Quality Wines from Chile

Caliterra: Wine from the Heart of the Colchagua Valley in Chile

Oct 19, 2008

A Chilean winery that gives back to the environment as much as the grapes offer to the wine.

It has been common knowledge amongst wine drinkers for quite some time that wine from Chile consistently provides a pleasing combination of quality and value. Nothing could be more true than at Caliterra. Located in the heart of the Colchagua Valley, 125 miles south of Santiago and 37 miles from the coast, at 150 meters above sea level, the Caliterra winery is a benchmark for sustainable viticulture in the region. Even the name exemplifies their dedication to the terrain as it combines Calidad (quality) and Tierra (land) to highlight the ‘quality of our land.’

Why is Caliterra Different?

In 1996 Caliterra was born as a partnership between the Robert G. Mondavi family and Chile’s Viña Errázuriz as both allies shared a passion for top quality wine that epitomize the natural superiority of Chile as a wine producing region. Since then, in 2004, Viña Errázuriz acquired the Mondavi share and focus turned to making wines with care of the environment at the forefront.

Caliterra has adopted a sustainable approach to their winemaking, meaning that all decisions are made with the objective of protecting the health of the environment, the workers and consumers and to craft wines of the highest standards while conveying the quality and expression of the land and fruit. A combination of social, environmental and economic awareness is the hallmark of their vision. Caliterra is undergoing the rigorous conversion to attain 100% organic status by April 2011.

The Wines of Caliterra

In keeping with the premise of offering unsurpassed value to their consumers, the Caliterra range has five levels to ensure that all ranks of society are able to enjoy the very best wines in each category. The entry stage wines are blends of two varietals, and provide a starting point for quality. The next tier is the Reserva wines. These are all made from grapes grown on estates owned by Caliterra and carefully selected by the winemakers for their illustration of Chilean characteristics.

From there come the Tributo (or Tribute) wines, these are also grown on the estate, but more specifically hail from one individual vineyard. The reds are hand harvested, attentively chosen and vigilantly fermented in French and American oak barrels for 14 months; while the whites are also collected by hand to reveal the freshness and personality of the region. The next step is the Tributo Edicion Limitada consisting of two blends, a Carmenere/Malbec and a powerful Shiraz/Cabernet/Viognier. At the pinnacle is Cenit, a Bordeaux style wine of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot of which only 6000 bottles are produced each year.

Opening a bottle of Caliterra is equivalent to supporting the environment while at the same time taking pleasure in the remarkable representation of the excellent wines from Chile.

The copyright of the article Quality Wines from Chile in Chilean Wine is owned by Tara O'Leary. Permission to republish Quality Wines from Chile in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.