Day Three, Chile, July 2000 Just north of our San Simon vineyard at Fundo Requingua in the Sagrada Familia region of Curico, as the volcanic hills level off into the valley, a small river flows. The edge of the river shows the alluvial origin of the Chilean valleys: rocks washed round by the Andean snow melt litter the banks and underlie the top soil in the vineyard, providing drainage for the vine roots. What you can’t see in this photo is the volcanic rock that becomes increasingly prominent as you approach the hills in the background. It is this mixture of alluvial and volcanic soils that makes this vineyard so interesting, with complex wines and low yields. When I first came to Requingua, some five years ago, I was proudly informed that I would be shown the finest vineyards: vineyards so fine, indeed, that they yielded some 20,000 kilos per hectare, or over 8 tons per acre. Massive trunks and canopies sucked up the flood irrigated water, gigantic clusters hung in profusion. The fruit tasted thin, green, and watery. I asked if all the vineyards were so productive. “No, alas,” I was informed, “we have only one other vineyard, but it is situated in poor soil and is of no interest.” Of course, this was the San Simon vineyard, which became the base of our Terra Rosa. These days, quality rather than quantity is becoming the watchword of Chile. Many growers are planting the thinner and rockier soils in the faldas (skirts) of the hills. In a couple of days, we’ll have a look at some of these vineyards. But, tomorrow, it’s back north to Luciano’s vineyard in Angostura for some pruning with Don Guillermo. Let's move on to day four!     Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.