Long and thin, Chile has a lot of land north to south. The wine region here is a series of districts based near Santiago. The vineyards are protected by the Pacific on the west and the Andes mountains on the east. This could help explain why the climate changes more from east to west than north to south – also why the country has remained phylloxera free. Quite a few wineries in Chile were founded by large French wine companies. Seeing the potential of the country, vineyards were bought and planted by these French folks and the results tell of a smart investment. While the inspiration may have been French, but the wines here are quite Chilean.

The main regions of Chile include Maipo (pronounced MY-poh), known for reds like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere; Casablanca Valley, a region producing delicious Sauvignon Blanc, as well as other whites & some reds; Colchaugua, an inland district creating amazing red wines from Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, particularly in the Apalta sub-region; and Rapel Valley, settled right under Maipo and producing the same red varietals. As for whites, Sauvignon Blanc is typically crisp, herbal and racy, while Chardonnay is richer in style with full-bodied texture and tropical fruit flavors.

This is Chile's most productive and internationally known wine region, due predominately to its proximity to the national capital Santiago. It is located directly across the Andes' from one of Argentina's wine regions: Mendoza Province. Within the Central Valley there are four wine growing region sub-regions: the Maipo Valley, the Rapel Valley, the Curicó Valley and the Maule Valley.

• The Maipo Valley is the most widely cultivated valley and is known for Cabernet Sauvignon.
• The Rapel wine region in the Colchagua Province is known for its Carmenere and Cabernet.
• Curicó has both red and white wine varieties planted but is most widely known for it Chardonnay.
• The Maule Valley has retained large plantings of the local País; gradually it is being replaced with other red wine varieties.