Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

13 best Chilean wines: From chardonnay to pinot noir

It’s a country which keeps on giving and has a new generation of winemakers emerging too

John Clarke
Monday 04 May 2020 17:15 BST
The South American country is known for its red grape, carmenere
The South American country is known for its red grape, carmenere (iStock/ The Independent)

There are few places in the world where the vineyards are as spectacularly beautiful as they are in Chile. But then with the Andes and the Pacific Ocean as backdrops that’s not really surprising.

The good news is that the wines from this long and slim South American country are just as arresting as the views.

With ocean breezes and Mediterranean-like climates in many of the chief growing regions and cooler climate areas elsewhere, Chile supports a wide range of excellent wines.

Our round-up includes Chile’s famous whites, including the country’s most popular variety, sauvignon blanc, as well as chardonnay and a moscatel blend.

As far as red wines go it would be hard to ignore carménère, a grape that pops up everywhere either by itself or in blends and one which rarely disappoints.

But as we discovered, there are some outstanding examples of pinot noir, malbec and merlot too. It’s a country which keeps on giving and with a new generation of winemakers emerging, one that looks set to feature on our dinner tables for some time to come.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

The verdict: Chilean wines

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in