Each month in our ‘Spotlight On…’ series, we explore a new city and its wine culture, diving into the drinking trends, where to go for great wines, and any unique products or services linked to the region. Keeping our finger on the pulse when it comes to the wider world of wine is critical when helping us to identify areas of opportunity for our clients, aiding our eventing arm ‘Wrapped’, and for our online product offering on Uncorked. Whether curious about the habits and happenings of a city, or looking for wine-centric areas to visit, our ‘Spotlight On…’ series is for you.
Chilean fine wine has seen some of the biggest growth in appreciation over the last couple of decades, with the notable arrival of Seña on the Liv-Ex Power 100 – a first time for Chile. In prior years, Chile’s reputation was down to great affordable Carménère, but the broader wine market is catching up and beginning to recognise its potential. Given this surge in popularity, the capital of Santiago is accommodating, with more and more wine bars and restaurants shifting focus towards higher grade wines and international offerings, yet still retaining a host of great local affordables.
OVERALL TRENDS
- Heavy focus on showcasing potential of Chilean wines, and other South American wine.
- Utilising food pairing as a method for showcasing Chilean wine.
- Strong history of wine drinking as a highly social (even political) meeting.
- Features iconic, well-known wines from the world to compare against local wines.
Rebuilding & Realigning
The growth in Chilean wine bars is something of a perfect storm. Market recognition, consumer preference, and international acclaim for wines like Seña, Vinedo Chadwick’s Maipo Cab Savs, Clos Apalta’s Valle de Apalta, Errazuiz’s incredibly overperforming 2020 Chardonnay, and, whilst lesser known, the Rotschild’s Valle de Maipo ‘Baronesa P.’ (more on that later), all heavily contributed. However, as with every storm, an element of destruction was also involved. Covid-19’s deleterious impact on business resulted in a huge wave of closures for local restaurants and bars in Chile, but it was this mass closure which cleared the way for rebuilding in-line with the changes already taking place, and, as such, there is small, but growing array of sites to suit this focus. Whilst undeniably tragic for its residents, the silver lining (however diaphanous), was the opportunity to realign businesses towards foreign investment and tourism, with plenty of travellers, tourists, HNWIs, and wine-adjacent investment visiting the city in search of Chile’s quality food and wine.
BAR HOPPING
Les Dix Vins
Location: Avenue Vitacura, 2935, 7550011 Las Condes, Santiago.
Vibe: Classy, educational, engaging.
Known for: Comparing old world fine wines against Chile’s upcoming wave of fine wine.
Bocanáriz
Location: José Victorino Lastarria, 276, 8320126, Santiago.
Vibe: Modern, fun, down-to-earth.
Known for: Socially-oriented, huge selection of wines, host master-classes and tastings.
DonDoh
Location: Avenue Nueva Costanera, 3969, Vitacura, Santiago.
Vibe: Modernist, elegant, intimate.
Known for: Modern Japanese-Peruvian cusine, paired with primarily local Chilean wines.
Olam
Location: Carmencita 45, 7550157 Santiago, Las Condes, Santiago.
Vibe: Quirky, serious-yet-light-hearted,
Known for: Pairing local award winning seafood with natural, orange, and ‘funky’ wines.
Chile’s Hidden Gem
Valle de Maipo ‘Baronesa P’.
The Rotschild name is no stranger in French wine, with three extremely prestigious châteaux in Bordeaux: Mouton, d’Armailhac, and Clerc Milon, and one in Limoux, Domaine de Baronarques, but their acclaim is now international. Following the American partnership with Mondavi, Opus One, the minds behind Mouton are lending their expertise to terroirs the world over, notably Escudo Rojo and Viña Almaviva and in Chile.
The prior was the brainchild of the Baron P. de Rothschild’s daughter, Baroness P. de Rothschild, who sought to work in new lands within the company of her equally expert sons, Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild and Philippe Sereys de Rothschild. Together, they craft some surprisingly affordable yet expectedly delicious wines with broad blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, such as the Escudo Rojo Gran Reserva at under £20, and, their primary wine, Baroness P., which still falls under the £100 mark and is considered by many to be one of Chile’s top wines, and something of a hidden gem.
The latter, Viña Almaviva is a collaborative affair akin to Opus One, where the Rothschilds bring their French expertise and knowledge, and combine it with an equally indomitable oenologist who possesses an intimate understanding of the new sites local grapes and terroir, in this case Don Alfonso Larraín, Chairman of Concha y Toro, joining the Baroness P., who, since Escudo Rojo, has a firm reputation in Chilean wine. Based in the Maipo region, blending France’s Cabernet Sauvignon, with Chile’s iconic Carménère, they produce a singular wine designed to express a real ‘meeting of spirits’.
Here at CB Wine, we are delighted to see Chilean Fine Wine receive its dues, and as part of our newly redesigned Uncorked retail website, we will be launching a great selection of Chilean wines over the coming weeks. Take a look at our site today, or sign up to the newsletter here to be the first to hear about new products and special offers.
