Secluded from the Andes Mountain in the west, Atacama Desert in the north, the Patagonian ice-fields in the south, and Pacific ocean to the west, dwells the Central Valley (or Valle Central), the most famous wine region of Chile. Its proximity to the capital Santiago makes Central Valley the most productive and internationally popular wine region of the country.

The Central Valley is divided into four sub-regions namely Maipo Valley, Curicó Valley, Maule Valley and the Rapel Valley. These sub-regions are famous for different varieties of wine grapes like Maipo and Rapel for Cabernet Sauvignon, Curicó for Chardonnay and Maule for local variety Pais. The Maipo Valley is the oldest and produces some of the best quality red wines.

Vines were brought to Chile by the Spanish in the 16th century. Chilean wine started gaining popularity when the world was gripped by the phylloxera epidemic. Due to Chile’s geographic conditions, the vines here were never affected by phlloxera and many countries turned towards Chile for supplying wine. Today in the 21st century, Chile is 5th largest exporter of wines, with Central Valley in the driver’s seat.

Central Valley also houses some of the oldest and traditional wineries in Chile. But in recent times, many boutique wineries have also come up for wine tourists. Some famous wineries in this region are Almaviva, Concha y Toro, Paseos del Vino, Antiyal, Perez Cruz, Viña Santa Rita, etc. Most of these wineries arrange wine tours, tasting and excellent food. The scenic beauty of the valley is the cherry on the cake.