesuits, large productive estates were established where vine cultivation played a fundamental role. The most cultivated grape variety was the País, also known as Listán Prieto in the Canary Islands, its place of origin.

By the early 17th century, Chile already had a significant number of vineyards that ensured internal consumption and also exported to Peru and other Spanish colonies. Many plantations were centered in Santiago, as well as in the vicinity of Concepción and Cauquenes. The competition generated towards Spanish wines prompted the Crown to establish new rules and taxes for wine production.

During the period of independence, agricultural activity declined due to military conflicts. It wasn't until 1818, the year when definitive emancipation was achieved, that wine production and export experienced a new boom. In 1841, the French naturalist Claudio Gay, hired by the Chilean government, established the Quinta Normal de Agricultura in Santiago and introduced the first pre-phylloxera French grape varieties. Following his example, in the subsequent decade, businessman Silvestre Ochagavía traveled to France and brought back prominent specialists to implement French varieties in his Talagante estate. This initiative laid the foundation for modern wine industry in Chile and sparked the interest of other national entrepreneurs who followed suit.

Around 1863, an insect from North America, known as phylloxera, began attacking vines in most regions of the world. It became one of the most destructive pests in the history of plant species. However, Chile was the only country in the world that remained untouched by phylloxera. This condition preserved an invaluable botanical heritage of varieties that were extinct in many other parts of the planet. An example is pre-phylloxera Carménère, which was identified by the French ampelographer Jean-Michel Boursiquot in the early 1990s. All of this has piqued the interest of scientists who seek to understand the reasons behind this privileged condition.

The modernization of the wine industry in the mid-20th century brought about an increase in wine trade. Starting from the 1970s, Chilean wines timidly began exploring export markets, initiating the first shipments to France and the United States. However, it wasn't until after the industry crisis in the 1980s that vineyards altered their vision and work strategies, innovating and developing new projects. The incorporation of technology and foreign investment, led by the Spanish winery Miguel Torres, drove an unprecedented boom that transformed Chile into a significant player in the international bottled wine export. Currently, it stands as the fourth-largest wine exporter in the world, trailing behind France, Italy, and Spain.

In 1994, Chile was divided into 6 major wine regions from north to south: Atacama, Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Central Valley, Southern, and Austral. These were further divided into subregions, zones, and areas. In 2011, a new classification was introduced to complement the traditional division. This classification follows the country's vertical axis from west to east: Coast, Between Mountains, and Andes. It provides additional information about the climatic influences exerted by the Pacific Ocean, the Coastal Range, the Central Valley depression, and the Andes Mountains.

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ATACAMA
Copiapó Valley and Huasco Valley
This is the northernmost wine region in Chile and is located within the Atacama Desert, which has limited water resources. It covers the administrative Region of Atacama. Of its 614 hectares of vineyards, 91% is dedicated to the production of grapes for pisco. Notable wine grape varieties include Pedro Jiménez, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Muscat of Alexandria for white grapes, and Syrah, Merlot, and Pinot Noir for red varieties.

From the Upper Huasco Valley comes the traditional sun-dried wine called pajarete, a naturally sweet and aromatic wine produced with Muscat grapes grown at over 1,100 meters above sea level.

COQUIMBO
Elqui Valley, Limarí Valley, and Choapa Valley
This encompasses the administrative region of Coquimbo. The fertile Elqui Valley cuts through the foothills, a semi-arid mountain range that closely resembles a desert. Its clear skies attract some of the world's most important astronomical observatories and create unique opportunities for viticulture. Vineyards have expanded along its riverbanks and up into the mountains. The Syrah variety leads the production among red wines, while Sauvignon Blanc stands out among whites.

The Limarí Valley shares similar climatic conditions and soils with the Elqui Valley. Due to the influence of the Pacific Ocean, the Camanchaca fog adds moisture to the valley every morning and is carried by the coastal breeze in the afternoon. The vineyard is mainly planted with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon but has also proven suitable for producing quality Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and more recently, Pinot Noir.

The small Choapa Valley, located further inland and nestled in the mountains, also produces Syrah and Pinot Noir.

The Coquimbo region is also globally renowned for cultivating grapes destined for Pisco production.

ACONCAGUA
Aconcagua Valley, Casablanca Valley, San Antonio Valley
It encompasses the administrative region of Valparaíso and includes the wine valleys of Aconcagua, Casablanca, and San Antonio, as well as the area of Valle del Marga-Marga. Aconcagua Valley offers ideal climatic conditions for vine cultivation, with warm days and cool, humid nights. The soils are sandy and gravelly, with mineral-rich and organic-rich fluvial sediments. Wine production began around 1870, and a variety of grapes are cultivated, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Carménère, and Syrah among red varieties, and Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc among white varieties.

Casablanca Valley is known for its gentle Pacific breeze, morning fog, and granitic clay soils that create the conditions for producing excellent cold-climate white and red wines. Higher elevations, warmer and frost-free, favor red varieties like Merlot and Syrah, while lower, cooler areas are suitable for mineral-driven whites like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

In San Antonio Valley, you'll find the Leyda Valley zone. Its thin and rocky soil, influenced by its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, produces whites known for their mineral character and intense acidity, as well as reds with concentrated fruit and persistent acidity. The cool and steep slopes of the coastal mountains house the vineyards of the area, showing great potential for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

CENTRAL VALLEY
Maipo Valley, Rapel Valley, Curicó Valley, and Maule Valley
The Central Valley extends from the Chacabuco province of the Metropolitan Region to the provinces of Cauquenes and Linares in the Maule Region.

Maipo Valley is the most renowned wine region in Chile and established its reputation for excellent red wines in the mid-19th century. Its vineyards benefit from a temperate Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers and cold, humid winters. The region hosts vineyards nestled in the eastern foothills of the Andes and those extending to the sandy soils of the Coastal Range. Cabernet Sauvignon, complex with well-structured tannins, comprises 60% of the total wine production in the region. Other red grape varieties that thrive there include Merlot, Syrah, and Carménère.

In Rapel Valley, two of Chile's most prestigious and internationally recognized wine regions can be found. These are the Cachapoal Valley, with its namesake river, south of Rancagua, and the Colchagua Valley, irrigated by the Tinguiririca River. Traditionally known for red varieties, particularly Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, which account for around 80% of the total production in the region. Varied microclimates range from cool in the high vineyards of the Andean foothills to warm and temperate in areas surrounding Lake Rapel along the coastal hills. Gentle ocean breezes and clay soils combine to create optimal conditions for producing some of the country's best Carménère. In Colchagua, vineyards near the coast have also proven excellent for cold-climate white wines.

Curicó Valley boasts vineyards dating back to the 19th century. Its climate is moderately Mediterranean, with hot summers and cool, humid nights. Mainly cultivated grape varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

Maule Valley is located about 260 kilometers south of Santiago and is Chile's largest wine region. It's also one of the most geographically and climatically diverse. It stretches from the Andes in the east to sunny plains along the central corridor and undulating coastal hills in the west, allowing both red and white varieties to thrive. Unlike many other wine-producing regions in Chile, Maule Valley lacks maritime influences but maintains a significant diurnal temperature difference that benefits Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Maule is also home to some of the country's oldest dry-farmed, head-trained vineyards, producing excellent Carignan.

SOUTHERN REGION
Itata Valley, Biobío Valley, Malleco Valley
It extends from the Ñuble Region to the Araucanía Region.

The Itata Valley is the oldest wine region in Chile and has been producing wine for over 450 years, since the arrival of Spanish conquerors. These ancient customs and methods of production, which endure to this day, make this valley a human and vegetal treasure for the global wine industry. Its humid Mediterranean climate, lower temperatures compared to other valleys, distinct seasons, as well as its sandy, granitic, and mineral-rich soils, favor traditional varieties like País, Moscatel de Alejandría, and Cinsault, which prevail in the region. However, in recent decades, hectares have also been dedicated to cultivating varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

The Biobío Valley is situated along the Biobío River, around 500 kilometers south of Santiago. In this valley, as in the neighboring Itata Valley, País and Moscatel grapes have been cultivated for centuries for table wine production. The positive experiences in Itata have led different wineries to focus on producing high-quality wines in the Biobío Valley, including notable varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer.

AUSTRAL REGION
Cautín Valley, Osorno Valley This region encompasses the Cautín province in the La Araucanía Region, extending as far as edaphoclimatic conditions allow for vine cultivation. However, due to the growing impact of climate change, it is slowly expanding beyond its historical boundaries. It covers a total of 123 hectares of vineyards.

The Cautín Valley comprises two subregions, Perquenco and Galvarino, known for varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Pinot Noir. In the Osorno Valley, the southernmost wine region in Chile, Chardonnay, Muscat of Alexandria, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Cinsault and Pinot Noir among red varieties, are cultivated. The communes of Futrono and La Unión currently have the southernmost vineyards in the country.

Other non-traditional regions
Although not part of the traditional wine-producing regions, Chile produces wine in even more northern and southern areas of its territory. In the Codpa Valley of the Arica and Parinacota Region, an oasis in the midst of the desert, the sweet wine made from the Pais grape, known as Pintatani, is crafted. Similarly, in the northern region, specifically in the Tamarugal Desert of the Tarapacá Region, the first native Chilean wine grape was discovered and named the Tamarugal grape. Moving towards the southernmost end, on the island of Mechuque, which is part of the Chiloé Archipelago in the Los Lagos Region, a wine project is underway, with plantings of varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Riesling, suited for colder climates. Its inaugural harvest took place in 2021. Furthermore, the municipality of Chile Chico in the Aysén Region already boasts a vineyard plantation covering 1.94 hectares. These unique circumstances highlight the expansion of new territories for Chilean viticulture, driven by the effects of climate change, which allow for an increased diversity of wine production, spanning from the northern Arica and Parinacota Region to the southern Aysén Region.