Casablanca Valley, located 75 km northwest of Santiago, saw vines first planted in the mid-1980s. It quickly turned a page in Chile’s winemaking history. Chile’s first cool-climate coastal region, mainly made up of clay and sandy soils, soon turned out crisp, fresh wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and soft rich reds like Pinot Noir. They caught the world’s attention and Chile’s search for new terroirs was on.

Being so close to the ocean, climate is Casablanca Valley’s primary distinguishing characteristic. The hills to the west are hardly high enough to protect the valley from morning fog and ocean breezes. The Pacific off Chile’s central coast is cold, its waters fed by the Humboldt Current, so those breezes almost always moderate the warm valley temperatures.

These factors, combined with somewhat sandy and shallow soils, result in low yields of grapes that often are among the last to be picked in Chile, as much as 30 days after the Maipo Valley, in fact. White wines from these grapes have well-developed flavours and wonderful aromas held together by firm natural acidity.