Chile is one of South America’s most significant wine producers and possesses a vast range of wine stylesgrown in a surprising range of terroir for such a small country. Chile is a thin strip of land sandwichedbetween the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains. Primarily growing Chardonnay and Syrah.Its position creates a massive air conditioner effect – sucking cool ocean air inland. Each wine region has 3unique growing zones: The Costas, Entre Cordilleras and Los Andes. The coastal regions are best suitedfor cool-climate grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; Sauvignon Blanc grows well here too! The inlandvalleys are warmest and known for their soft and supple Bordeaux Blends. The high-elevation Andescreate wines with more structure (tannin and acidity) and this has lead to intriguing Syrah, Cabernet Franc,Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.The French were excited by the prospects of Chile’s ideal climate and soils for fine wines and invested inthe region early on. Their influence shaped Chile’s wine market towards a focus on Bordeaux varieties likeMerlot and Cabernet, focusing heavily on exports.