Talking about this region means leaving
aside everything we have said so far, precisely
because it is an exception. The Limari Valley is
one of the so-called “transverse” valleys. In fact,
it runs between the Elqui Valley to the north and
the Choapa Valley to the south. The valley that
concerns us here is defined as open, with a topography
of fluvial plains of terraces. It is narrow and
towards the Andes gradually becomes a ravine with
very steeply-sloping sides, as a result of the soil-erosion
caused by glaciers and water.
This region is in fact a little enclave of wine
production within a geographical area, the country’s
IV Region, which has devoted its vine-growing activities
to producing grapes for a distillate of spirit with
Appellation of Origin, known as “Pisco”, This is
generally obtained from fragrant white grapes of
different varietal types, of the Muscatel family.
They cover a considerable area, with a total of
about 10,000 hectares.
Wine-production here is a recent “discovery”, which
found expression during the 1990s, as today, through
the presence of 1,804 hectares planted with vines
for wine-making. (One must consider that Limari
is on latitude 30度S, in other words, almost 400
kilometers north of the city of Santiago). In fact
the nearest wine-producing vineyards are 250 kilometers
to the south, in the Aconcagua Valley.
There are appropriate sectors for growing the grape
varieties which are suitable for producing fine
wines, because of its unusual closeness to the sea
(only 30 kilometers). This freshens the atmosphere,
thanks to the influence of the cold Humboldt current,
still appreciable, which causes frequent morning
mists. This is a fundamental factor in achieving
adequate environmental temperatures in spring and
summer that are suitable for obtaining fine wines.
Within the region, the area known as Cerrillos de
Tamaya, in the Province of Ovalle, is reckoned to
be the ideal place for this purpose. Rainfall is
only slightly under 100 mm per year, so irrigation
is absolutely essential, even in winter. In this
case the water is obtained from reservoirs, because
hydric resources are so scarce.
Another aspect that characterizes the region is
the fact that the Andes and coastal range are almost
back-to-back, so there are no broad flat spaces
in between, except for small valleys.
It is to soon to made a categorical forecast as
to the future of this region as a source of fine
wines. But in any case, the first trials with varieties
usually grown in the Central region, look hopeful,
and in fact they have already shown some promising
results, both in red and white wines. The predominating
grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon (731 hectares),
Merlot (240 hectares), Chardonnay (145 hectares),
Carménère (116 hectares) and Syrah (85 hectares).
This is primarily a mining area, and from an agricultural
point of view, in addition to its “Pisco”, it produces
horticultural products that ripe first in the country,
fact that allows them to fetch high prices in other
regions of the country.
|
