Ep 324: Chile's Cool Climate Wines of Casablanca, San Antonio Valleys

<p>Cool climate wines are in high demand, as many of us seek wines that are on the lighter side but still have fruit and ripeness. We usually turn to places of high latitude for that, but on this show we tell you about an unlikely region for some of the best and yet most affordable cool climate wine around: the Casablanca Valley, San Antonio, and Leyda Valley -- all in a small area at 33˚south latitude!</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href= "https://www.kingstonvineyards.com/trade" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><img style= "display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/45638/Kingston-Family-Vineyards-Winery-at-Sunset.jpg" alt="Kingston Family Vineyards" width="400" height= "162" /><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Photo: Kingston Family Vineyards</span></em></a></p> <p>Here are the show notes:</p> <p>Both located in the far western coastal areas of the Aconcagua wine region, Casablanca and San Antonio are in mountainous coastal country that experiences cool to cold breezes due to the Humboldt current coming up from Antarctica. There are a handful of producers that make wines from these areas, but thankfully most of them are widely distributed so we have a chance to try these acidic yet fruity wines with little hunting around. </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Valle de</strong> <strong>Casablanca</strong></p> <ul> <li>Casablanca and Valparaíso are famed (at least in their homeland) and were voted, as a unit, as one of the 10 Great Wine Capitals of the world. The food, wine, and the ease of visiting vineyards make it an ideal destination. </li> <li>Until the 1980s, livestock grazed and grain grew where vineyards would soon pop up. It was then that Pablo Morandé, who was working for the giant winery Concha y Toro, realized that the Casablanca Valley had tremendous potential to make cool climate wines like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc. </li> <li>Within a few decades the area was thriving. Producers set up shop, including:  Montsecano, Kingston Vineya