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Wines from Maule Valley

The Largest Wine Region in Central Valley

As you might be already aware, the Central Valley is the largest wine region in Chile.

The Maule Valley in this Central Valley is the largest winemaking region with over 30,000 hectares of vineyards. This is also a DO wine region in the Chilean wine appellation system.

Now, you might have understood why learning about this region is important as a wine lover. Not only it is the largest, but also it is one of the oldest wine regions in the country.

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So, what this region does in the wine industry is that it blends the new traditions with the old. Interesting, right? Let’s wait no more to read in detail about Maule Valley wines here…

Location and Geography of Maule Valley

The Central Valley is running between the mountains of Andes and Coastal from Santiago to Bio-Bio.

Within this, the Maule Valley is found to be stretching for about 100 kilometres on the southern side.

The valley takes its name from the River Maule, which is flowing through this region from east to west. This valley is located at about 250 kilometres away from the capital Santiago.

We can see that this is one of the most geographically diverse regions with the following sub-regions:

  • Pacific
  • Inter-Andes-Pacific
  • Andes regions

As I mentioned earlier, this is found to be one of the oldest wine regions in the country with its winemaking history dating back to the start of colonization. Now, let’s see further about this region here.

Climate and Soils of Maule Valley

Being a larger wine region, the Maule Valley is offering some unique microclimates for the cultivation of both the red and the white wine grape varieties.

In general, the valley is found to be sunny and drier with a lesser amount of annual rainfall (about 28 inches).

However, the nights are found to be cooler as a result of which the wine grapes are getting a longer growing season that favours optimal ripening.

The region’s climate is not very much influenced by the Pacific Ocean. It’s the Maule River, which provides the temperature moderating effects to the vineyards of the region.

The Maule River is found to be providing the region the alluvial types of soil like granite, clay, loam, as well as gravel. These soils are found to be free-draining in nature and hence, are more fertile and producing higher yields.

It’s to be noted that right from the traditional times, the region is found to be quantity-focused when compared to the quality.

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Overview of Viticulture in Maule Valley

The heart of viticulture in Maule Valley is lying at about 290 kilometres south of the capital Santiago.

Yes, the region is lying further south to the other important wine regions of Central Valley like Maipo and Colchagua.

It’s been found that a majority of land area in Maule Valley is covered by the DO wine appellation meaning that there are some wonderful terroirs to produce wines.

We can observe that most of the vineyards in Maule have been planted along the river banks.

Within the valley, there are five wine sub-zones. They are:

  • Talca
  • San Clemente
  • San Javier
  • Parral, Linares
  • Cauquenes

Wines and Wine Grapes of Maule Valley

Traditionally, the region was producing bulk quantities of Pais grape variety.

But, now this trend is being replaced by the international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere.

While these along with Merlot are the predominant red grape varieties of Maule Valley, the white category is found to be dominated by the varieties like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

However, it’s been noted that the reds are of the highest regard in Maule Valley, which are being produced as full-bodied with dark berry flavours and herbal essence.

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Author

Tharani Rajamanickam

Tharani Rajamanickam

Winewriter

I am Tharani, I have Bachelors degree in Biotechnology. I am passionate about the wine industry and continue to explore, learn and share and I bring in a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help you keep updated with best wines in the world. Stay tuned..

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Vineyards in Maule Valley, Chile

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