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Winery
Weon
Varietal: Carignan
Carignan is an ancient blue-skinned grape varietal, thought to be indigenous to the Aragon region of Spain. However, today it is most commonly associated with the fine wines of southern France, and has been grown in many countries around the world which have the warm and dry conditions it requires to thrive. Carignan is recognized as being quite a sensitive vine, highly susceptible to all kinds of rot and mildew, although producing excellent results when given the right conditions and handled correctly. Its high tannin levels and acidity make the Carignan grapes very astringent, and as such, they are often used as a blending grape to give body to other, lesser bodied varietals. Despite this, with careful treatment, Carignan can produce superb single varietal wines packed full of character and unique attributes.
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
Whilst being widely regarded as definitively 'New World' as a wine producing country, Chile has actually been cultivating grapevines for wine production for over five hundred years. The Iberian conquistadors first introduced vines to Chile with which to make sacramental wines, and although these were considerably different in everything from flavor, aroma and character to the wines we associate with Chile today, the country has a long and interesting heritage when it comes to this drink. Chilean wine production as we know it first arose in the country in the mid to late 19th century, when wealthy landowners and industrialists first began planting vineyards as a way of adopting some European class and style. They quickly discovered that the hot climate, sloping mountainsides and oceanic winds provided a perfect terroir for quality wines, and many of these original estates remain today in all their grandeur and beauty, still producing the wines which made the country famous.