Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted red variety in Chile and it is the grape credited with putting Chile on the world stage. It accounts for around 100,000 acres planted which is just over 20% of all vineyard plantings in Chile. These vineyards extend from Atacama in the country’s far north to the Araucania region midway down the coast – a distance of roughly 1000 miles.

But, the productive core of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon is the Central Valley where three regions account for 97% of total planted surface area: O’Higgins (43,103 acres), Maule (38,338 acres) and the Metropolitan Region (14,807 acres). These regions span the area west of the Andes and on to the Pacific Coast, meaning that they include all the different terroirs of Chile.

So, within the O’Higgins region, for example, the Colchagua Valley covers two-thirds of the Cabernet Sauvignon planted, while the Maipo Valley boasts a historic core of vineyards in the Metropolitan Region.

Comparing and contrasting these two iconic Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon regions is where we’ll go next. Until then, Cheers!