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Winery
Weon
Varietal: Carignan
Although nowadays most commonly associated with the wines of southern France – particularly Languedoc – and Sicily, the Carignan grape varietal was once an important indigenous Spanish grape, and was used in the production of early Rioja wines. Today, the grape is found in many different countries, and is most commonly used in blended wines, where its strong tannins and astringent nature can boost other, weaker bodied varietals to produce superbly balanced blends. Carignan grows in hot and dry conditions, and is particularly susceptible to rot and mildew, making it quite a challenging grape to cultivate. However, given careful treatment, the Carignan grape is capable of producing sumptuous single variety wines, packed full of interesting earthy flavors quite unlike other red wine grapes.
Region: Valle Central
The Valle Central of Chile is one of the world's most fascinating and unique wine regions, being a New World region with a history which stretches back several centuries to the time of the first European settlers on the South American continent. Although those original settlers brought their vines across the ocean for the production of sacramental wine, the way they flourished on Chilean soil was not ignored. Over the centuries, the vineyards around the Maipo and Maule valleys grew and grew, and now the Valle Central is the most productive wine region of South America, producing many of Chile's most characterful and flavorful wines. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varietal grapes are grown and processed in huge quantities for the international market, but there are also many vineyards dealing with high quality Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Carmenere grapes which are constantly gaining attention and praise from critics and wine drinkers around the world.
Country: Chile
When the wealthy new landowners of the 19th century began planting large vineyards in the fertile central valleys of Chile, they must have been impressed at how successful the imported Old World grape varietals took to the land. However, such a fact is hardly surprising; with eight months of blazing sunshine coupled with oceanic winds from the west, and crystal clear spring waters from the Andes irrigating the soil, grapes such as Malbec, Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon were given everything they needed to flourish, and more. As the centuries passed, Chilean wineries continued to expand and experiment, resulting in a wide range of wine production methods and techniques, and consistently producing fine quality wines perfect for the international market. Nowadays, Chile is renowned for producing a wide variety of crisp white wines, and juicy, fruity reds enjoyed around the world for their drinkability and flavorful character, making this country very much one of the 'New World', albeit one with a fascinating link to the Old.