El Emperador

Chilean wine is wine curated in the South American Country of Chile. Chile has a lengthy viti-cultural history for a New World wine region dating to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors brought Vitis vinifera vines with them as they colonized the region. In the mid-19th century, French wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère and Cabernet Franc were introduced. In the early 1980s a renaissance began with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks and the use of oak barrels for aging. Wine exports grew very quickly as quality wine production increased.

The number of wineries has grown from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005. Chile is now the fifth largest exporter of wines in the world, and the ninth largest producer. The most common grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmernère. So far Chile has remained free of phylloxera louse which means that the country’s grapevines do not need to be grafted.