Map of Chile’ s wine regions( courtesy of Wines of Chile)
GETTING TO KNOW CHILE
By Gary Hewitt, Sommelier( ISG, CMS), CWE
After God created the World, on the 7th day he was resting. Then an Angel came and told him that they had a problem. There were pieces left over. Tired from the act of creation, God sighed and told the Angel to stick the extra pieces in an out-of-the way place that no one will notice... Chile.
– Chilean creation myth
Wines are expressions of national culture and history. Consider Chile. We know Chilean wines today as expressive varietal wines at a good price. But just scratch the surface and ask which grape varieties prevail or why the wines are so cheap, and you reveal a complex, colourful history, and learn about modern Chile in the process.
A LAND BEFORE WINE
• The first peoples in Chile likely arrived by the Bering land bridge from Asia or by sea from Polynesia. A number of cultures developed within Chile’ s natural boundaries.
• The Mapuche people from the extreme south, including Patagonia, resisted conquest by both the Incans and Spanish. Defeat ultimately came in 1881 at the hands of a massed Chilean army that confiscated the Mapuche’ s lands and gave them reserves. Territorial issues remain unresolved— sound familiar?
CONQUISTADORS AND PRIESTS
• Chile’ s first grape vines arrived with Spanish Conquistadors and priests of the Catholic Church. Sacramental wines helped the mission to convert indigenous peoples and maintain strict religious observance among settlers. The Pais variety came to dominate Chilean vineyards.
• Large agricultural estates growing wheat, barley, and vines became symbols of the wealthy minority who controlled politics and the economy.
INDEPENDENCE AND ECONOMIC EXPANSION
• Revolutions elsewhere in the New World, coupled with Napoleon’ s victory over the Spanish in Europe, sowed seeds of independence. In 1810, a military junta comprised of a small group of army officers took power, and by 1818 independence from Spain was achieved.
• Great wealth accumulated and Chile’ s landowning class developed an appetite for international travel. Fascination
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